Meet the Middle Ages
BackThe Church
You can read about the church in many places in "Meet the Middle Ages".
The parishes were established early on in Möre. All the churches were, at first, built of wood. The Kungsgård church in Hossmo however, was made of stone as early as in 1120. In the beginning of the 13th century many more impressive stone- churches were constructed on the coast of Möre and on Öland. We call these churches "defence-churches", because in many ways they resemble fortresses with high walls and loopholes. These churches were built because the Church and the Crown wanted to demonstrate their power and impress the people. During this period, the coasts of Möre and of Öland were very important regions of the kingdom. The following churches became "defence-churches" : Söderåkra, Torsås, Halltorp, Voxtorp, Hagby, Mortorp, Dörby, Kläckeberga, Förlösa, Ryssby and Åby. The largest district church was the one in Ljungby. It belonged to the dean and the bishop. The Bishop of Linköping owned a lot of land in the village of Ljungby, as well as Ölvingstorp in the parish of Ljungby.
Many of Möre´s medieval churches still remain. It is very much worth your while to visit a church from the Middle Ages.