Frösö Church

History

From the Middle Ages to the Present

Frösön is the largest island in Storsjön. According to ancient myths, the island was dedicated to the fertility god Frö. The inscription on northern Sweden's only runestone – which today stands next to Hornsberg Church near the Frösö Bridge – tells that Östman, son of Gudfast, had Jämtland Christianized in the mid-11th century.

800 years ago
The construction of Frösö Church probably began at the end of the 12th century. The size is the same today, except for the sacristy which was added later. The porch consists of the remains of a medieval tower, whose upper parts collapsed during the 18th century. In 1985, the church was equipped with a bridal chamber at the northern wall of the porch. There is a tapestry composed and woven by Kerstin Bränngård. In the southern wall of the chancel, there was a portal, which is now sealed. Parts of the chancel opening are preserved as a niche with paintings from the 17th century.

Medieval Reliquary
In the niche in the chancel stands a reliquary from the 13th century. A tombstone in the porch commemorates the sheriff Önd Pederson, who died in 1397. Pederson was a member of the Skunke family, who had immigrated from Norway and whose coat of arms was a human leg adorned with a spur. Two medieval saint images, the Virgin Mary on the north side and the church's patron saint Olaf the Holy on the south side, indicate the church's significance as a pilgrimage church.

In 17th Century Clothing
The gallery barrier has paintings from the 17th century depicting biblical figures dressed in 17th-century clothing. The old pulpit, which is now in Handöl Chapel, is carved in low relief. A part of the pulpit, with Norwegian text, hangs on the north wall. Jämtland belonged to Norway until the Treaty of Brömsebro in 1645. The limestone baptismal font was donated in 1698 by Captain Treffenberg and his wife. The brass bowl for the baptismal font bears the year 1637 but originates from the early 1500s.

Rococo
The current altarpiece was added in 1708 and the altar rail in 1778. The new pulpit was designed in rococo style in 1781 by the sculptor Johan Edler the Elder.

19th century til Present time
During the church's restoration in 1885, much of the old characteristic interior was destroyed, and the church received a general and simple appearance. A fire in 1898 destroyed what remained of the decorative wall paintings from the 17th century. All furnishings could be saved. The church was rebuilt after the fire, but it was not until 1930 that the church's interior received the appearance it has today.
In 1985, the church was equipped with a bridal chamber by the north wall of the porch. There is a tapestry designed and woven by Kerstin Bränngård.

The Votive Ship

Hanging from the ceiling is a votive ship. Votive comes from Latin and means a promise of a gift. It often referred to a vow made to God — that if one survived a hardship, they would donate a gift to their home church. The votive ship has become a symbol of salvation. The church is likened to a ship sailing through this world. God is the one who steers the ship, and the faithful are its crew. The mast represents the cross, the sail symbolizes faith, and the driving force is the Spirit. Thus, the church sails into paradise and the harbor of eternal life. The bow of the votive ship should face the altar.

Organ with 27 Stops

The first organ, built by organ builder Johan Gustaf Ek from Torp in Medelpad, was inaugurated in 1857. It has been rebuilt several times, most recently in 1951 by the Danish organ building firm Marcussen & Son. The organ has 27 stops and 1,772 pipes.

Birgitta bell

The bell tower, with its distinctive shape typical of Jämtland, was erected in 1754 and is the work of Pehr Olofsson from Dillne in Oviken. The large bell, the so-called Birgitta Bell, dates from the 14th century and was cast in Stockholm, judging by a bell founder's mark on the bell. According to an old tradition, Saint Birgitta is said to have passed through Frösön on her pilgrimage to the grave of Saint Olaf in Trondheim in 1339. The small bell is dated to the 18th century, recast in 1749. In the churchyard rest ancestors from different eras, all the way back to pre-Christian times. The composer Wilhelm Peterson-Berger has his grave near the southern church wall. Outside the church, there is a magnificent view of the mountain world.

Silent Heritage – The White Crosses

Story by Cristina Agdler

At the cemetery by Frösö Church, there is a group of white wooden crosses and four gravestones with names. These mark 27 graves of 27 men—prisoners of war and refugees from Yugoslavia, Poland, Finland, and Estonia—who died of tuberculosis at Frösö Emergency Hospital and Solliden Sanatorium in Östersund between 1945 and 1948.

During World War II, a large number of Yugoslav prisoners of war were transported to labor camps in northern Norway. Many of those who survived the cold and torture were seriously ill, primarily with tuberculosis. Due to food shortages and a lack of medical facilities after the war, contact was made with Sweden. Through the efforts of the Red Cross, 100 Yugoslavs were brought by train to Frösön and Östersund for treatment. Another group of 72 tuberculosis-stricken and malnourished refugees arrived from Eastern Europe with the help of the White Buses and were received at Frösö Emergency Hospital. The final group of tuberculosis-infected refugees—about 30 Balts and Finns—arrived in February 1946.

Ingeborg Lindgren worked as a nurse and housemother at the Emergency Hospital at Frösö Hospital, and Ebba Johansson served as a Red Cross nurse in Östersund. Their preserved albums with photographs and newspaper clippings from 1945–1946 provide insight into the lives of the tuberculosis-stricken Yugoslavs, Poles, and Balts at Frösö Emergency Hospital.

Some of the former prisoners of war were healthy enough to assist in the hospital’s operations, including working as cooks. Despite their traumatic experiences and illnesses, a sense of positivity and strong camaraderie developed. There are stories of Yugoslav partisans giving concerts in Östersund and Sveg.

Most of the prisoners survived and, after three months of care at Frösön, began their journey home—first by medical train and then by boat. But some died and were buried at Frösö Church cemetery, where their graves were marked with simple wooden crosses made in the hospital’s carpentry workshop.

The white crosses in the cemetery stand in memory of the refugees from Eastern Europe who did not survive the illnesses and injuries caused by the war. They bear witness to a time when the people of Frösön extended a helping hand to those in need.

Västerhus Chapel

At Västerhus, there was already a chapel in the 11th century. The site is now within the airport area, and the chapel's shape is marked with some stone slabs. The chapel ruins and the cemetery were examined by archaeologists in the 1940s and 50s. The total of 364 graves provided many interesting insights into the medieval population. Through the placement of the graves, archaeologists could also show that Västerhus Chapel was first a small wooden church, which in the 12th century was replaced by a stone church on the same site. The stone church was a small Romanesque church with a nave, chancel, and a projected but never completed apse, as well as a tower in the west. Västerhus Chapel likely ceased to function as a church during the 14th century.