Bröderna Laurentius och Olaus Petri (The Laurentius Brothers and Olaus Petri)

This sculpture depicts the Petri brothers, two of the most well-known Örebro residents of all time. Their last name was actually Pettersson, and their first names Lars and Olof, but it is under the Latin forms of their names that they became famous.

Both brothers were priests and were at the centre of power in the mid-16th century. Laurentius became archbishop of Uppsala and Olaus completed the first translation of the New Testament into Swedish, something that came to be of great importance for both the church and the Swedish language.

The artist Nils Sjögren was a famous sculptor who went on to become a professor at the art academy. His sculptures have been described as lavishly realistic and characterized by a joy of storytelling. In the sculpture outside Olaus Petri Church, he tells a focused story of the wordsmith Olaus, who sits bent over his Bible, and the archbishop Laurentius in his liturgical role, proclaiming the Christian faith with raised hand.

The Petri brothers have left many marks on Örebro’s geography. They have given the name to the church that rises behind the sculpture, to the Olaus Petri School a bit further up on Norr street, and to Olaigatan, the street that runs along the Svartån river. Along Olaigatan outside Karolinska School, an obelisk has also been erected where it was once believed the brothers were born.