In Kiruna, Sweden’s northernmost town, a landmark wooden church is being relocated to make way for Europe’s largest iron ore mine. The massive operation reflects both the town’s reinvention and the tensions tied to mining’s impact on heritage and nature.
A historic red wooden church considered one of Sweden's most beautiful buildings resumed its slow move across the Arctic town of Kiruna on Wednesday, inching toward its new home to allow Europe's biggest underground mine to expand.
Kiruna's entire town center is being relocated because of the giant LKAB iron ore mine that dominates the region, whose ever deeper burrowing over the years has weakened the ground, increasing the risk of collapse in some parts.
Kiruna Kyrka, an imposing 672-tonne Swedish Lutheran church from 1912, is being moved five kilometers (three miles) on remote-controlled flatbed trailers, moving at a snail's pace of half a kilometer an hour to the new Kiruna town.
The complex and costly logistical operation began on Tuesday and was scheduled to be completed on Wednesday around 2:00 or 3:00 pm (1200 or 1300 GMT).
The journey has so far gone smoothly for the 1,200-tonne convoy, but proceeded more slowly on Wednesday due to some tricky narrow passages and 90-degree turns, officials said.
The move has generated widespread interest, with large crowds thronging the streets of the town of 18,000 people and Swedish television broadcasting the entire journey live.
King Carl XVI Gustaf took part in the festivities on Wednesday, exchanging a few words with driver Sebastian Druker of Argentina who was controlling the trailers remotely with a joystick hung around his neck.
The 79-year-old king was also expected to take part in an attempt to break the world record for the number of people attending a "kyrkkaffe," a church coffee break.
The town's relocation process began almost two decades ago and is expected to continue for years to come. The new town center was officially inaugurated in September 2022.
The company offered to financially compensate those affected by the town's relocation, or rebuild their homes or buildings. A total of 23 historic buildings, including the church, were moved.
Criticism
Many Kiruna residents are unhappy about the town's colossal relocation.
Alex Johansson and Magnus Fredriksson, who host a podcast on local Kiruna news, were critical of the mining company.
"LKAB maybe didn't read the room so well when they destroyed the whole town and then they stage this huge street party for the people," Fredriksson told television broadcaster SVT, as the pair stood by as the church rolled slowly down the road under heavy grey skies.
"It's like they said 'Here's some storage space for you, Kiruna. Now we're going to continue raking in the billions from here'," Johansson added.
They were happy the church had at least been saved.
"It's good that it didn't end up as woodchips like the rest of Kiruna," Fredriksson said.
LKAB, which is extracting iron ore at a depth of 1,365 meters in Kiruna, announced in 2023 that it had discovered Europe's largest known deposit of rare earth elements right next to the iron ore mine.
Rare earths are essential for the green transition, used in the manufacturing of electric vehicles.
LKAB chief executive Jan Mostrom told AFP the deposit was "very important for Europe," as the continent seeks to reduce its dependence on imports from China.
"We are quite focused to see how we will continue to expand our operations in Kiruna," he said.
Activists meanwhile argue the mining operations destroy the area's pristine forests and lakes and disturb the Indigenous Sami people's traditional reindeer herding in the area.
The relocation of the church alone is expected to cost 500 million kronor ($52 million) and is being paid for by LKAB.
Designed by Swedish architect Gustaf Wickman, the church, which measures 40 metres (131 feet) tall, is a mix of influences and includes designs inspired by the region's Indigenous Sami people on the pews.
The neo-Gothic exterior features slanting roofs and windows on each side, while its dark interior has elements of national romanticism as well as an Art Nouveau altarpiece and an organ with more than 2,000 pipes.
The church's handblown glass windows were removed ahead of the move, replaced with plywood painted to look like windows.
The belltower, which stood separately next to the church, will be moved next week.
By Jonathan KLEIN / AFP
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