[Video] Dutch company moves 672-tonne wooden church in Sweden

Dutch company Mammoet has helped with the relocation of Sweden’s landmark, Kiruna Church. The 672-tonne wooden church was moved just five kilometres away over two days. 

Kiruna church moved 5 kilometres by Dutch transport company

Thousands of spectators gathered to watch the move of what is considered one of the most beautiful churches in Sweden. Mammoet, a company based in the Netherlands that specialises in heavy transport projects, moved the 672-tonne building on a trailer with 224 wheels and 56 axles.

Travelling at just 500 metres per hour, the Kiruna church’s relocation, covering five kilometres, took a whole two days. "We've been preparing since 2019. Fortunately, we already had experience with these kinds of projects, which makes things easier. We also moved a church in Germany years ago,” Justin Vreugdenhil from Mammoet told AD. 

Swedish church relocated due to subsidence

The Kiruna Church, built in 1912 from redwood, had to be moved out of the town due to subsidence. Kiruna, the town in which the church was located, was founded 125 years ago to mine iron ore.

However, this mining is the very reason that the church and the entire town centre are now being relocated. The great historical value of the church meant it could not be demolished, so instead the state-owned company LKAB funded the 45-million-euro move for the building.