Skåneland
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Skåneland (
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
and
Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...
) or Skånelandene (
Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...
) is a region on the southern
Scandinavian peninsula The Scandinavian Peninsula ( sv, Skandinaviska halvön; no, Den skandinaviske halvøy (Bokmål) or nn, Den skandinaviske halvøya; fi, Skandinavian niemimaa) is a peninsula located in Northern Europe, which roughly comprises the mainlands ...
. It includes the
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
provinces A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...
of
Blekinge Blekinge (, old da, Bleking) is one of the traditional Swedish provinces (), situated in the southern coast of the geographic region of Götaland, in southern Sweden. It borders Småland, Scania and the Baltic Sea. It is the country's second ...
,
Halland Halland () is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden (''landskap''), on the western coast of Götaland, southern Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Scania and the sea of Kattegat. Until 1645 and the Second Treaty of Brömsebro ...
, and
Scania Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conte ...
. The
Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...
island of
Bornholm Bornholm () is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, to the east of the rest of Denmark, south of Sweden, northeast of Germany and north of Poland. Strategically located, Bornholm has been fought over for centuries. It has usually been ruled by ...
is traditionally also included.For popular usage, see for example the publication Populärhistoria:
Hjälpreda om Skåneland
: "Skåneland, d v s Halland, Skåne och Blekinge"
Fredsfördraget firas i Altranstädt
: "Sverige ingick mot slutet av århundradet i en västeuropeisk allians med Holland och England och kunde därigenom stoppa Danmarks revanschplaner för förlusten av Skåneland"
Ett liv fyllt av skandaler
"År 1660, då Marie Grubbe anlänt till Köpenhamn, satt Fredrik III på Danmarks tron. Det var han som hade förlorat Skåneland till Sverige vid Roskildefreden 1658".
Skåneland has no official recognition or function and the term is not in common usage. Equivalent terms in English and Latin are "the Scanian Provinces" and "Terrae Scaniae" respectively. The term is mostly used in historical contexts and not in daily speech. In Danish, ''Skånelandene'' is used more often. The terms have no political implications as the region is not a political entity but a
cultural region In anthropology and geography, a cultural region, cultural sphere, cultural area or culture area refers to a geography with one relatively homogeneous human activity or complex of activities (culture). Such activities are often associated ...
, without officially established administrative borders. The provinces making up Skåneland were part of Denmark from at least the 9th century, sometimes referred to as the "Eastern Provinces"; since a 12th-century
civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, Denmark has been a kingdom with a single king.Hoffmann, Erich (1981). "The Unity of the Kingdom and the Provinces in Denmark During the Middle Ages." In Skyum-Nielsen, Niels and Niels Lund, eds. (1981). ''Danish Medieval History, New Currents''. Museum Tusculanum Press, . (On p. 101, Dr. Hoffmann, Professor at University of Kiel, argues that the contemporary descriptions of Scania as an autonomous polity had merit; Scania was often disagreeing in the choice of kings, which resulted in several, simultaneously elected kings in the early Danish state. Scania became officially integrated as a province in the late 12th century, with the Treaty of Lolland. The provinces were part of the territory ceded to Sweden in 1658 under the
Treaty of Roskilde The Treaty of Roskilde (concluded on 26 February ( OS), or 8 March 1658) ( NS) during the Second Northern War between Frederick III of Denmark–Norway and Karl X Gustav of Sweden in the Danish city of Roskilde. After a devastating defeat, ...
, but after an uprising on Bornholm, that island was returned to Denmark in 1660, under the Treaty of Copenhagen. The last peace treaty between Sweden and Denmark in which Skåneland was a main issue was signed on 3 July 1720 in Stockholm.


