The Ansgar monument, or Ansgar's cross, stands above Birka, the first town in Sweden. Erected in 1844, it commemorates the 1000-year anniversary of the arrival of Ansgar, a missionary credited with the first Christian baptism in the area. The monument, a ring cross, is located on Borgberget, within the fortified site Birkaborgen at Birka on Björkö in Ekerö commune. Its inscription reads: 'MEDAN J HAFVEN LJUSET TRON PÅ LJUSET ATT J MÅGEN BLIFVA LJUSENS BARN - JOH XII 36'. The Ansgar monument offers a glimpse into Sweden's earliest religious history.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
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