Bredsätra Church
Church environment
Bredsätra church and cemetery is located on the eastern side of Öland at the height of Borgholm. Around the church is a small community with mixed buildings including several houses built in the 1950s. Opposite the church is the road to Sikavarps harbour with the ruin of Sikavarps Chapel and the lighthouse.
The Church
Various fragments of rune stones and other objects shows that the parish was Christian during the 11th century. Maybe there has been a wooden church here by that time, but no trace of such has been found. The first stone church was built in the mid 12th century. This building consisted of a nave and a narrower apse chancel. From this the oldest church remains today the foundation walls and the west gable of the nave.
In the late 12th century and early 13th century Öland and coastal areas were threatened by pagan pirates from the Baltic area. This led to that a number of churches were reconstructed to defense churches. So were also done in Bredsätra. First there was a tower built in the west and soon a tower to the east so that the church became a pack-saddle church. The work was probably completed in the mid 13th century.
The next extension was made sometime in the period from the late 13th century to the 16th century. Then a vestry was built to the north of the chancel.
During the 18th century there were several repairs to the church. Meanwhile, the population grew in the parish and the old medieval church became more and more crowded. In 1841 the parish meeting took the decision on a major rebuilding of the church. The drawings were made by the architect Th Edberg and the work was led by master builder Peter iceberg.
The medieval west tower was retained but the east tower was demolished and a new nave and a fully wide chancel and vestry in the north were built. Both the exterior and interior of the Church are characterized of neoclassic stylistic features, even though the interior to some extent also is interspersed with older styles as older movables and fixtures was transferred from the old church.
Buildings
Outside the cemetery’s entrance in the west there is a building that houses janitorial and toilets for the church visitors. The building has white plastered facades, black metal roofing and carpentry in brown.
Other
In connection to the janitors and the composts are a number of older tombstones and plinths removed from the cemetery.
Source: Kalmar Läns Museum (Kalmar County Museum)
Translation: Visitoland.com