the church and churchyard are surrounded by a wall which originally reached much higher and had a defensive purpose. four medieval gates still survive in the wall. the church complex evidently has fulfilled a defensive role, as there are marks from pikes and crossbow bolts in the sturdy tower-door, still preserved in its original place. in addition, the inside of the church is profusely decorated with frescos depicting, among other things, fighting knights. the frescos and the church wall may date from the short period in history when gotland belonged to the teutonic order. this has led some scholars to speculate whether the church for a time might have been owned by the crusading order, and turned into an "ordensburg" (albeit on a small scale).