The mighty church in Edsleskog
Lödöse museum carried out archaeological excavations of a church in Edsleskog, Dalsland county, during 2019-2021. The building turned out to be the oldest brick church known in medieval Sweden, and it has a very exciting story to tell. Welcome to the exhibition "The mighty church in Edsleskog".
It started with a murder
It all starts with the saint legend about the priest Nils who died in his service during the 12th century, and a church was built in his honor. The objects on display are found in the medieval church and have been chosen to present the various aspects of the church. What has happened to the church during its time of use? What did it look like? Who are the people buried there? These and many other issues are addressed in the exhibition.
The oldest brick building
The most important reason why archaeologists wanted to dig up the church again was an indication that it must have been built before 1220 AD. This is stated in a papal letter from the same year, which is remarkable as the church was built of brick. The dating makes the church the medieval Sweden's oldest brick building.
❗ The exhibition is in Swedish!