Sweden, Household Examination Books, 1874-1931
Household Examination Books were created and kept by the Swedish Lutheran Church and are an important source for researching Swedish families from the late 1600s to modern times. Each year until 1894 the Parish Priest would visit each home in the parish and test each individual's knowledge of the catechisms. In addition, they would collect birth, death, and marriage dates as well as where families had moved to or from and when, etc. The priest would then come back each year and update or edit the information from the previous year and note any changes in the population of the home. After 1894 the examinations were less focused on doctrinal knowledge and more focused on enumerating the Swedish population. The Swedish Lutheran Church kept the official records of the Swedish population until 1991.
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Sweden, Household Examination Books
What is in This Collection?
Household Examination Books were created and kept by the Swedish Lutheran Church and are the primary source for researching Swedish families from the late 1600s to modern times. Under the requirements of the Church Law of 1686 the parish priest would visit each home in the parish and test each individual's knowledge of the catechisms. In addition, they would collect birth, death, and marriage dates as well as where families had moved to or from and when, etc. The priest would then come back each year and update or edit the information from the previous year and note any changes in the population of the home. After 1894 the examinations were less focused on doctrinal knowledge and more focused on enumerating the Swedish population. The Swedish Lutheran Church kept the official records of the Swedish population until 1991. Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.
Reading These Records
These records are written in Swedish. For help reading them see:
What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information is usually found in these records:
- Name
- Birth date
- Marriage date
- Move-in or out date
- Death date
The following columns are generally used in these records.
| Column Heading (Swedish) | Column Heading (English) |
|---|---|
| Boställe | Place of Residence |
| Född / År och dag / Ort | Born / Year and day / Place |
| Gift År | Married Year |
| Ankom / År / Ifrån | Arrived / Year / From |
| Läser uti bok | Reading ability |
| Utantill | Can recite catechism |
| Förstår | Understands |
| Anmärkinger | Remarks |
| Bort Flyttad | Moved to |
Collection Content
Digital Folder Number List
This collection was published as a DGS browse collection. The list does not contain any description of the DGS folder's content. A table listing each DGS number and its contents can be found at Sweden, Household Examination Books Digital Folder Number List.Collection Details
Language
Swedish
Location of Original Records
National Archives of Sweden
"Sweden, Household Examination Books, 1874-1931." Database with images. FamilySearch. https://FamilySearch.org : 16 December 2025. From "Sweden, Household Examinations, 1860-1930." Database and images. MyHeritage. https://www.myheritage.com : n.d. Citing Various Lutheran parishes, Sweden.