Etymology

The name ''Skåneland'' was first recorded in print (in Swedish) in 1719. It is unclear what area is meant. Later (1751)
Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...
uses it, meaning the province of
Scania Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conte ...
.Skåneland
in Svenska Akademiens Ordbok (SAOB) on the Internet, an

in Nordisk Familjebok.
The modern use of the denomination as a short form for ''De skånska landskapen'' (''"The Scanian provinces"''), for the combined area of the provinces of Blekinge, Halland and Scania, was launched by the Swedish historian and Scandinavist
Martin Weibull Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austral ...
(1835-1902) in
''Samlingar till Skånes historia''
(Föreningen för Skånes Fornminnen och Historia''. published 1868-73 in six volumes) in order to illuminate the common Danish history of Scania, Blekinge, and Halland. Weibull used the term as a combined term for the four provinces where the
Scanian Law Scanian law ( da, Skånske Lov, sv, Skånelagen) is the oldest Danish provincial law and one of the first Nordic provincial laws to be written down. It was used in the geographic region of Danish Skåneland, which at the time included Scania, ...
had its jurisdiction, as well as the area of the
archdiocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
of
Lund Lund (, , ) is a city in the southern Swedish provinces of Sweden, province of Scania, across the Øresund, Öresund strait from Copenhagen. The town had 91,940 inhabitants out of a municipal total of 121,510 . It is the seat of Lund Municipali ...
until the
Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
in 1536, later the Danish
Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...
of Lund. This form of Skåneland was then used in the regional historical periodical ''Historisk tidskrift för Skåneland'', beginning in 1901, published by Martin's son,
Lauritz Weibull Lauritz Ulrik Absalon Weibull (2 April 1873 – 2 December 1960) was a Swedish professor and historian. Biography He was born in Lund, Sweden, as the son of history professor Martin Weibull and the brother of historian Curt Weibull. He enr ...
.


Administration

An earlier administrative and political function of the area was to serve as a core area for one of the three provincial things that together elected the
king of Denmark The monarchy of Denmark is a constitutional political system, institution and a historic office of the Kingdom of Denmark. The Kingdom includes Denmark proper and the autonomous administrative division, autonomous territories of the Faroe ...
. The first Danish administrative sub-divisioning occurred as part of the centralization process, when the area became divided into administrative units called hundreds (''herreder'' in Danish). The hundreds were possibly based on older, already existing units, but the establishment of the new form of hundreds was prompted by an increase in royal power during the
High Middle Ages The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the periodization, period of European history that lasted from AD 1000 to 1300. The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and were followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended ...
. These differed from the provincial thing areas in that they were not local communities joined under a governing assembly but
top-down Top-down may refer to: Arts and entertainment * " Top Down", a 2007 song by Swizz Beatz * "Top Down", a song by Lil Yachty from ''Lil Boat 3'' * "Top Down", a song by Fifth Harmony from ''Reflection'' Science * Top-down reading, is a part of ...
regional divisions established to ensure royal authority. These medieval Danish hundreds were used to implement military obligations and to expedite the collection of renders due to the king in the provinces. They were first established in
Jutland Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...
, where they replaced previous administrative units called ''syssel''. According to some scholars, they were introduced in Skåneland possibly as early as the 11th century. In the 13th century, a new
fiscal Fiscal usually refers to government finance. In this context, it may refer to: Economics * Fiscal policy, use of government expenditure to influence economic development * Fiscal policy debate * Fiscal adjustment, a reduction in the government ...
system was introduced and the hundreds were gradually included into larger administrative units called ''
len Len or LEN may refer to: People and fictional characters * Len (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Lén, a character from Irish mythology * Alex Len (born 1993), Ukrainian basketball player * Mr. Len, American hip hop DJ *Le ...
'', with a castle serving as the administrative center. This new administrative development was a result of the increased power of the
aristocracy Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocracy (class), aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'. At t ...
. In each ''len'', a
noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Great B ...
man was put in charge, with the title ''lensmand''. Each of the four provinces of Skåneland had representation in the Scanian Thing, which, along with the other two Things of the Danish state (Jutland and Zealand), elected the Danish king. The four Scanian provinces were joined under the jurisdiction of the
Scanian Law Scanian law ( da, Skånske Lov, sv, Skånelagen) is the oldest Danish provincial law and one of the first Nordic provincial laws to be written down. It was used in the geographic region of Danish Skåneland, which at the time included Scania, ...
, dated 1200–1216, the oldest Nordic provincial law. In the chapter "Constitutional history" in ''Danish Medieval History, New Currents'', the three provincial Things are described as being the legal authority that instituted changes suggested by the elected king. The suggestions for changes submitted by the king had to be approved by the three Things before being passed into law in the Danish state.


