Sweden Household Examination Books
158,165,291 records
The Household Examination Books are the primary source for researching the lives of individuals and families throughout the Parishes of Sweden, from the late 1600's until modern times. The books were created and kept by the Swedish Lutheran Church which was tasked with keeping the official records of the Swedish population until 1991.
Each book or series of books represents a 3-10 year period of time within a parish. Every year until 1894 the Parish Priest would visit each home and test each individual's knowledge of the catechism. They would also collect information about birth dates, marriages, deaths, where people had moved to or from, etc. Each year the priest would come back and update the information of the previous year, noting changes within the population of the home. After 1894 the examinations were less focused on doctrinal knowledge and more focused on enumerating the Swedish population.
MyHeritage has produced an every-name index to nearly 8 million images provided by our Swedish partner ArkivDigital. This portion of the Swedish Household Examination Books (Husförhörslängder), mostly covers the years 1800-1947, with some few exceptions from the early 1800's and late 1700's. The Examination books are an invaluable collection that can provide insight into the make-up of families within Sweden, from birth to death or emigration. Because the books were updated every year, families can be traced year to year, and often from location to location throughout the country. Until 1894 the Parish Priest would visit each farm or home within his Parish in order to grade and document each individual's understanding of the catechism. After 1894 the Examinations Books were replaced by Församlingsbok, records of the Church of Sweden which were used to officially enumerate the population from year to year, but the focus on examining the knowledge of the catechism had been removed.
Each book or series of books represents a 3-10 year period of time within a parish. Every year until 1894 the Parish Priest would visit each home and test each individual's knowledge of the catechism. They would also collect information about birth dates, marriages, deaths, where people had moved to or from, etc. Each year the priest would come back and update the information of the previous year, noting changes within the population of the home. After 1894 the examinations were less focused on doctrinal knowledge and more focused on enumerating the Swedish population.
MyHeritage has produced an every-name index to nearly 8 million images provided by our Swedish partner ArkivDigital. This portion of the Swedish Household Examination Books (Husförhörslängder), mostly covers the years 1800-1947, with some few exceptions from the early 1800's and late 1700's. The Examination books are an invaluable collection that can provide insight into the make-up of families within Sweden, from birth to death or emigration. Because the books were updated every year, families can be traced year to year, and often from location to location throughout the country. Until 1894 the Parish Priest would visit each farm or home within his Parish in order to grade and document each individual's understanding of the catechism. After 1894 the Examinations Books were replaced by Församlingsbok, records of the Church of Sweden which were used to officially enumerate the population from year to year, but the focus on examining the knowledge of the catechism had been removed.
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Sample Record
- Lars Magnus EricssonHousehold Examination Book – Stockholm, SwedenLars Magnus Ericsson was an inventor and entrepreneur. Ericsson was born on May 5, 1846 in Värmskog, Värmland, Sweden and in 1876 founded the Ericsson company, a telephone equipment manufacturer. He passed away in 1926 at the age of 80. Here Ericsson is listed in a Household Examination record from the early 1900s.(Wikipedia)
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Nordic Census Sweden