Anundsjö Church

Anundsjö church is a church in the Diocese of Härnösand belonging to Anundsjö parish in the community of Bredbyn.

History

The first church was built in the 1200s and excavations in the 1950s found the remain. A large cross in the cemetery marks the location of this original church. The present church was built in 1437 and is a good example of the northern late medieval church architecture. It has a simple rectangular floor plan and consists of nave, porch to the south and the vestry in the north. Entrance is through the porch. The church still has its medieval appearance. The church has paintings on the ceiling that were previously painted over with white paint. The original paintings were revealed in a restoration in 1952.

Contents

• A six-sided baptismal font carved of wood is dated to 1665. It was a gift of vicar Olof Anzenius in memory of his son Olaf, who died young.
• The pulpit was made in the early 1700s by the wood carver Erik Olofsson Bring.
• The crucifix on the southern long wall comes around 1500.
• Some medieval wooden sculptures from the 1200s and 1400s is now deposited in the county museum.
• Two chasuble are preserved. One is in brown velvet from 1665 and one black from 1772.
• A communion vessel is from 1771. The church silver was stolen in a burglary in 1786 but was later recovered.
• Altarpiece with bezel in rococo style is the work of sculptor Pehr Westman and guilded by Jonas Wagenius. The altar glass painting was made in 1913 by Gustaf Mauritz Kjellström.
• The bell tower was built in 1759 by Per Zakrisson. Per Zakrisson (1723–1780) of Anundsjö was a carpenter, wood carver, blacksmith, and mechanic. Above the belfry stands a memorial to him set up in 1959 for the 200th anniversary of the building of the tower. The tower has two bells.

Burials

• Anton Julius Winblad
• Frideborg Winblad (1869–1964), teacher in Härnösand, who went on to become Sweden's first female educational administrator