Status today

Skåneland is strictly a historic and cultural region. The name has long appeared as a term used in historical contexts in a variety of sources. The southern part of Sweden, including Skåneland, is considered to be included in
Götaland Götaland (; also '' Geatland'', '' Gothia'', ''Gothland'', ''Gothenland'' or ''Gautland'') is one of three lands of Sweden and comprises ten provinces. Geographically it is located in the south of Sweden, bounded to the north by Svealand, wit ...
, one of three historic "
lands of Sweden The lands of Sweden ( sv, Sveriges landsdelar) are three traditional and historical regions of the country, each consisting of several provinces. The division into lands goes back to the foundation of modern Sweden, when ''Götaland'', the land ...
". The "land" Götaland bears the same name used for the historic province Götaland (a province referred to as "Gothia" on the 17th-century maps); the inclusion of Skåneland is described as historically inaccurate by the Swedish
Nationalencyklopedin ''Nationalencyklopedin'' (; "The National Encyclopedia" in English), abbreviated NE, is a comprehensive contemporary Swedish-language encyclopedia, initiated by a favourable loan from the Government of Sweden of 17 million Swedish kronor in 19 ...
."Götaland" (2007). Nationalencyklopedin, 5 February 2008, (in Swedish): "Ehuru historiskt oegentligt, kom även Skåne, Halland, Blekinge och Bohuslän att räknas dit." (Although historically inaccurate, Scania, Blekinge and Bohuslän came to be counted
s part of Götaland S, or s, is the nineteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ess'' (pronounced ), plural ''esses''. History ...
.
As in other
cultural region In anthropology and geography, a cultural region, cultural sphere, cultural area or culture area refers to a geography with one relatively homogeneous human activity or complex of activities (culture). Such activities are often associated ...
s, regionalism in Scania sometimes has a base in regional
nationalism Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a in-group and out-group, group of peo ...
and sometimes in a more general opposition against
centralized Centralisation or centralization (see spelling differences) is the process by which the activities of an organisation, particularly those regarding planning and decision-making, framing strategy and policies become concentrated within a particu ...
state nationalism A nation state is a political unit where the state and nation are congruent. It is a more precise concept than "country", since a country does not need to have a predominant ethnic group. A nation, in the sense of a common ethnicity, may inc ...
or
expansionist nationalism Expansionist nationalism, is an aggressive radical form of nationalism or ''ethnic nationalism'' (''ethnonationalism'') that incorporates autonomous, heightened ethnic consciousness and patriotic sentiments with atavistic fears and hatreds focused ...
. As noted about regionalism in Norway, Scandinavian regionalism is not necessarily separatist.


Modern usage

There are a number of minor organisations promoting the use of the term, mainly active online, e.g. ''Föreningen Skånelands Framtid'' or ''Skåneländsk Samling'', the Skåneland Football Federation, and ''Stiftelsen Skåneländska Flaggans Dag''. The private foundation ''Stiftelsen Skånsk Framtid'' ("foundation for a Scanian future") was a member of the
Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, or simply UNPO is an international organization established to facilitate the voices of unrepresented and marginalised nations and peoples worldwide. It was formed on 11 February 1991 in The Ha ...
(UNPO) from 1993 to 2011, representing Skåneland under the name of
Scania Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conte ...
.


History


Population and settlements

The earliest Danish historians, writing in the 12th and 13th century, believed that the Danish Kingdom had existed since king
Dan Dan or DAN may refer to: People * Dan (name), including a list of people with the name ** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark * Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa **Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoir ...
, in a distant past. Eighth century sources mention the existence of Denmark as a kingdom. According to 9th century Frankish sources, by the early 9th century many of the chieftains in the south of Scandinavia acknowledged Danish kings as their overlords, though kingdom(s) were very loose confederations of lords until the last couple medieval centuries saw some increased centralization. The west and south coast of modern Sweden was so effectively part of the Danish realm that the said area (and not the today Denmark) was known as "Denmark" (literally the frontier of the
Daner The Danes were a North Germanic tribe inhabiting southern Scandinavia, including the area now comprising Denmark proper, and the Scanian provinces of modern-day southern Sweden, during the Nordic Iron Age and the Viking Age. They founded what beca ...
).
Svend Estridsen Sweyn Estridsson Ulfsson ( on, Sveinn Ástríðarson, da, Svend Estridsen; – 28 April 1076) was King of Denmark (being Sweyn II) from 1047 until his death in 1076. He was the son of Ulf Thorgilsson and Estrid Svendsdatter, and the grandson o ...
(King of Denmark 1047 – ca. 1074), who may have been from Scania himself, is often referred to as the king who along with his dynasty established Scania as an integral part of Denmark.


