The International Genealogical Index is available on microfiche and on compact disc as part of FamilySearch. If you are using the microfiche, you need to know which county to search. If you are using the compact disc edition, the computer will search the entire country for any name. For more information see "Records at The Family History Library" section of this outline.

The International Genealogical Index lists Swedish names under both given names and surnames. On the compact disc edition, you can search for either a given name or a surname. On the microfiche edition, the surname arrangement microfiche have black-on-white labels. The given name arrangement microfiche have black-on-orange labels.

• Ancestral File. This file, a part of FamilySearch, contains family history information, arranged in family groups and pedigrees, that has been contributed since 1979. Ancestral File contains records for thousands of Swedish families. It can print pedigree charts, family group records, and individual summary sheets for any person in the file.

• Family Group Records Collection . More than eight million family group record forms have been microfilmed in the Family Group Records Collection. This includes many Swedish families. There are two major sections: the Archive Section and the Patrons Section. The film numbers for both sections are listed in the Author/Title Search of the Family History Library Catalog under FAMILY GROUP RECORDS COLLECTION.
  

Family Histories

Many Swedish families have produced histories that include genealogical information, biographies, photographs, and other excellent information. These histories usually include several generations of the family.

The Family History Library has a large collection of Swedish family histories listed in the Surname Search of the catalog. Only the major surnames discussed in the family history are included in the catalog. See also the “Biography” section of this outline.

Genealogical Collections

Many Swedish genealogies are compiled in the following works:

Örnberg, Lars Magnus Viktor, ed. Svensk slägt-kalender (Genealogies of Swedish Families). Stockholm: [s.n.], 1885-1888. (FHL book 948.5 D25s; films 1124513 items 12-13; 0924726 items 1-2.)

This work has been superseded by:

Örnberg, Lars Magnus Viktor, ed. Svenska ättartal (Genealogies of Swedish City Dwellers). Stockholm: [s.n.], 1889-1908. (FHL book 948.5 D25s; films 0924726-30; 1124513 item 14.)

The above yearly publications have a joint index 1885-1908 (FHL book 948.5 D25s index).

Elgenstierna, Gustaf and Ulla Elgenstierna, comp. Svenska sälktkalendern (Genealogies of Well-Known Swedish Families). Stockholm: Albert Bonniers förlag, 1912-1950. (FHL book 948.5 D25sk.)

This work has been superseded by:

Berg, Gösta, ed. Svenska släktkalendern. Ny följd (Genealogies of Well-Known Swedish Families. Continued). Stockholm: Albert Bonniers förlag, 1962-. (FHL book 948.5 D25sk.)

The above two publications have a joint index 1912-1982 (FHL book 948.5 D25sk index).

The Family History Library also has some collections of pedigree charts and notes by individual researchers. These include published and unpublished collections. They are listed in the catalog under:

SWEDEN - GENEALOGYSWEDEN, [COUNTY] - GENEALOGYSWEDEN, [COUNTY], [CITY] - GENEALOGY

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HERALDRY

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In Sweden only those of the noble class were entitled to have coats of arms. Kings rewarded people who performed heroic deeds, made notable achievements, or held prominent positions in government by granting them a noble title and the right to use a coat of arms. These grants were documented.

Various Swedish authors have prepared heraldry books that describe coats of arms and the families that used them. They also briefly describe the family's entitlement to that coat of arms, and they may note early bearers of that coat of arms, sometimes with relationships, birth dates, and other genealogical information.

The Family History Library has collected many heraldry books. They are listed in the catalog under SWEDEN - HERALDRY. Some helpful books on the subject are:

Boneauschiold, Gust. Sweriges rikes ridderskaps och adels wapenbok (Swedish Coats of Arms of Knights and Nobility). Stockholm: Lars Salvius, 1740. (FHL film 1124575 item 1.)

Stjernstedt, A. W. Sveriges ridderskaps och adels wapenbok (Coats of Arms of Swedish Knights and Nobility). Stockholm: Lewertin & Sjöstedt, 1865-1879. (FHL book 948.5 D6s.)

Dahlby, Frithiof. Svensk heraldisk uppslagsbok (Reference Book of Swedish Heraldry). Stockholm: Bonniers, 1964. (FHL book 948.5 D6da.)

Also see the “Nobility” section of this outline.

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HISTORY

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Effective family research requires some understanding of the historical events that may have affected your family and the records about them. Learning about wars, governments, laws, and migrations may help you understand political boundaries, family movements, and settlement patterns. These events may have led to the creation of records, such as land and military documents, that mention your family.

Your ancestors will become more interesting to you if you also use histories to learn about the events in which they may have participated.

