in Karlstads bishopric

The information is taken from the booklet produced by Ånimskogs church. Text: Gunnar Hedén. On the eastern side of the lake Ånimmen and across the road of the manor house of Henriksholms is Ånimskogs over 700 years old church. The oldest pars in the church was a squere floor area that was built under the first part of the 13th century by an unknown master builder. The walls that are over 100 cm thick are built as an inner and an outer wall of granite. In the middle there are macadam and rests from bricks that are mixed with bones from an older graveyard, probably from tha pagan time. This oldest part of the church had towards the east a small extension which was a chapel with roof of wood. In the beginning of the 17th century the eastern gable was removed and the church was lengthen towards the east and was ended by a trisection that was used as a sacristy. Also the roof was changed and it was ended with a cupol in the east. The originally logs of pine are still parts of the contrucion in the roof. At this time a porch was also built on the southern wall. As the belltower needed much repair, planns were set to build a belltower near the western gable. This never happened as the never came to a decision. In 1768 they decided to build a porch on the western gable. This was also built with thick walls in the same style as the rest of the church, so that in the future it could bear a tower. Every time the belltower needed repair the descussed a new tower. The last time was in 1825, when they decided to raise money, one "riksdaler" per farm. Ironmaster Wohlfart promised 15 - 20 barrels glue (lime for walls) for this purpose. Master Peter Svanström from Krubbenäs, Svanskogs parish, and his partner Tor from Sund accepted the job for 180 "riksdaler" and they were to be ready the next year. They directed the work that most of the time was made by people from the area who had a duty to the church. The church porch on the southern side became by that free and after some changes it was used as a sacristy. The sanctuary was made bigger and the altar was placed by the wall. The bell tower was built in 1731 by the carpenter Per Andersson from Sotebyn in Tösse. The big bell was founded by D. Petraeus in Örebro in 1753 and weighs 176 kg. The small bell was founded in 1722. The roof in the church is flat and painted in black and white on a blue ground. The paintings were made in 1739 by Hans Georg Schäffner for "103 riksdaler smt". The carver Lars Falk from Ånimskog has made the altarpieces and the pulpits in Eds, Holms and Bro churches. The altarpiece and the pulpit in Ånimskogs church has the same style so it is likely that they are made by the same man. The pulpit donated by Anders Månsson Wall. Photo, the summer of 2000 Click to enlarge! The altarpiece and grave of Anders Månsson Wall. Photo, the summer of 2000 Click to enlarge! The altarpiece was a gift from Erik Månsson Ulfsparre. His and Soops coat of arms are placed on each side of the altarpiece. The pulit is donated by the churchwarden and Innkeeper från Lunds Inn. About his interresting familyhistory tells a painting hanging on the pulpit. This painting was noted in the inventory from 1774. The donator of the pulpit Anders Wall 1) is buried just in front of the altar under a big carved grave-slab. The painting that tells about Anders Månsson Wall. 2) Photo, the summer of 2000 Click to enlarge! The baptismal font made of sandstone dates from the beginning of the 13th century or even earlier. In the gallery there is an old aokchest from the 11th century. The form of the chest dates if from the hedonism area. If was found during archaeological research in 1929. The churchsilver is palced in a chest by the altar. The chest has three locks and you have to have all three keys to open the chest. Earlier the priest had one of the keys and the two ohters had the churchwardens. The goblet and the pâté was donated by Anna Maria Dreffensköld in 1738. In an exhibition case is a chasuble from the the Middle Age knitted with silver thread. It it most likely a war-trophy from the 30-years-war. The main theme is the death of the Virgin Mary. On the north wall a painting is hanging called "Christmas eve by the grave". It was made by the artist Otto Hesselbom and is a gift from his nephew Gösta Hesselbom. The artist was born in Ånimskog and is buried in the churchyard under a 300 cm high stone with his portrait. The wooden shield with a the moon on the wane is the family Måneskölds funeral cote of arms, dated from 1652. The church got electric heating in 1956. In 1929 and in 1960 the interior of the church was renovated and got is present look. In the churchyard there is a monemet over the first female churchwarden, Gerda de Verdier. She has donted land to the church to be the new churchyard, the beautiful carpet by the sanctuary and her own bridal crown in gilded silver. The youngest part of the churchyard and the monument are design by the architect Edvard Jacobsson, Karlstad. The mortuary, that was built in 1957, and the parish house was outlined by the architect firm Havstad Hollström Lindell, Karlstad. The lime trees on the older part of the churchyard was planted in 1820. The grave-slab in Ånimskogs church. 1) Anders Wall who was the donator of the pulpit was Håkans great great great great great great great grandfather. Read more about Anders Wall. 2) The information that he died in 1758 is wrong. Anders Månsson Wall died on November 30 1738. Copyright © Håkan Bergström, Latest update 2003-12-31