From 1397 to 1658

When the
Kalmar Union The Kalmar Union (Danish language, Danish, Norwegian language, Norwegian, and sv, Kalmarunionen; fi, Kalmarin unioni; la, Unio Calmariensis) was a personal union in Scandinavia, agreed at Kalmar in Sweden, that from 1397 to 1523 joined under ...
was formed in 1397, the union was administered from Copenhagen. By 1471 Sweden rebelled under
Sture Sture () was a name borne by three distinct but interrelated noble families in Sweden in the Late Middle Ages and Early Modern Period. It was originally a nickname, meaning 'haughty, proud' (compare the Swedish word ''stursk'' and the Old Norse ...
family leadership. In 1503, when
Sten Sture the Elder Sten Sture the Elder ( sv, Sten Sture den äldre; 1440 – 14 December 1503) was a Swedish statesman and regent of Sweden from 1470–1497 and 1501–1503. As the leader of the victorious Swedish separatist forces against the royal unionist for ...
died, eastern Sweden's independence from Denmark had been established.''Sweden and the Baltic, 1523 - 1721'', by Andrina Stiles, Hodder & Stoughton, 1992 In 1600 Denmark controlled virtually all land bordering on
Skagerrak The Skagerrak (, , ) is a strait running between the Jutland peninsula of Denmark, the southeast coast of Norway and the west coast of Sweden, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea area through the Danish Straits to the Baltic Sea. The ...
,
Kattegat The Kattegat (; sv, Kattegatt ) is a sea area bounded by the Jutlandic peninsula in the west, the Danish Straits islands of Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the south and the provinces of Bohuslän, Västergötland, Halland and Skåne in Sweden ...
, and the Sound. The current Swedish provinces of
Skåne Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous with Skåne C ...
,
Blekinge Blekinge (, old da, Bleking) is one of the traditional Swedish provinces (), situated in the southern coast of the geographic region of Götaland, in southern Sweden. It borders Småland, Scania and the Baltic Sea. It is the country's second ...
and
Halland Halland () is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden (''landskap''), on the western coast of Götaland, southern Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Scania and the sea of Kattegat. Until 1645 and the Second Treaty of Brömsebro ...
were Danish and the province of
Bohuslän Bohuslän (; da, Bohuslen; no, Båhuslen) is a Swedish province in Götaland, on the northernmost part of the country's west coast. It is bordered by Dalsland to the northeast, Västergötland to the southeast, the Skagerrak arm of the North Sea ...
was Norwegian. Skåneland became the site of harsh fighting, especially in the 16th, 17th and 18th century, as Denmark and Sweden confronted each other for control of the Baltic.''A History of Sweden'' by Ingvar Andersson, Praeger, 1956''Nordens Historie'', ved Hiels Bache, Forslagsbureauet i Kjøbenhavn, 1884.''The Northern Wars, 1558-1721'' by Robert I. Frost; Longman, Harlow, England; 2000 ''The Struggle for Supremacy in the Baltic: 1600-1725'' by Jill Lisk; Funk & Wagnalls, New York, 1967''Sweden: the Nation's History'', by Franklin D. Scott, Southern Illinois Press, 1988. Sweden intervened in the Danish civil war known as the
Count's Feud The Count's Feud ( da, Grevens Fejde), also called the Count's War, was a war of succession that raged in Denmark in 1534–36 and brought about the Reformation in Denmark. In the international context, it was part of the European wars of religi ...
(1534–1536), launching a highly destructive invasion of Skåneland as the ally of later king
Christian III Christian III (12 August 1503 – 1 January 1559) reigned as King of Denmark from 1534 and King of Norway from 1537 until his death in 1559. During his reign, Christian formed close ties between the church and the crown. He established ...
