historical dictionary of sweden

SCOBBIE SECOND EDITION EUROPE HISTORY HISTORICAL DICTIONARIES OF EUROPE, NO. 48 Praise for the first edition: “Recommended for most academic libraries . . . a quick reference tool to those who need some general information or an overview.” — ARBA “A useful historical dictionary with a very good bibliography.” — Area Studies “A satisfactory English-language summary of Swedish history, with good thumbnail sketches of important figures and events.” — Journal of Baltic Studies Once part of the Kalmar Union—along with Denmark and Norway—the Kingdom of Sweden broke free in order to govern itself in the early 1500s, and for more than a century afterward it was a force to be reckoned with. At its peak it was twice the size it is today, but with the secession of Finland in 1809 and the rise of Russia, Sweden changed its path and turned toward neutrality and a peaceful existence. Today, Sweden boasts a healthy economy and is an important member of the European Union, as well as a major contributor to international activities. This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Sweden both updates and expands upon the previous edition. Through a chronology, a list of acronyms and abbreviations, an introductory essay, a bibliography, appendixes, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant people, events, and institutions, this dictionary provides information ranging from politics to economics, education to religion, and music to literature. Irene Scobbie has written extensively on Sweden and lectured on Sweden and Scandinavia at several universities, including the University of Edinburgh, where she was head of the Department of Scandinavian Studies before retiring. For orders and information please contact the publisher SCARECROW PRESS, INC. A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200 Lanham, Maryland 20706 1-800-462-6420 • fax 717-794-3803 www.scarecrowpress.com ISBN-13: 978-0-8108-5375-1 ISBN-10: 0-8108-5375-2 9 780810 853751 90000 IRENE SCOBBIE sweden SECOND EDITION Historical Dictionary of sweden HDSwedenOFFLITH.qxd 7/25/06 11:42 AM Page 1 HISTORICAL DICTIONARIES OF EUROPE Edited by Jon Woronoff 1. Portugal, by Douglas L. Wheeler. 1993. Out of print. See No. 40. 2. Turkey, by Metin Heper. 1994. Out of print. See No. 38. 3. Poland, by George Sanford and Adriana Gozdecka-Sanford. 1994. Out of print. See No. 41. 4. Germany, by Wayne C. Thompson, Susan L. Thompson, and Juliet S. Thompson. 1994 5. Greece, by Thanos M. Veremis and Mark Dragoumis. 1995 6. Cyprus, by Stavros Panteli. 1995 7. Sweden, by Irene Scobbie. 1995. Out of print. See No. 48. 8. Finland, by George Maude. 1995. Out of print. See No. 49. 9. Croatia, by Robert Stallaerts and Jeannine Laurens. 1995. Out of print. See No. 39. 10. Malta, by Warren G. Berg. 1995 11. Spain, by Angel Smith. 1996 12. Albania, by Raymond Hutchings. 1996. Out of print. See No. 42. 13. Slovenia, by Leopoldina Plut-Pregelj and Carole Rogel. 1996 14. Luxembourg, by Harry C. Barteau. 1996 15. Romania, by Kurt W. Treptow and Marcel Popa. 1996 16. Bulgaria, by Raymond Detrez. 1997. Out of print. See No. 46. 17. United Kingdom: Volume 1, England and the United Kingdom; Volume 2, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, by Kenneth J. Panton and Keith A. Cowlard. 1997; 1998 18. Hungary, by Steven Béla Várdy. 1997 19. Latvia, by Andrejs Plakans. 1997 20. Ireland, by Colin Thomas and Avril Thomas. 1997 21. Lithuania, by Saulius Suziedelis. 1997 22. Macedonia, by Valentina Georgieva and Sasha Konechni. 1998 23. The Czech State, by Jiri Hochman. 1998 24. Iceland, by Gu∂mundur Hálfdanarson. 1997 25. Bosnia and Herzegovina, by Ante Cuvalo. 1997 26. Russia, by Boris Raymond and Paul Duffy. 1998 27. Gypsies (Romanies), by Donald Kenrick. 1998 28. Belarus, by Jan Zaprudnik. 1998 29. Federal Republic of Yugoslavia , by Zeljan Suster. 1999 30. F rance, by Gino Raymond. 1998 06-340_01_Front.qxd 7/27/06 11:14 AM Page i 31. Slovakia, by Stanislav J. Kirschbaum. 1998. Out of print. See No. 47. 32. Netherlands, by Arend H. Huussen Jr. 1998 33. Denmark, by Alastair H. Thomas and Stewart P. Oakley. 1998 34. Modern Italy, by Mark F. Gilbert and K. Robert Nilsson. 1998 35. Belgium, by Robert Stallaerts. 1999 36. Austria, by Paula Sutter Fichtner. 1999 37. Republic of Moldova, by Andrei Brezianu. 2000 38. Turkey, 2nd edition, by Metin Heper. 2002 39. Republic of Croatia, 2nd edition, by Robert Stallaerts. 2003 40. Portugal, 2nd edition, by Douglas L. Wheeler. 2002 41. Poland, 2nd edition, by George Sanford. 2003 42. Albania, New edition, by Robert Elsie. 2004 43. Estonia, by Toivo Miljan. 2004 44. Kosova, by Robert Elsie. 2004 45. Ukraine, by Zenon E. Kohut, Bohdan Y. Nebesio, and Myroslav Yurkevich. 2005 46. Bulgaria, 2nd edition, by Raymond Detrez. 2006 47. Slovakia, 2nd edition, by Stanislav J. Kirschbaum. 