Öja, Gotland
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Öja | |
|---|---|
 Öja Church | |
  Öja | |
| Coordinates: 57°2′7″N 18°18′0″E / 57.03528°N 18.30000°E | |
| Country | Sweden |
| Province | Gotland |
| County | Gotland County |
| Municipality | Gotland Municipality |
| Area | |
• Total | 38.19 km2 (14.75 sq mi) |
| Population (2014)[2] | |
• Total | 479 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Öja is a populated area, a socken (not to be confused with parish), on the Swedish island of Gotland.[3] It comprises the same area as the administrative Öja District, established on 1 January 2016.[4]
Öja is situated partly on the narrow southern isthmus that connects the Storsudret peninsula to Gotland and partly on the peninsula itself.[5] The medieval Öja Church, part of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Sweden, is located in the socken.[6] The locality Burgsvik is in the west part of Öja.[7] As of 2019[update], Öja Church belongs to Hoburg parish in Sudrets pastorat, along with the churches in Hamra, Vamlingbo, Sundre and Fide.[8][9]
One of the asteroids in the asteroid belt, 10123 Fideöja, is named after this place and the neighboring Fide socken.[10]
Öjamadonnan
Öja is mostly known for the 1.5 m (4.9 ft), 13th century, wooden sculpture Öjamadonnan ("The Öja Madonna"), a Stabat Mater representation of the Virgin Mary. The Catholic statue was removed from the Öja Church during the Swedish Reformation and stowed away in a woodshed. It was later retrieved by Gotland Museum, renovated in 1948 and it is now displayed in the museum. A replica of the statue for the Evangelical-Lutheran Öja Church, was later made by sculptor Bertil Nyström. The sculpture has been chosen as one of the Treasured Objects in Sweden.[11][12]
