History of the Swedish Church Records

Church Records are the primary source for names, dates, and places of birth, marriage, and death.  Nearly everyone who lived in Sweden was recorded in a church record.

Records of births marriages, and deaths are commonly called vital records because they document critical events in a person's life.  Church records are vital records made by church ministers.  Often called parish registers or churchbooks, church records include information on births, christeneings, marriages, deaths, and clerical surveys.  they may also include account books, confirmations, and records of people moving in and out of a parish.

Since civil authorities did not begin registering their separate vital statistics until 1950, church records are the main source of family information before this date.

General Historical Background

After the Reformation in 1527, the Evangelical Lutheran Church became the state church (Svenska Kyrkan).  In 1608 the arch bishop of Sweden asked the clergy to start recording christenings, bethrothals, and marriages.  most ministers did not comply.  In 1622 the bishopof Västerås instructed the clergy in his diocese in record keeping.  A royal decree issued in 1686 required that ministers record baptisms, marriages, and deaths and take clerical surveys.  this decree was based on the instructions given by the bishop of Västerås.  However, efficient recording developed slowly. 

In 1888 parliament passed a bill establishing the provincial archives.  In 1899 the first of the seven archives was organized in Vadstena.

Eventually the government requested that existing church records up to 1895 be sent to the provincial archives for safekeeping.  For addresses of the provincial archives, see the "Archives and libraries" section.  The church continues to keep records, but since 1 July 1991 all record-keeping responsibility shifted to the government.

Other Churches

From eearly on only a few jewish, Catholic, and Reformed congregations were allowed to operate. 

A tolerance edict of 1781 let Catholics, Jews, and members of Reformed congregations have full citizenship.  In 1873 the dissenter law allowed for membership in other churches.  parishes of the state church continued recording the vital statistics for everyone, including dissenters.

Beginning in 1915 dissenter churches were allowed to keep their own records of births, marriages, and deaths.

Information Recorded in Church Registers

The innformation recorded in churchbooks varied over time.  The later records generally give more information than earlier ones.