Between deplorable anachronism and valuable heritage. The persistence of the Swedish fideikommiss institution, 1810–1964

Abstract

In this article, we seek to explain why the Swedish fideikommiss persisted for so long after their equivalents had been abolished elsewhere in Europe. We do this by analysing sources pertaining to abolishment produced by the Riksdag over approximately 150 years. After the ban on creating fideikommiss in 1810, the remaining fideikommiss were defended by emphasizing that they had been created through wills, rather than as fiefs. The question was thus framed as one of individual property rights, rather than one of expropriation as had been the case in other countries. A decision to abolish the fideikommiss was reached in 1914, with the intent of executing a land reform. The continuing agricultural trends of the 20th century made such a prospect unappealing. Having survived into the 1950s, the fideikommiss came to be valued as model farms and cultural heritage sites, a framework reflected in the abolishment law of 1964.