Holy Uppsala - From Viking to Christian

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Uppsala is considered by some to be the spiritual center of Sweden, the place where its soul is located. Burial mounds from the pre-Christian era still exist at Gamla Uppsala, the original site of Uppsala which is situated just 5 km from the city center.

Rune stones are evidence of the importance of Uppsala in Viking times. The stones generally commemorated the lives of powerful leaders. Many of the stones in Uppsala were carved by the runemaster Öpir. Several rune stones dating from the 11th century are displayed on the grounds of Uppsala University.

Sweden began to convert to Christianity by the 12th century. Uppsala Cathedral, with its soaring Gothic architecture, was consecrated in 1435. One of the many works of art in the cathedral is the modern statue Mary (the Return) by Anders Widoff. The statue represents the return of Mary, the mother of Christ, to Uppsala Cathedral, where there was no image of her for several centuries.

Today the spiritual lives of many local residents find their repose in Uppsala Cemetery. Of the people buried there, one of the best-known is Dag Hammarskjöld, the second Secretary-General of the United Nations.