In a historic move, Kiruna is relocating 5,000 deceased individuals to make way for a mining expansion. This marks the largest relocation of remains in modern Swedish history. The process includes moving the Kiruna church and its columbarium, with plans to build a new one at the new church site. The challenge lies in relocating the memorial grove, with efforts to ensure no remains are left behind.
Historic Relocation: 5,000 Remains to be Moved in Kiruna
Historic Relocation: 5,000 Remains to be Moved in Kiruna
Not only is the church in Kiruna being relocated, but also 5,000 deceased individuals.
– This is the largest relocation of deceased individuals in Sweden in modern times, says Roger Marjavaara to Dagens Nyheter.
The relocation of Kiruna church is underway, albeit at a snail's pace. However, it's not just the physical church building that needs to be moved to make way for the iron ore mine. Deceased bodies also need to be transported to new resting places, reports DN.
In about a year, it will be time for the church's columbarium in the Maria Chapel. There are urns with ashes from cremated individuals. A total of 5,000 deceased in the chapel and memorial grove will be moved.
A new columbarium will be built at the new church.
– It's not that the area by the church will collapse into a hole anytime soon, but eventually, it will not be accessible to relatives, so the deceased need to be moved, says Roger Marjavaara, Associate Professor of Cultural Geography, to DN.
Even the grave of Hjalmar Lundbohm, who was the first manager of the mining company LKAB, will be moved. It is the only one buried in a coffin at the old church site.
According to burial laws, remains that have been interred can only be moved if there are special reasons, which the county administrative board decides on.
Challenge of Moving the Memorial Grove
The challenge will be to move the memorial grove. The church politicians in Kiruna parish have not yet discussed how it will be done. However, Roger Marjavaara does not believe it will be a problem.
– If you can move a church, you can dig up the soil and place it in the memorial grove at Kiruna cemetery, he tells DN.
When asked if everyone will be included, he says that is the goal.
– It's hard to know because the ashes in the memorial grove have decomposed since the 1930s when it was built. There has been talk of making a symbolic move, taking a small part of the soil in the memorial grove and moving it. But in our study, most say "everyone should come along." No one wants to leave anyone behind, says Roger Marjavaara, who studies the relocation of the deceased, to DN.
Several relatives have already chosen to move urns to other burial sites, although most want the ashes to remain in Kiruna.