The Swedish National Archives has published two new books that provide a detailed picture of settlement, ownership and social structure in Närke and Medelpad in the Middle Ages. The publications provide valuable knowledge for both historians and genealogists.
The new volumes in the series «Medieval Sweden» take an in-depth look at how landscapes were organized from the Middle Ages onwards. Farms, estates and power relationships are mapped down to a very detailed level, based on historical sources such as land registers, letters and church documents.
In Närke, research shows a society in which ecclesiastical institutions had great influence from the early Middle Ages. Monasteries and churches held significant properties, and the geographical location of the landscape between central areas of power contributed to a more complex structure of ownership and power.
Medelpad paints a different picture. There were neither towns nor a strong nobility in the Middle Ages. Instead, self-owning peasants dominated, and society appears more decentralized. At the same time, there is unusually rich source material from the late Middle Ages, including letters written by the peasants themselves, which provide a rare insight into daily life and property ownership.
The publications are part of a long-term effort to document Sweden's medieval history in detail. For genealogists, this provides new opportunities to understand how ancestors lived, where they lived and what structures characterized the society they were part of.
At the same time, the books help to highlight how great the regional differences could be in medieval Sweden.
The books are sold in the online store of the Swedish National Archives
