Slottskyrkogården

Slottskyrkogården is a tranquil oasis in central Jönköping. Close to Västra Torget and its lively Saturday market, it offers a natural space for peace and contemplation.

The cemetery dates back to the 13th century but has undergone several changes since its foundation. For a long time, Slottskyrkogården was located on the outskirts of the city and surrounded by farmland. As Jönköping has grown, the cemetery now sits at the city’s very centre.

Major expansions took place in the 19th century. The cemetery has twice been abandoned for short periods and not used for burials. In 1889, the use of Slottskyrkogården was prohibited due to a health ordinance passed in 1874 that banned burials within city-planned areas. The cemetery was reopened in 1924.

The name "Slottskyrkogården" (literally “Castle Church Cemetery”) comes from the Slottskyrkan parish, which took over the site in the 1640s. However, the cemetery has had several names, including Västra kyrkogården (“Western Cemetery”).

Slottskapellet (The Chapel)

The chapel at Slottskyrkogården was built in 1694, based on drawings by Erik Dahlberg. It has a distinct Baroque character with a Greek cross floor plan, forming a centralised layout. Above the crossing rises a small lantern with a dome and spire.

Slottskapellet is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Jönköping – and is possibly the oldest surviving wooden structure in the city.

During a restoration between 1989 and 1990, archaeological excavations were carried out in and around the chapel. These revealed the foundations of a stone church with a Romanesque layout – a nave with a narrower, straight-ended chancel. Finds such as vault ribs suggest a late medieval brick church, though the layout points to a 13th-century origin, with the bricks likely added during a later vaulted reconstruction.

Excavations also uncovered 105 graves beneath the chapel floor. Until the year 1800, it was still common to bury people inside churches. The remains were moved to a grave just north of the chapel, where a memorial stone now stands.

The actor who triggered a cholera outbreak in Jönköping

In August 1834, a theatre company from Stockholm arrived in Jönköping to perform. They had recently been in Gothenburg, where a cholera outbreak had just begun.

One of the actors, the strikingly handsome Anders Collberg, had contracted the disease. He died in Jönköping on 8 August. His body was laid out for public viewing, and admirers clipped locks from his hair as a keepsake.

Through Collberg, cholera spread to Jönköping, leading to an epidemic that claimed the lives of nearly 670 people — in a town of just 4,500 residents at the time. A cast-iron cross north of the chapel marks the memory of Anders Collberg.

Notable burials

Hedvig Kristina Rydberg, mother of author Viktor Rydberg, was one of the victims of the 1834 cholera epidemic. Her exact burial site is unknown, but a memorial stone stands just south of the chapel.

Ida Ljungqvist, wife of Ottonin Ljungqvist, director of the Munksjö paper mill. Ida died while heavily pregnant with their eleventh child, who also did not survive. Ida and Ottonin later gave a substantial donation that laid the foundation for what is now known as Idas skola. The Ljungqvist family grave is located in Section 6, plot 79.

Ebba Hay, together with several members of the Hay family. Bernhard Hay was closely linked to the Jönköping Match Factory. Ebba competed in the 1912 Stockholm Olympic Games in mixed doubles tennis and, at 45, was the oldest female athlete in that Olympics. The family grave is located in Section 12, plot 1.

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