Country Sweden Opened 1898 Construction started 1791 | Completed 1898 Architectural style Baroque architecture Architect Fredrik Magnus Piper | |
 | ||
Similar Slottskapellet, Ekenäs Castle, Vårdnäs Kyrka, Vasa Church - Gothenburg, Lövstad Castle | ||
Bjärka-Säby Castle (Nya slottet Bjärka-Säby) is a baroque style château located south of Linköping, in Östergötland County, Sweden. In Bjärka-Säby there are actually two castles simply called the old and the new castle of Bjärka-Säby. The old castle dates from 1632. The new castle is owned by the Pentecostal Church Out of the castle's common life, meetings and retreats an ecumenical community has been born, though not a monastery as stated in some articles. This community, Ekumeniska Kommuniteten i Bjärka-Säby (EKiBS), is a community with its members living scattered around Sweden and the other Scandinavian countries but having its main gatherings and heart at the castle of Bjärka-Säby.
History
Bjärka-Säby Castle was built for Swedish diplomat and nobleman, Germund Louis Cederhielm. The building was based upon plans from a prominent Swedish landscape architect, Fredrik Magnus Piper. Construction started in 1791 and was completed just before 1800. The surrounding landscape was design in the manner of a traditional English park. The palace was subject to renovation in 1894-1898 based upon plans of architect Agi Lindegren (1858-1927). His work differ from Piper's design and resulted in a Baroque appearance.
Proposals for a restoration of the interior were advanced principally by Sigurd Curman, secretary of the Swedish National Heritage Board. Between 1920-1921, Eric Fant, architect at the Nordic Museum, conducted renovations reflecting the manor's origin in the late 1700s. The exterior has been allowed to retain the appearance resulting from the Agi Lindgren-based conversion.
Since 1980, the château has been owned by Sionförsamlingen i Linköping, the Swedish Pentecostal movement's church in Linköping. From 1996 on there are people from different denominations living a common life at the castle, praying, working and studying according to a simple rule. Out of this common life of prayer together with the visitors at retreats and seminars given at the castle a need for something "more" arose and this gave birth to the independent Ecumenical Community of Bjärka-Säby with its members scattered throughout Scandinavia though regularly returning to the castle.
Inside the castle hangs portraits and icons of Hedvig Ekman, Gustaf Aulén, Nathan Söderblom and Bridget of Sweden, as well as traditional icons from the Russian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox tradition and icons painted by members of the community. The castle at Bjärka-Säby also has a patristic library, as well as a side chapel that was built in the 18th century, as a result of the devotion of the Pietist Lutheran Hedvig Ekman.
The current spiritual leader (preces) of the Ecumenical Community of Bjärka-Säby is Peter Halldorf.