2006 48. Sweden, 2nd edition, by Irene Scobbie. 2006 49. Finland, 2nd edition, by George Maude, 2007 06-340_01_Front.qxd 7/27/06 11:14 AM Page ii Historical Dictionary of Sweden Second Edition Irene Scobbie Historical Dictionaries of Europe, No. 48 The Scarecrow Press, Inc. Lanham, Maryland • Toronto • Oxford 2006 06-340_01_Front.qxd 7/27/06 11:14 AM Page iii SCARECROW PRESS, INC. Published in the United States of America by Scarecrow Press, Inc. A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706 www.scarecrowpress.com PO Box 317 Oxford OX2 9RU, UK Copyright © 2006 by Irene Scobbie All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Scobbie, Irene. Historical dictionary of Sweden / Irene Scobbie. — 2nd ed. p. cm. — (Historical dictionaries of Europe ; no. 48) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN-13: 978-0-8108-5375-1 (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-8108-5375-2 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Sweden—History—Dictionaries. I. Title. II. Series. DL643.S37 2006 948.5003—dc22 2006013958 ϱ ™ The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992. Manufactured in the United States of America. 06-340_01_Front.qxd 7/27/06 11:14 AM Page iv Contents v Editor’s Foreword Jon Woronoff vii Acknowledgments ix Reader’s Note xi List of Acronyms and Abbreviations xiii Map xv Chronology xvii Introduction xxvii THE DICTIONARY 1 Appendix A: Swedish Rulers 263 Appendix B: Swedish Prime Ministers 265 Appendix C: Sweden’s 25 Largest Companies 267 Selected Bibliography 269 About the Author 317 06-340_01_Front.qxd 7/27/06 11:14 AM Page v 06-340_01_Front.qxd 7/27/06 11:14 AM Page vi Editor’s Foreword vii Just like people, countries change. This applies most emphatically to Sweden. Once warlike and expansive, it has become neutral and if any- thing contented with its lot. Once terribly poor and backward, it has be- come uncommonly rich and advanced. Once conservative and domi- nated by the nobility and men in general, it has become a prolific source of social experiments with particular stress on equality. This has put Sweden in the forefront in many sectors, indeed, so much so that the Swedish “miracle” was widely admired and emulated. Yet, even now that the limitations and failings are more evident, it remains a country from which much can be learned. These changes obviously took decades and sometimes centuries, so they can only be correctly appreciated by observing the longer trends. That is just one reason why this Historical Dictionary of Sweden is so useful. And it is even more useful in its second updated and greatly ex- panded edition. For, it does take a long view, and it does show us where Sweden is coming from. But it also looks very carefully at the present situation, the problems as well as the achievements. The entries thus cover kings and nobles but also politicians, economists, businessmen, scientists, and cultural figures. Others describe the major institutions, political parties, trade unions, and newspapers or the educational system and literature. The flow of events can be grasped more readily thanks to a handy chronology. Those wanting to learn more about any particular aspect can consult a substantial and well-structured bibliography. This new edition, like the first edition, was written by someone who has devoted much of her life, initially, to learning about Sweden and then to teaching about Sweden, Irene Scobbie. The learning was at Uni- versity of Newcastle, at University College London, and also in Swe- den. The teaching was, among other places, at the University of Cam- bridge; the University of Aberdeen, where she became the head of the 06-340_01_Front.qxd 7/27/06 11:14 AM Page vii Department of Scandinavian Studies; and finally the University of Ed- inburgh, where she also held that post. Before this book, she also wrote a general work, Sweden: Nation of the Modern World, and numerous ar- ticles, monographs, and chapters on Sweden and especially Swedish lit- erature. In 1985 she was awarded the Swedish Polar Star (1st Class) for service to Swedish culture. Jon Woronoff Series Editor viii • EDITOR’S FOREWORD 06-340_01_Front.qxd 7/27/06 11:14 AM Page viii Acknowledgments ix I am greatly indebted to Per Clemensson and his colleagues at Riks- föreningen Sverigekontakt for a grant toward research and travel ex- penses incurred during the preparation of this revised edition of the His- torical Dictionary of Sweden. I thank Jon Woronoff, the series editor, who read the completed man- uscript and made many valuable comments. I express my gratitude to several Gothenburg friends, especially Dr. Maj-Lis Häggkvist, Dr. Monika Tunbäck Hansson, and above all fil. mag. Barbro Lindberg, for their expert advice, generous assistance, and encouragement in the production of this volume. Final responsi- bility for the text rests, of course, solely with the author. 