The Military Allotment System ("indelningsverket") was also used to finance State Officials in the provinces. An example of a state employee that received payment in this way was the parish reverends. The farmers paid one 10th of their taxes directly to the parish reverends. This was the Civil Allotment System.
Church of Sweden - a Lutheran Church
The reformation in 1525, initiated by Martin Luther (German Theologgian, 1483 - 1546), divided the Catholic Church in two parts, the Protestant Church and the Roman Catholic Church.Sweden was a Roman Catholic nation prior to the Reformation. However, now Sweden and many of the countries in northern Europe now converted to the Protestant Church. King Gustav Vasa of Sweden (King between 1523 to 1560) had large war debts and needed money. Now he saw a chance to get his hands on the wealth of the Catholic Church and in 1527 he proclaimed Sweden a Protestant nation with a Lutheran Church. At the same time the King made himself Head of the church. The king of course wanted to control the money, properties and land owned by the church. The Roman Catholic Church was forbidden and it was death penalty if you belonged to any other religion than the Lutheran Church.That's how the Swedish Lutheran Church became a State Church and the clergymen/reverends government employees.The King was Head of the church and the church records were used by the Crown to get control of the total number of inhabitants in the nation. This, for example made it easier to enlist soldiers by conscription (utskrivning). In 1686 Sweden enacted a law stating that the Church of Sweden had to keep official church records of its parish members.Since Swedish citizens had to belong to the Lutheran Church, the Swedish Church records covered the entire population of the nation. This has now, off course, become a "gold mine" for genealogists.In the 1800’s, greater freedom of religion was allowed in Sweden. But it was not until 1951 that full religious freedom was guaranteed to everyone by law. One of many reasons for the large emigration from Sweden during the second part of the 1800's was due religious conflicts.The Church of Sweden was legally separated from the State on January 1, 2000. Top of page
The Military Allotment System ("indelningsverket") was also used to finance State Officials in the provinces. An example of a state employee that received payment in this way was the parish reverends. The farmers paid one 10th of their taxes directly to the parish reverends. This was the Civil Allotment System.
Church of Sweden - a Lutheran
Church
The reformation in 1525, initiated by Martin Luther (German Theologgian, 1483 - 1546), divided the Catholic Church in two parts, the Protestant Church and the Roman Catholic Church.Sweden was a Roman Catholic nation prior to the Reformation. However, now Sweden and many of the countries in northern Europe now converted to the Protestant Church. King Gustav Vasa of Sweden (King between 1523 to 1560) had large war debts and needed money. Now he saw a chance to get his hands on the wealth of the Catholic Church and in 1527 he proclaimed Sweden a Protestant nation with a Lutheran Church. At the same time the King made himself Head of the church. The king of course wanted to control the money, properties and land owned by the church. The Roman Catholic Church was forbidden and it was death penalty if you belonged to any other religion than the Lutheran Church.That's how the Swedish Lutheran Church became a State Church and the clergymen/reverends government employees.The King was Head of the church and the church records were used by the Crown to get control of the total number of inhabitants in the nation. This, for example made it easier to enlist soldiers by conscription (utskrivning). In 1686 Sweden enacted a law stating that the Church of Sweden had to keep official church records of its parish members.Since Swedish citizens had to belong to the Lutheran Church, the Swedish Church records covered the entire population of the nation. This has now, off course, become a "gold mine" for genealogists.In the 1800’s, greater freedom of religion was allowed in Sweden. But it was not until 1951 that full religious freedom was guaranteed to everyone by law. One of many reasons for the large emigration from Sweden during the second part of the 1800's was due religious conflicts.The Church of Sweden was legally separated from the State on January 1, 2000. Top of page