, who upon his coronation introduced Protestantism to the provinces. Subsequently, in the period between the breakup of the Kalmar Union and 1814, Denmark and Sweden fought in Skåneland in 11 separate wars and other border provinces: the
Northern Seven Years' War The Northern Seven Years' War (also known as the ''Nordic Seven Years' War'', the ''First Northern War'' or the ''Seven Years War in Scandinavia'') was fought between the Kingdom of Sweden and a coalition of Denmark–Norway, Lübeck, and Polan ...
(1563–70),
Kalmar War The Kalmar War (1611–1613) was a war between Denmark–Norway and Sweden. Though Denmark-Norway soon gained the upper hand, it was unable to defeat Sweden entirely. The Kalmar War was the last time Denmark-Norway successfully defended its '' do ...
(1611–1613),
Torstenson War The Torstenson war, Hannibal controversy or Hannibal War ( no, Hannibalsfeiden) was a short period of conflict between Sweden and Denmark–Norway from 1643 to 1645 towards the end of the Thirty Years' War. The names refer to Swedish general L ...
(1644–1645),
Second Northern War The Second Northern War (1655–60), (also First or Little Northern War) was fought between Sweden and its adversaries the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1655–60), the Tsardom of Russia (Russo-Swedish War (1656–1658), 1656–58), Brande ...
(1657–1658 and 1659–1660),
Scanian War The Scanian War ( da, Skånske Krig, , sv, Skånska kriget, german: Schonischer Krieg) was a part of the Northern Wars involving the union of Denmark–Norway, Brandenburg and Sweden. It was fought from 1675 to 1679 mainly on Scanian soil, ...
(1674–1678),
Great Northern War The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedi ...
(1700 and 1709–1720),
Theater War {{Campaignbox Dano-Swedish Wars The Theatre War ( sv, Teaterkriget), Cowberry War, Cranberry War or Lingonberry War ( no, Tyttebærkrigen, da, Tyttebærkrigen), was a brief war between Denmark–Norway and Sweden, starting on 24 September 1788, ...
(1788), and the
Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
(1808–1809 and 1814).''Min Svenska Historia II'', by Vilhelm Moberg, P.A. Nordstedt & Söners Förlag, 1971. * During the
Northern Seven Years' War The Northern Seven Years' War (also known as the ''Nordic Seven Years' War'', the ''First Northern War'' or the ''Seven Years War in Scandinavia'') was fought between the Kingdom of Sweden and a coalition of Denmark–Norway, Lübeck, and Polan ...
, attacks were launched on Sweden from Danish
Halland Halland () is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden (''landskap''), on the western coast of Götaland, southern Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Scania and the sea of Kattegat. Until 1645 and the Second Treaty of Brömsebro ...
in 1563, and Swedish counterattacks were launched against Danish provinces of
Halland Halland () is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden (''landskap''), on the western coast of Götaland, southern Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Scania and the sea of Kattegat. Until 1645 and the Second Treaty of Brömsebro ...
and
Skåne Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous with Skåne C ...
in 1565 and 1569. In 1570 peace was finally agreed when the Swedish king withdrew the claims to Danish Skåne, Halland, Blekinge and
Gotland Gotland (, ; ''Gutland'' in Gutnish), also historically spelled Gottland or Gothland (), is Sweden's largest island. It is also a province, county, municipality, and diocese. The province includes the islands of Fårö and Gotska Sandön to the ...
, while the Danes withdrew their claims to Sweden as a whole.''Fra Bondeoppbud til Legdshær'' by Trygve Mathisen, Guldendal Norsk Forlag, 1952 * During the
Torstenson War The Torstenson war, Hannibal controversy or Hannibal War ( no, Hannibalsfeiden) was a short period of conflict between Sweden and Denmark–Norway from 1643 to 1645 towards the end of the Thirty Years' War. The names refer to Swedish general L ...
, a theater of the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...
