Imagine needing to move the important buildings in your home town or risk losing them for ever. That’s exactly what’s happening in Kiruna, a small mining town in northern Sweden, where residents are witnessing something extraordinary: the careful relocation of their historic wooden church – all 672 tonnes of it – rolling down the street in one piece.
Why move an entire building?
The story begins with a problem that’s been brewing for over a century. Kiruna sits on top of one of the world’s largest iron ore deposits, and after more than 100 years of mining, the ground beneath the old city centre has become unstable. Underground mining has created fissures and ground subsidence that threaten the foundation of buildings above.
Under Swedish law, mining companies cannot operate directly beneath buildings, which creates a unique challenge. As the mine expands, buildings must move out of the way. But rather than simply demolish everything, the community and mining company LKAB (which is footing the estimated $1 billion relocation bill) decided to preserve what matters most.
A Church on the move
Kiruna Church ia a stunning 113-year-old red timber structure that was once voted Sweden’s most beautiful pre-1950 building. Standing 35 metres (115 feet) tall and 40 metres wide, the church has served as the spiritual heart of the community since 1912.
Rather than tear it down and rebuild it elsewhere, engineers devised an ambitious plan: move the entire church three miles to the new city centre. The building was carefully lifted onto giant trailers and began its two-day journey at a maximum speed of just 500 metres per hour – slower than most people walk.
Engineering marvel meets community spirit
The logistics of moving such a massive structure required extensive preparation. Engineers had to:
- Widen the road to 24 metres (79 feet) to accommodate the building’s width
- Remove lamp posts, traffic lights, and even a bridge along the route
- Support the structure with steel beams and place it on self-propelled modular transporters
- Secure interior treasures, including a priceless altar painting by Prince Eugen (a member of Sweden’s royal family) and a 1,000-pipe organ
The most remarkable aspect? Everything inside stays put. The delicate artwork and organ will make the journey inside the church, carefully protected and stabilised for the move.
More than just a building
For Kiruna residents, this isn’t just about preserving architecture – it’s about moving memories. The church has been the site of countless weddings, funerals, baptisms, and community gatherings for over a century.
“The church has served as a spiritual centre and a gathering place for the community for generations,” explains Sofia Lagerlöf Määttä, a local culture strategist. “The move has brought back memories of joy and sorrow to us, and we’re now moving those memories with us into the future.”
Local pastor Lena Tjärnberg captured the bittersweet nature of the move: “The church is leaving a place where it truly belongs. Everyone knows it has to be relocated: we live in a mining community and depend on the mine. I’m grateful that we’re moving the church with us to the new city centre, but there is also sorrow in seeing it leave the ground where it became a church.”
The church move represents the most dramatic moment in Kiruna’s broader transformation. Since the mid-2010s, the city has been systematically relocating buildings to safer ground. While most structures are demolished and rebuilt, significant landmarks are moved intact when possible.
Previous relocations include a row of three historic wooden houses, the former mining manager’s residence (moved in three pieces), and the clock tower from the old city hall.
Watching history roll past
Hundreds of people lined the streets to witness the historic moment, with many travelling from across Sweden and beyond. The move was even broadcast live on Swedish television as “slow TV,” allowing viewers to watch every inch of the journey.
“It’s like history taking place in front of our eyes,” observed one spectator, as the massive wooden structure inched past.
While Kiruna’s situation is unique, it raises important questions relevant to property owners everywhere:
Ground Stability: How well do you know what’s beneath your property? Mining, natural geological changes, or human activity can affect ground stability over time.
Infrastructure Dependencies: Kiruna’s relocation isn’t just about building safety – it’s about maintaining essential services like water, electricity, and sewage systems that could be disrupted by ground instability.
Community vs. Individual Rights: The relocation demonstrates how community needs sometimes require individual sacrifice, but also shows how creative solutions can preserve what matters most.
Long-term Planning: Mining company LKAB is covering the relocation costs, but the situation highlights the importance of understanding long-term risks to property values and habitability.
If all goes according to plan, Kiruna Church will complete its journey and settle into its new home in the relocated city centre. The move represents something rare in our rapidly changing world – a community’s determination not just to survive change, but to bring their most treasured pieces of history along for the ride.