Tornedalen Church Rebuilds After Fire

Why this is here: The church rebuild will utilize 38 million Swedish krona from insurance funds to reconstruct the building in Hietaniemi.

In Hietaniemi, Sweden, officials plan to rebuild the church destroyed by fire. The parish will use roughly 38 million Swedish krona in insurance money for the project. The new church will be slightly smaller than the previous one and accommodate about 70 people.

Josefina Kenttämaa expresses relief and excitement about the rebuild. Construction is scheduled to begin in June, with an anticipated completion and dedication next summer. An excavation beneath the burned church revealed hundreds of graves dating to the 1600s or early 1700s.

Archaeologists are currently analyzing the remains of children and adults found in these graves. The first church on this site, built in 1617, served people on both sides of the Torne River.

Johannes Biskop, a known church builder, designed the previous church completed in 1746 and crafted its pulpit and chancel rail. The analysis of the recovered remains continues as the rebuilding progresses.