Mjölby church

Church

In 1771, the old church and cemetery, along with its furnishings, were destroyed in a large fire. The new church was consecrated in 1779.

Mjölby Church was originally built during the early Middle Ages. However, only parts of the tower remain of the medieval church. In 1771, a devastating fire broke out, destroying the church, the rectory, and the entire church village. Already the following year, plans were made to build a new church. Significant donations were made, allowing master mason Östberg from Skänninge to lay the foundation for the new church according to the designs from the Royal Chief Architect's Office.

The church has undergone a number of changes since its re-consecration in 1779. The tower clock was installed in 1790. The sacristy took on its current form during an interior renovation done in 1944. The beautiful stained glass windows were created in 1968 and are designed by Charles Crodel, a professor at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts, and made by the firm Franz Mayer. The chancel windows depict the Trinity, and the nave windows show scenes from the Old and New Testaments. The first organ was installed as early as 1715. The current mechanical organ was built in 1989 by Mårtenssons Orgelfabrik in Lund, and is the fifth in order. The facade is however preserved from the organ of 1859.

Among the items is a communion box made by Valentin Wefwer from Linköping in the 17th century. The perhaps most remarkable object is the chalice with its rich baroque-style ornamentation from the 17th century. The stamp in the shape of a pine cone indicates that the place of origin is Augsburg. The church owns a medieval candlestick and a pair of late baroque-style brass candlesticks.

Mjölby Church reopened in 2007 after a 16-month long external renovation. The church has been provided with completely new plaster both externally and internally. On the outside, it has regained the light yellow hue it had during the 1906 renovation. On the inside, among other things, the bases of the capitals have been re-marbleized. The unique stained glass windows have been taken down and cleaned.