Kalmar Cathedral Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Kalmar Cathedral
Kalmar domkyrka
Kalmar Cathedral
56°39′52″N 16°21′55″E / 56.66444°N 16.36528°E / 56.66444; 16.36528
Location	Kalmar
Country	Sweden
Denomination	Church of Sweden
History
Status	Active
Consecrated	1682
Architecture
Functional status	Cathedral & Parish church
Architect(s)	Nicodemus Tessin the Elder
Style	Baroque
Completed	1703
Administration
Diocese	Växjö

Kalmar Cathedral (which in Swedish is Kalmar domkyrka) is a very old and beautiful church. It is located in the city of Kalmar in southeast Sweden. You can find it in the main square, called Stortorget. Building the cathedral started way back in 1660. It was designed for the Church of Sweden by a famous architect named Nicodemus Tessin.

History of Kalmar Cathedral
- Who Designed the Cathedral?
Restoring the Cathedral
- Later Renovations
Gallery
More to Read
See also

History of Kalmar Cathedral

Kalmar Cathedral interior

Aerial view of Kalmar Cathedral

In the middle of the 1600s, a new city of Kalmar was built on an island called Kvarnholmen. By 1658, most people had moved from the old town to this new, fortified city. The new city was planned in a special way, following ideas from the Renaissance period. This meant the church and the town hall were built right across from each other in the main square.

The cathedral was built using limestone from Gotland, an island in Sweden. The arched ceilings, doorways, and window frames were made from brick. The roof was covered with copper plates. The church was designed without a large dome and had tall windows.

Who Designed the Cathedral?

The person who designed Kalmar Cathedral was Nicodemus Tessin the Elder (1615–1681). His design is a great example of a style called Baroque architecture in Sweden. This style was very popular at the time. The cathedral's design had to be practical for church services. It also had to fit in with the needs of a city that was also a fortress.

Building the cathedral began in 1660. However, the work stopped several times. One big reason was the Scanian War, which lasted from 1675 to 1679. After the war ended, construction started again. Kalmar Cathedral was finally finished in 1703.

Restoring the Cathedral

Over hundreds of years, the cathedral has been repaired and updated many times. These repairs are called restorations.

In 1783, a big restoration project started. It involved both the outside and inside of the church. In 1800, a large fire damaged the city of Kalmar. The damage to the cathedral was fixed by 1802.

Later, from 1831 to 1834, more repairs were done. An architect named Jacob Wilhelm Gerss suggested these changes. The outside walls and the roof were part of this restoration.

Later Renovations

From 1882 to 1883, the inside of the church was rebuilt. This was based on drawings by architect Helgo Zetterwall.

More restoration work happened between 1910 and 1914. This time, the city architect Josef Fredrik Olson created the plans. Another restoration, also based on Fredrik Olson's ideas, took place from 1928 to 1932.

Between 1981 and 1982, the outside of the church was extensively restored. More recently, from 2005 to 2011, the exterior was again restored. This work included fixing the church roof, repairing stone, and painting the facade. Inside, from 2006 to 2011, the choir area was raised and made larger. New flooring was also installed.