General History

1380	The Union of Kalmar united Sweden with Denmark and Norway.
1477	The University of Uppsala was founded.
1523	Union of Kalmar dissolved, and Gustaf Vasa was elected King of Sweden.
1527	King Gustav Vasa declared the Lutheran church the state religion.
1638	“New Sweden” was founded in Delaware.
1666	The University of Lund was founded.
1753	Sweden changed from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar.
1809	Sweden lost Finland to Russia.
1814	Norway united with Sweden.
1905	Norway dissolved the union with Sweden.
1914	World War I started. Sweden was neutral.
1919	Voting rights were given to women.
1939	World War II begins. Again Sweden was neutral.

The Family History Library has some published histories of Sweden, such as:

Den Svenska historien (Swedish History). Stockholm: Albert Bonniers Förlag, 1966. 10 vols. (FHL Scand book 948.5 H2dh.)

Scott, Franklin D. Sweden, The Nation's History. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1977. (FHL book 948.5 H2sc.)

You can find histories in the Family History Library Catalog under:

SWEDEN - HISTORYSWEDEN, [COUNTY] - HISTORYSWEDEN, [COUNTY], [CITY or PARISH] - HISTORY

Local Histories

Local histories should be studied and enjoyed for the background information they can provide about your family's life-style and environment. Published histories of parishes, towns, and counties often contain genealogies and family histories.

An important association founded in 1916 to preserve traditional culture is:

Riksförbundet för Hembygdsvård (The National Association for the Preservation of Local Nature and Culture)
Box 30193
S-104 25 Stockholm
Sweden

Local societies publish their own histories, including stories of emigration and genealogical research done.

The Family History Library has many local histories for Swedish towns. They are listed in the catalog under the above headings. Some of these histories are also available at major public and university libraries in the midwestern United States.

Calendar Changes

The Gregorian calendar is the calendar in common use in the world today. It is a correction of the Julian calendar that had been in use since A.D. 46. Leap years had been miscalculated in the Julian calendar, and by 1582 the calendar was ten days behind the solar year.

Sweden changed from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar on 17 February 1753. At that time, eleven days were omitted to bring the calendar into line with the solar year. The day after 17 February 1753 was 1 March 1753.

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LANGUAGE AND LANGUAGES

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Original materials used in Swedish research are written in Swedish. Although you do not need to speak or read Swedish to research Swedish records, you do need to know some key words and phrases to understand them. You may also find some Latin words in Swedish records.

Because Swedish grammar may affect the way words appear in genealogical records, the words in a dictionary or word list may be slightly different from their appearance in the records.

Language Aids

The Family History Library has a publication titled Genealogical Word List–Swedish (31028). The list is available for a nominal fee. A Swedish-English dictionary can also help. You can find word lists, dictionaries, and similar language aids at many research libraries.

Some useful dictionaries are:

Nöjd, Ruben. McKay's Modern English-Swedish and Swedish-English Dictionary. New York: McKay, 1954. (FHL book 439.7321 N699m.)

Ernolv, Carl. Svensk-engelsk ordbok (Swedish-English Dictionary). Stockholm: P.A. Norstedt, 1947. (FHL book 439.7321 Er65s; film 1124531 item 12.)

Björkman, C. G. Svensk-engelsk ordbok (Swedish-English Dictionary). Stockholm: P.A. Norstedt, 1889. (FHL film 1224734 item 1.) This dictionary was published before the 1906 spelling reform and therefore uses the old spelling as found in the records.

You can find other dictionaries in the Locality Search of the catalog under SWEDEN - LANGUAGE AND LANGUAGES and in the Subject Search under SWEDISH - LANGUAGE - DICTIONARIES.

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MAPS

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Maps are an important source for finding the place where your ancestors lived. Maps can help you find places, parishes, churches, geographical features, transportation routes, and proximity to other towns.

Maps may be published individually or in bound collections called atlases. Maps may also be included in gazetteers, guidebooks, local histories, and history texts.

Different types of maps can help you in different ways. Historical maps describe the growth and development of countries. They show boundaries, migration routes, settlement patterns, military campaigns, and other historical information. Road maps provide detailed information about Sweden's road systems. Survey maps show townships in great detail. City and street maps are extremely helpful when researching in large cities, such as Stockholm and Göteborg.

Using Maps

Use maps carefully because:

• Several places have the same name. For example, there are seven parishes called Husby in present-day Sweden.
  
• Spelling was not standardized when most early records were made. You may find the place-name spelled differently in an old record than on a current map.
  
• Place-names are often misspelled in American sources. Difficult names may have been shortened and important diacritical marks omitted.
  

Finding the Specific Town on the Map

To do successful Swedish research, you must identify the parish where your ancestor lived.

