‘The Great Church Move’: Sweden begins ambitious relocation

By Mary McAuliffe August 19, 2025
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People use their mobile phones as Kiruna’s old wooden church is moved during a two-day relocation trip to a new site next to a cemetery, to save its wooden walls from ground subsidence and the expansion of the world’s largest underground iron ore mine, in Kiruna, Sweden August 19, 2025. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger

High above the Arctic Circle, the Swedish mining town of Kiruna is undergoing one of the most dramatic urban relocations in modern history. Decades of iron ore extraction at the LKAB mine have destabilized the ground beneath the city, creating fissures that threaten homes, infrastructure, and cultural landmarks.

To protect residents and preserve heritage, nearly the entire town center—including its iconic church—is being moved several kilometers east in a massive engineering and cultural undertaking. The urban transformation has been underway for the past twenty years, yet now Kiruna is attempting the most ambitious of the relocation projects.

The Vicar of the church of Kiruna, Lena Tjarnberg, stands next to Asa Nystrom, bishop of the diocese of Lulea, on the day the historic wooden church is blessed, before it is moved to a new site next to the cemetery, to save its wooden walls from ground subsidence and the expansion of the world’s largest underground iron ore mine, in Kiruna, Sweden August 19, 2025. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger

The church, built between 1909 and 1912 and designed by Gustaf Wickman, is considered one of Sweden’s architectural treasures. Its design was influenced by Sami huts and Norwegian stave churches, and the interior features an Art Nouveau altarpiece by Prince Eugen. Voted Sweden’s favorite pre-1950 building in a national poll, it has stood for over a hundred years as a cultural landmark at the heart of Kiruna.

A 672-ton church is embarking on a tw0-day journey to its new location over 5 kilometers away. The move is being carried out at an average speed of just 500 meters per hour.  To commemorate the event, Kiruna has launched a live stream and an events-packed schedule for residents and audiences around the world to follow along what they have dubbed “The Great Church Move.”

Watch the video below for a breakdown of how Kiruna is pulling of this unprecedented move after years of preparation.