Church of the Holy Cross, Ronneby

Blekinge · Sweden · Church

The axe cuts are still in the oak door. Behind it the townspeople stood and listened to the king's soldiers hacking their way in — 4 September 1564.

Inside Holy Cross church in Ronneby stands a sixteenth-century oak door, and in the heavy timber sit deep cuts that tradition holds to be axe marks left by Erik XIV's soldiers. You can walk up and lay your hand in one of the grooves. What happened behind that door is called the Ronneby Bloodbath. Ronneby was a Danish town when the king's army came in 1564; on 4 September it was stormed, and at least two thousand people were killed. Neither women nor children were spared, and the river is said to have run red with bodies. Many of the inhabitants had sought shelter in the church, believing the peace of sanctuary would hold. It did not. The church was badly damaged in the war but still stands; it dates from the twelfth century and is one of the oldest in Blekinge.

FAQ

Where is Church of the Holy Cross, Ronneby located?

Church of the Holy Cross, Ronneby is in Blekinge, Sweden.