Because some parishes have the same name, you may need additional information before you can find the correct parish on a map. You will be more successful if you have some information about the parish. Before using a map, search gazetteers, histories, family records, and other sources to learn all you can about:

• The county (län) the ancestor came from.
• The parish where your ancestor was baptized or married.
• The parish where your relatives lived.
• The size of the parish.
• The occupation of your ancestor or any relatives. (This may indicate the size or industries of the area.)
• Nearby localities, such as large cities.
• Nearby features, such as rivers and mountains.
• Industries of the area.
• Other names the parish was known by.
  

Finding Maps and Atlases

Maps and atlases are available at many historical societies and at public and university libraries.

The Family History Library has a good collection of Swedish maps and atlases. They are listed in the catalog under SWEDEN - MAPS.

Some helpful maps at the Family History Library are:

KAK bilatlas (Maps of Sweden). Stockholm: Generalstabens Litografiska Anstalts Förlag, 1975. (FHL book 948.5 E3k.)

Svenska orter-atlas över Sverige (Swedish Topographical Dictionary and Atlas). Stockholm: Generalstabens Litografiska Anstalts Förlag, 1932. (FHL book 948.5 E5so; films 874376-378.)

The Family History Library publication Parishes and Maps of Sweden (FHL Scand 948.5 E77p) contains county maps that outline parish boundaries. This source is also available on microfiche 6068254.

You can purchase maps of Sweden from:

Anderson Butik
P.O. Box 151
Lindsborg, KS 67456-0151

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MILITARY RECORDS

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Military records identify individuals who served in the military or who were eligible for service. Most young men in Sweden were required to serve in or register for military service. Evidence that an ancestor actually served may be found in family records, biographies, census, probate records, and church records.

The War Archive in Stockholm stores the Swedish military records. The Family History Library has some military records, primarily for 1680 to 1860, with a few as early as 1620. The genealogical value of military records is generally limited. They give information about a man's military career, such as promotions, places served, pensions, and conduct. In addition, they usually include his identification number; name; county, parish, or province of origin; age; years of service; height in feet and inches; marital status; who he replaced; and date of discharge. They also state if a soldier was killed in battle.

To use Swedish military records, you have to know what unit a soldier served in. If other records about your ancestor do not contain this information, find out which units were created in the area where he lived. To do this, you must know which parish he was living in when he was 18 to 20 years old. To determine the name or number of the unit your ancestor belonged to, use:

Grill, C. (Claes Lorentz). Statistiskt sammandrag af Svenska indelningsverket (Statistical Digest of the Swedish Army System). Stockholm: Isaac Marcus, 1856. (FHL book 948.5 M27g, film 084652.) Reprint. Goteborg: Landsarkivet och Sveriges Släktforskarförbund, 1988.

You can find military records in the Family History Library Catalog under SWEDEN - MILITARY RECORDS.

The catalog lists regiments alphabetically. The regiment name appears in parentheses on the first line under the catalog heading.

Military History

For information about the Swedish military wars and campaigns, see:

Kungliga fortifikationens historia (History of the Royal Swedish Fortification). Stockholm: Norstedts, 1902-1945. (FHL book 948.5 M2kh.)

A brief and interesting history of the Swedish Military Archives is found in:

The Royal Military Archives. Stockholm: krigsarkivet, 1984 (Värnamo: Fälths tr.). (FHL book 948.5 A1 #67)

Military histories are listed in the Family History Library Catalog under:

SWEDEN - MILITARY HISTORYSWEDEN, [COUNTY] - MILITARY HISTORY

Military Records of Genealogical Value

Military records generally contain soldiers' names but little other genealogical information. The following sources may provide information on your ancestor especially if he was an officer:

Handlingar, 1757-1880 (Army Pension Records). Salt Lake City: Filmed for the Genealogical Society of Utah by AB. Rekolid, 1957. (FHL films 167779-862.)

Meritband, 1751-1849 (Army Pension Records). Salt Lake City: Filmed for the Genealogical Society of Utah by AB. Rekolid, 1957. (FHL films 167652 items 1-2, 167732, 167654-167778.)

Rullor, 1639-1865 [Vadstena Krigsmanshus] (Registers and Specifications of Servicemen at the Soldiers Home at Vadstena). Salt Lake City: Filmed for the Genealogical Society of Utah by AB. Rekolid, 1957. (FHL films 190394-413.)

Biografica, 1556-1955 (Biographical Notes of Army Officers and Others). Salt Lake City: Filmed for the Genealogical Society of Utah by AB. Rekolid, 1957. (FHL films 190699-877.) Contains an excellent biographical collection of notes, newspaper clippings, and obituaries.

Navy pension fund. (See “Passport Journals” section.)

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