06-340_01_Front.qxd 7/27/06 11:14 AM Page ix [...]... 1603–1611 Reign of King Karl IX 06-340_01_Front.qxd 7/27/06 11:14 AM Page xix CHRONOLOGY 1611–1632 Reign of King Gustav II Adolf 1611–1718 • xix Age of Greatness 1617 den Peace of Stolbova Ingria and Southwest Karelia ceded to Swe- 1621 City of Gothenburg granted its charter 1626 House of Nobility Ordinance 1632 Colony of New Sweden established on the Delaware River in North America 1632–1654 Reign of Queen... Finsta Reign of King Magnus Eriksson 1313–64 1323 Peace of Nöteborg establishes frontiers between Russia and Sweden- Finland c 1350 National law code introduced 1364–1389 Reign of King Albrekt of Mecklenburg 1397 Kalmar Union under Erik of Pomerania 1412 Death of Queen Margareta 1434 Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson’s revolt 1470 Sten Sture the Elder elected regent 1471 Sten Sture victorious at Battle of Brunkeberg... Kristina 1654–1660 Reign of King Karl X Gustav 1658 den Peace of Roskilde; Denmark cedes southern provinces to Swe- 1660–1697 Reign of King Karl XI 1668 Lund University inaugurated 1676 Battle of Lund 1693 Declaration of Sovereignty, giving Karl XI absolute power 1697–1718 Reign of King Karl XII 1700 Battle of Narva; Swedes defeat Russian tsar’s army 1709 Karl’s army routed at Battle of Poltava 1718 Karl... trade to preserve its high standard of living and, in a world of harsh international competition, often has to struggle to maintain its welfare system and its reputation Despite its present difficulties, however, it remains one of the world’s most advanced and affluent democracies LAND AND PEOPLE Sweden forms the eastern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula Covering an area of 450,964 square kilometers (174,000... America, the Middle East, Yugoslavia, Turkey, and Greece, often not as migrant workers but as refugees seeking asylum By the 1990s about 10 percent of inhabitants were born abroad or were the children of immigrant parents The official language is Swedish, a Germanic language About 90 percent of the population belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden, which in 2000 severed its ties with the state... tribes used implements made of flint and bone From about 2500 B.C new tribes introduced agriculture and cattle rearing, which allowed a more settled existence Dolmens, great stone monuments to the dead, have been found in west Sweden from that time, evidence of a belief in some form of afterlife A form of peasant culture spread in south and west Sweden in what are now the provinces of Skåne, Halland, Bohuslän,... 7/27/06 11:14 AM Page xxxiii INTRODUCTION • xxxiii tified Sweden s coastal defenses, one of the forts forming the foundation of Sweden s capital, Stockholm Birger’s son Valdemar became king but was deposed in 1275 by his brother Magnus Ladulås Magnus set up a Council of the Realm comprising representatives of the nobles, bishops, and lawmen, plus three officials: the lord high steward, the chancellor, and... nephew Magnus, already king of Norway During Magnus’s reign, a national code of law replaced the old provincial laws, laying the foundation of Sweden s first constitution, and in 1323 the Peace of Nöteborg established the frontiers between Russia and Sweden- Finland Magnus’s power was largely illusory, and in 1364 Magnus was deposed by the nobility, who elected instead Albrekt of Mecklenburg When the latter... protection against Russia 1859–1872 Reign of King Karl XV in Norway and Sweden 1864 Sweden refuses to intervene in Dano-Prussian War PanScandinavian Movement doomed 1865–1866 1870 Four-estate Riksdag replaced by a bicameral system Women allowed to take Studentexamen 1872–1907 Reign of King Oscar II in Norway (until 1905) and Sweden 1873 Krona replaces riksdaler as official Swedish currency Currency agreement... phase out Sweden s 12 nuclear reactors by 2010 1981 Moderate Party leaves coalition government, which becomes a Center-Liberal coalition under Fälldin Environment (Green) Party founded 1982 Social Democrats return to office under Olof Palme Swedish krona devalued by 16 percent Kjell-Olof Feldt, minister of finance, sets out “third way” policy 1986 Palme assassinated on 28 February in Stockholm; Sweden, . 978-0-8 108- 5375-1 ISBN-10: 0-8 108- 5375-2 9 7 8081 0 853751 90000 IRENE SCOBBIE sweden SECOND EDITION Historical Dictionary of sweden HDSwedenOFFLITH.qxd 7/25/06 11:42 AM Page 1 HISTORICAL DICTIONARIES OF EUROPE Edited. to international activities. This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Sweden both updates and expands upon the previous edition. Through a chronology, a list of acronyms and abbreviations, an introductory. permission of the publisher. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Scobbie, Irene. Historical dictionary of Sweden /