Maria Magdalena Church, Baroque church building in Södermalm, Sweden
Mary Magdalene Church is a baroque structure in Södermalm with a cross-shaped floor plan, side transepts, and a choir section. The interior features an organ facade from 1774 that dominates the eastern end of the space.
Construction began in 1588 under King Johan III and the building was consecrated in 1634, making it the oldest place of worship in Södermalm. The organ facade was added later during the 1700s, shaping the interior ever since.
The church is named for Mary Magdalene, to whom Magnus Eriksson dedicated a funeral chapel here in the 1350s. The Baroque pulpit by Carl Johan Cronstedt, inaugurated in 1763, carries a medallion with her portrait. Epitaphs inside commemorate Christopher Polhem and songwriter Carl Michael Bellman, and Evert Taube lies buried in the churchyard.
The church sits between Slussen and Mariatorget and can be reached from several directions. Visitors should know that regular services and events take place, so checking opening times before a visit is helpful.
The church tower stands 55 metres tall and has 180 steps up to the viewing platform. Its four clocks are now driven by an electric mechanism from Westerstrand & Söner, but one of the original clock movements, made by Christopher Polhem's Stjärnsund manufactory, is now kept at the Technical Museum in Stockholm.
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