113-Year-Old Wooden Church Moved 5 Kilometres in Sweden
- Nejla Kılınç
- Aug 21
- 1 min read
In Kiruna, home to Europe’s largest underground iron ore mine, expansion works posed a landslide risk to the city’s historic wooden church. After eight years of planning, authorities decided to relocate the 113-year-old building.
To prepare for the move, access roads were widened from 9 metres to 24 metres. The 672-tonne structure was lifted onto massive wheeled platforms and shifted at a speed of 0.5 km per hour.
The operation lasted two days and was broadcast live by state television SVT under the title “The Great Church Move.”
The relocation, costing €45 million (₺2.15 billion), marks only the beginning. The entire city of Kiruna is scheduled to be moved to the same area by 2035.
Source: Hürriyet