, extensive combat took place in the Danish provinces of Skåne, Halland, and Blekinge. By the
Second Treaty of Brömsebro (1645) The Second Treaty of Brömsebro (or the Peace of Brömsebro) was signed on 13 August 1645, and ended the Torstenson War, a local conflict that began in 1643 (and was part of the larger Thirty Years' War) between Sweden and Denmark–Norway. Neg ...
Denmark ceded the Norwegian provinces of
Jämtland Jämtland (; no, Jemtland or , ; Jamtish: ''Jamtlann''; la, Iemptia) is a historical province () in the centre of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders Härjedalen and Medelpad to the south, Ångermanland to the east, Lapland to the north a ...
and
Härjedalen Härjedalen (; no, Herjådalen or ) is a historical Provinces of Sweden, province (''landskap'') in the centre of Sweden. It borders the Norway, Norwegian county of Trøndelag as well as the provinces of Dalarna, Hälsingland, Medelpad, and Jä ...
and agreed Sweden was to occupy the Danish province of
Halland Halland () is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden (''landskap''), on the western coast of Götaland, southern Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Scania and the sea of Kattegat. Until 1645 and the Second Treaty of Brömsebro ...
for 30 years as a guarantee of the treaty provisions. * During the
Second Northern War The Second Northern War (1655–60), (also First or Little Northern War) was fought between Sweden and its adversaries the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1655–60), the Tsardom of Russia (Russo-Swedish War (1656–1658), 1656–58), Brande ...
(1655–1658), Danish attempts to recover control of
Halland Halland () is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden (''landskap''), on the western coast of Götaland, southern Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Scania and the sea of Kattegat. Until 1645 and the Second Treaty of Brömsebro ...
ended in a serious defeat administered by Sweden. As a result, in the
Treaty of Roskilde The Treaty of Roskilde (concluded on 26 February ( OS), or 8 March 1658) ( NS) during the Second Northern War between Frederick III of Denmark–Norway and Karl X Gustav of Sweden in the Danish city of Roskilde. After a devastating defeat, ...
(1658), which was largely confirmed by the
Treaty of Copenhagen (1660) The Treaty of Copenhagen ( da, Freden i København, sv, Freden i Köpenhamn) was signed on 27 May 1660, and marked the conclusion of the Second Northern War between the Swedish Empire and the alliance of Denmark-Norway and the Polish–Lithuania ...
, Denmark ceded the provinces of Skåne, Blekinge and Halland (i.e., Skåneland).
Vilhelm Moberg Karl Artur Vilhelm Moberg (20 August 1898 – 8 August 1973) was a Swedish journalist, author, playwright, historian, and debater. His literary career, spanning more than 45 years, is associated with his series ''The Emigrants''. The four ...
(1898–1973) in ''Min Svenska Historia II'' (Norstedts. 1971) provides a thoughtful discussion of the atrocities which were committed by both sides in the struggle over the border provinces, and identified them as the source of propaganda to inflame people passions to continue the struggle. These lopsided representations were incorporated into history text books on the respective sides. As an example, Moberg compares the history texts he grew up with in Sweden which represented the Swedish soldier as ever pure and honorable to a letter written by
Gustavus Adolphus Gustavus Adolphus (9 December Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">N.S_19_December.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 19 December">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/now ...
celebrating the 24 Scanian parishes he had helped level by fire, with the troops encouraged to rape and murder the population at will, behavior that may well have been mirrored equally on the Danish side. Skåneland was a rather unpleasant place to dwell for an extended period.


