Mörbylånga Church
Church environment
Church and Cemetery in Mörbylånga parish is located on the low fertile coastal plain and not, as most of Öland’s churches, on or near the fault line.
Mörbylånga village already existed in the Middle Ages. On the oldest map from 1641, it has been interpreted as the vicarage plot was located a little south of the cemetery, and here should also the medieval vicarage been located.
The estate closest to the church in the South was in the year 1700 appointed to vicarage, and in the mid 18th century a assistant vicar residence was built to the assistant vicar Anders Hultenius. The house was moved a bit to the south in 1935, to be used as the parish hall.
At the same time a vicarage was built on the land west of the assistant vicar residence. Next to the assistant vicar residence a low, red wooden building was built in 1988 to be used as the parish office and archives.
The two buildings were connected with an angular building facing down to the vicarage. The vicarage is since 2005 no longer in the parish possession.
The former school building is located south of the cemetery. It’s a yellow-painted wooden building, built in 1915, and characteristic of the period. The former school is now privately owned. Junior school was in the little house opposite the school. The plastered house which is situated east of the church building was for a long period the village common bathhouse.
Mörbylånga urban district was founded in 1820 and came during the 19th century to grow, while the main village at large retained its old scope. Mörbylånga was for long an annex parish to Resmo. This relationship changed in 1935 when Mörbylånga became its own parish.
The church
Mörbylånga church consists of a medieval tower and a nave and chancel which in 1811 replaced the medieval building elements.
The new nave and chancel was designed by architect Axel Almfelt at the Superintendent’s Office. During the period 1760 to 1860, 23 new churches was built on Öland, of which 16 retained its medieval towers, The exterior of the church represents a typical example of churches rebuilt on Öland in this period.
The church has an overall neoclassical expression with its shallow pitched roof, the large arched windows, the smooth undecorated facades and the highlighted south entrance.
The broad and high tower is perceived as large in comparison with the nave and preserves some of its medieval character with the heavy walls and the ancient portal in the west.
This impression is reinforced by the relatively small windows and the neo-gothic inspired spire – an addition from the 1870s. Sacristy built in 1931. The interior has had major renovations carried out in 1931 (J Fred Olson), 1966 (David Dahl and others) and 2000 (Jerk Alton and others.).
Memorial grove
The memory grove is located in the new cemetery’s northern part. The area consists of a circle in limestone with a lawn in the middle. The area is surrounded by trees and bushes.
In the northern part stands a tall wooden cross with the Lamb of God in metal, and an altar table in gray limestone. The limestone table was added in the 1990s in memory of Maria Svensson Ceorecius which was Mörbylånga parish missionary in South Africa 1960-97. Here is also a light carriers designed by Elwin Brask.
Buildings
The Morgue in northeast.
The morgue has a frame made of bricks and plastered facades colored in light yellow color with gray painted base. Entrance is in both the east and west through the double doors painted in pink-red color with black wrought iron fittings. The windows are made of cast iron and thin lattice. The pitched roof building is coated with roof tiles and the construction Year 1915 written in forging numbers over the entrance to the east. In front of the building, to the east and the west, the ground is paved with limestone. The building is divided into two rooms. The West served as mortuary while the east, now used for storage, held the hearse. The morgue was designed and built by master builder CA Svantesson
Outbuilding in the northwest
Tool shed with plastered facades colored in white and saddle-back roof covered with roof tiles. Doors to the east and the bargeboards are painted blue. The year 1948 is on the facade facing east. The building is not in use nowadays.
Outbuilding in the southwest
Tool shed, etc. built with plastered facades in white color with a saddle-back roof covered with roof tiles, extended later on with a red painted wooden building component.
Other
In the cemetery’s northern part, between the oldest and second oldest cemetery is a well with vats of pink limestone. The well was dug in 1921.
Source: Kalmar Läns Museum, Kalmar County Museum
Translation: Visitoland.com