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4w ago

Kiruna’s 1912 Wooden Church Completes 5-Kilometre Move to New City Centre

The two-day relocation advances a long-term plan to safeguard the community from ground subsidence caused by an expanding iron-ore mine.

An aerial view shows the wooden Kiruna Church being transferred to its new location, in Kiruna, Sweden, on August 19, 2025.
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The Kiruna Church moves 0.5 kilometres an hour down a street that was widened for its journey.

Overview

  • The structure arrived on Wednesday after a two-day journey covering five kilometres to the rebuilt downtown site.
  • Engineers transported the 672-tonne building on remote-controlled trailers with 224 wheels at roughly 0.5 km/h after route widening and obstacle removal.
  • Thousands watched in person and via SVT’s live stream, with King Carl XVI Gustaf attending and Eurovision act KAJ performing.
  • State-owned miner LKAB financed the operation as part of Kiruna’s relocation through 2035 and offers residents compensation or reconstruction options.
  • Sámi reindeer-herding leaders condemned the spectacle over threats to migration routes and livelihoods, while the bell tower move is due next and the church is expected to reopen around 2026.