Assimilation with Sweden

Following the
Treaty of Roskilde The Treaty of Roskilde (concluded on 26 February ( OS), or 8 March 1658) ( NS) during the Second Northern War between Frederick III of Denmark–Norway and Karl X Gustav of Sweden in the Danish city of Roskilde. After a devastating defeat, ...
in 1658 – but in direct contradiction of its terms – the Swedish government in 1683 demanded that the leading social groups of Skåneland accept Swedish customs and laws. Swedish became the only language permitted in Church liturgy and in schools, religious literature in Danish was banned, and all appointed politicians and priests were required to be Swedish. However the last Danish bishop,
Peder Winstrup Peder Pedersen Winstrup (30 April 1605 – 28 December 1679) was Bishop of Lund in Scania. Winstrup was bishop there during a period spanning both Danish and Swedish sovereignty and periods of war when the land was contested. He was married to t ...
(1605–1679) remained in charge of the
Diocese of Lund The Diocese of Lund ( sv, Lunds stift) is a diocese within the Church of Sweden which corresponds to the provinces of Blekinge and Skåne. There are 217 parishes within the diocese, the most significant number in any of the dioceses of the Chur ...
until his death in 1679. To promote further Swedish assimilation, the
University of Lund , motto = Ad utrumque , mottoeng = Prepared for both , established = , type = Public research university , budget = SEK 9 billion Copenhagen University The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public research university in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in Scandinavia after Uppsala Unive ...
until the 19th century.''Skånelands historia'', ved Ambrius, J, 1997 The population initially opposed the Swedish reforms, as can be ascertained from church records and court transcripts. The Swedes did encounter civil revolts in many areas, including the Göinge district, in dense forest regions of northern Scania. The Swedish authorities resorted to extreme measures against the 17th-century rebels who were described as
snapphanar A ''snapphane'' was a member of a 17th-century pro-Danish guerrilla organization, auxiliaries or paramilitary troops that fought against the Swedes in the Second Northern and Scanian Wars, primarily in the eastern former Danish provinces that ...
, a term used for raiding enemy soldiers or bandits. The punishments included the use of
impalement Impalement, as a method of torture and execution, is the penetration of a human by an object such as a stake, pole, spear, or hook, often by the complete or partial perforation of the torso. It was particularly used in response to "crimes aga ...
breaking on the wheel The breaking wheel or execution wheel, also known as the Wheel of Catherine or simply the Wheel, was a torture method used for public execution primarily in Europe from antiquity through the Middle Ages into the early modern period by breakin ...
, as well as the nailing of bodies to church doors. In that way, it could take four to five days before the victim died. The transformation of age-old customs, commerce and administration to the Swedish model could not be effected quickly or easily. In the first fifty years of the transition, the treatment of the population was quite harsh. Denmark made several attempts to recapture the territories, the last in 1710, but ultimately conceded the territories as lost. Before 1658, one of the provinces of Skåneland,
Scania Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conte ...
proper, had consisted of four counties: the counties of Malmøhus, Landskrone, Helsingborg and Christianstad. When Skåneland was annexed by Sweden, one of the counties of Scania, Kristianstad County, was merged with Blekinge to form one of a total of three Blekinge counties.


Bornholm rebellion

In 1658, shortly after the Swedish Lieutenant Colonel Johan Printzensköld (ca. 1615 – 8 December 1658) was sent to Bornholm to start the assimilation process, the population of Bornholm rebelled. Led by
Jens Pedersen Kofoed Jens may refer to: * Jens (given name), a list of people with the name * Jens (surname), a list of people * Jens, Switzerland, a municipality * 1719 Jens, an asteroid See also * Jensen (disambiguation) * Jenssi Joensuu (; krl, Jovensuu; ) ...
(1628-1691) and
Poul Anker Poul is a Danish masculine given name. It is the Danish cognate of the name Paul. Poul may refer to: People * Poul Andersen (1922–2006), Danish printer *Poul Anderson (1926–2001), American writer *Poul Erik Andreasen (born 1949), Danish foot ...
(1629-1697) the rebellion formed in the town of Hasle, north of the largest city,
Rønne Rønne ( sv, Rönne) is the largest town on the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. It has a population of 13,807 (1 January 2022). It was a municipality in its own right from 1970 until 2002, when Bornholm was a county (Danish: ''Bornh ...
. Before the rebel army reached the Swedish headquarters in Rønne, Printzenskiold was shot by Willum Clausen in the street of Sølvgade, in central Rønne. The Swedish fled the island as a result of the confusion and fear amongst the conscripts; Jens Kofoed installed an intermediate rule and sent a message to King
Frederick III of Denmark Frederick III ( da, Frederik; 18 March 1609 – 9 February 1670) was King of Denmark and Norway from 1648 until his death in 1670. He also governed under the name Frederick II as diocesan administrator (colloquially referred to as prince-bi ...
that Bornholm had liberated itself, and wished to return to Danish rule. This was confirmed in the 1660 peace settlement between Denmark and Sweden.


Klågerup riots in 1811

The last Swedish assault on the civilian population occurred as late as 15 June 1811, when Swedish military killed "around 30" and wounded "around 60" peasants in Klågerup. The Swedish army units also arrested 395 people of which 2 were beheaded at Stortorget square in
Malmö Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal populat ...
at 4 November 1811.


