A1: What is the name of the geographical area you are writing about?
Sweden
A2: What is the current status of your answer to the previous question - is it: a nation state? (e.g. France) a legally-defined division of a nation state?
Nation state
A4: Outline history. Describe the historical development of the unit, as it affected its external borders and internal boundaries:
Borders of modern Sweden
B1: Describe the MODERN hierarchy of geographical areas used for civil administration:
Parishes (2500+), fögderier, län (25), Sweden. Parishes (2500+), kommuner, A-regioner, län, Sweden.
B2: How long has this system existed?
Fögderier (taxation) since 1634 and kommuner since 1863.
B3: Describe earlier administrative geographies:
The Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions
The head of the Church of Sweden since the Reformation in the sixteenth century is the king. Under him the realm is divided into dioceses (stift) with a bishop (biskop) as the presiding authority. Each diocese is made up of rural deaneries (kontrakt) with a dean (kontraktsprost) as the head. The deanery in its turn is divided into a number of smaller units, called benefices or districts (pastorat) with a rector or vicar (kyrkoherde) as the presiding official. The benefice is made up of one and sometimes two or a few more parishes.
The original word for parish is socken, which indicates both a civil and a ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the same geographical area. However, in 1862 a stronger division between the civil and ecclesiastical jurisdiction was made, and the civil administration was called kommun (municipality )and the ecclesiastical församling.
There are about 2 500 parishes in Sweden. Their bounds were mostly set before the 1700th century and remained virtually unchanged until 1952, when in the interest of government efficiency a uniting of certain smaller parishes took place.
In 1686 a law was passed, which stated that the parish clergy were to keep a record of the ordinances they performed for their parishioners. This was the beginning of the official vital records in Sweden.
The Civil Jurisdictions
Administratively, Sweden is divided into counties (län), districts (härad) and parishes (kommun or socken). To these may be added the old historical units of provinces (landskap).
The County (län)
For administrative purposes on a larger scale the country is divided into 24 län. A law of 1634 established the counties and its borders. The county is divided into subdivisions called fögderier and landsfiskalsdistrikt. The subdivisions in its turn is divided into parishes.
The District (Härad, tingslag, skeppslag, city)
The districts are subdivided under the county, each consisting of 2-20 parishes. They are judical units gouverned by a district judge and a council. The borders of the district, numbering about 300 in all, are very old and of historical origin.
C1: When was the first national census of population carried out?
National census done by Tabellverket since 1749.
C2: Outline the later history of the census. Have censuses been carried out at regular intervals, and if so with what frequency?
1751-1775 every third year. 1775-1860 every fifth year. 1860- every tenth year.
C3: What are the main geographical units used in published reports? Have these changed over time?
Parish, municipalities, county + labormarket and regions (A-regioner).
C4: Is there access to more detailed unpublished information? If so, what geographical units do these refer to?
Yes, for certain large municipalities there is special census units below the parish level.
C5: What publications descibe the history of the census, and of census geographies? Are any available in English?
Historical Statistics of Sweden. 1 population 2nd ed 1720-1967.
D1: When was the recording of vital events (births, marriages and deaths) first required by law?
1686.
D2: What organisation was responsible for recording vital events? How has this changed over time?
Church.
D3: What geographical units were used in recording vital events?
Parish.
E1: What historical taxation records exist for your area?
Census records (Mantalslängd)
The census records (mantalsängden) contains the names of the persons who were supposed to pay the so called mantalspengar, a tax to be paid by every person between 15 and 63 years of age. It starts around 1630.
Land Records (Jordeboken)
The land record gives the story of the land, the farm the estate, etc and they start about 1630.
E2: What geographical units do these use?
Parish and fögderi.
F1: What other major sources exist, and what geographical units do they use?
There are also statistics about agriculture in the Tabellverkets material. We have courtrecords and they are divided in to counties and citys.
G1: When was the first computerised map of administrative units created?
In the 1970th.
G2: What does it show?
Parishes, kommuner and län.
G3: How easy is it to obtain a copy?
Can be ordered from National Land Survay.
H1: Who was responsible for changing boundaries? How has this changed over time?
The court and survayor.
H2: Who was responsible for creating a legal record of boundary changes?
The court and survayor.
H3: What records have been preserved of boundary changes? Are they published or unpublished? How do they describe the old and new boundaries? How accurately do they give the dates of changes?
Maps, estate records and jordeböcker (estate taxation).
H4: Who was responsible for mapping your area? When was this organisation created?
The National Land Survay and it´s predecessor.
From 1628 (Kammarkollegiet) and from 1827 the National Land Survay.
H6: When did systematic mapping of boundaries begin?
In the 17th century.
H7: What maps are available showing boundaries?
Unpublished parish maps and some 19th and 20th century printed maps. Ekonomiska kartan late 19th century (1:50 000) parish, Generalstabskartan late 19th century (1:100 000) parish.
H8: For periods before maps are available, are there descriptions of boundaries in words? Where are they preserved? How easy are they to interpret?
Yes, in taxation records and court records in the National Archives and regional archives.
I1: What research projects have gathered information on HISTORICAL boundaries for your area?
The National Archival Database (NAD) project in the National Archives.
J1: What historical gazetteers are available for your area, in published or unpublished form? How do they indicate the location of the places listed? Do they cover variant forms of names?
The Institute for Dialectology, Onomastics and Folklore Research has databases with placenames from all over Sweden. It contains descriptions of how placenames have change over time.
J2: Is a more specialised geographical thesaurus available?
Yes.
© Göran Kristiansson (Lund, May 2000)