Swedish administration

Sweden appointed a
Governor General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
, who in addition to having the highest authority of the government, also was the highest military officer. The first to hold the post of Governor General was
Gustaf Otto Stenbock Count Gustaf Otto Stenbock (7 September 1614 – 24 September 1685) was a Swedish soldier and politician. He was son of Friherre Gustav Eriksson Stenbock (1575–1629) and Countess Beata Margareta Brahe (1583–1645), born in Torpa, Länghem par ...
, between 1658 and 1664. His residence was in the largest city,
Malmö Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal populat ...
. The office of Governor General was abandoned in 1669, deemed unnecessary. However, when the
Scanian War The Scanian War ( da, Skånske Krig, , sv, Skånska kriget, german: Schonischer Krieg) was a part of the Northern Wars involving the union of Denmark–Norway, Brandenburg and Sweden. It was fought from 1675 to 1679 mainly on Scanian soil, ...
erupted in 1675, the office was reinstated, and
Fabian von Fersen Baron Fabian von Fersen (February 7, 1626 – July 30, 1677) was a Swedish general, freelord, field-marshal and Governor-General in the Swedish Realm, governor general of Skåne, Halland and Blekinge. He served the Swedish Empire in multip ...
(1626–1677) held the office between 1675 and 1677, when he died in the defence of
Malmö Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal populat ...
. He was replaced by
Rutger von Ascheberg Count Rutger von Ascheberg (2 June 1621 – 17 April 1693), also known as Roger von Ascheberg was a soldier, officer and civil servant in Swedish service, being appointed Lieutenant General in 1670, General in 1674, Field Marshal in 1678, Gover ...
(1621–1693) in 1680 who held it to his death in 1693. It was during Ascheberg's time in office that the stricter policy of Swedification was initiated, as a reaction to the threats of war and possible Danish liberation. Following the death of Ascheberg, the Governor Generalship was dismantled into a separate county governor for each of the Swedish provinces Blekinge, Halland and Scania. However, a Governor Generalship was reinstated in the province of Scania during the
Napoleonic War The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
, when
Johan Christopher Toll Count Johan Christopher Toll (1 February 1743 – 21 May 1817), Swedish statesman and soldier, was born at Mölleröd in Scania (now part of Hässleholm Municipality, Skåne County). Toll came of an ancient family, of Dutch origin, which can b ...
(1743–1817) became the last Governor-General in the region, a post he held 1801–09.


Recent history

The complete history of Skåneland was not taught for a long time in schools in Skåneland, especially during periods with the immediate threat of revolt. Instead a Swedish-centric history was taught, and the Scanian history before 1658, for instance concerning the list of monarchs, was disregarded as a component of Danish history. In reaction, a movement began in the late 20th century to revive awareness of the history and culture of Skåneland. The renewed focus resulted in the publication of several books about Scanian history.


See also

*
History of Denmark The history of Denmark as a unified kingdom began in the 8th century, but historic documents describe the geographic area and the people living there—the Danes—as early as 500 AD. These early documents include the writings of Jordanes and P ...
*
History of Sweden The history of Sweden can be traced back to the melting of the Northern Polar Ice Caps. From as early as 12000 BC, humans have inhabited this area. Throughout the Stone Age, between 8000 BC and 6000 BC, early inhabitants used st ...
*
Lands of Denmark The three lands of Denmark historically formed the Danish kingdom from its unification and consolidation in the 10th century: *Zealand (''Sjælland'') and the islands south of it, with Roskilde as a centre *Jutland (''Jylland''), the western pe ...
*
Lands of Sweden The lands of Sweden ( sv, Sveriges landsdelar) are three traditional and historical regions of the country, each consisting of several provinces. The division into lands goes back to the foundation of modern Sweden, when ''Götaland'', the land ...
*
Dominions of Sweden The Dominions of Sweden or ''Svenska besittningar'' ("Swedish possessions") were territories that historically came under control of the Swedish The Crown, Crown, but never became fully integrated with Sweden. This generally meant that they were ...
*
Sweden proper Sweden proper ( sv, Egentliga Sverige) is a term used to distinguish those territories that were fully integrated into the Kingdom of Sweden, as opposed to the dominions and possessions of, or states in union with, Sweden. Only the estates of t ...
*
East Denmark East Denmark ( da, Østdanmark) is a geographical term that refers to the part of Denmark east of Great Belt, Storebælt, including Zealand (Denmark), Zealand, Amager, Lolland, Falster, Møn, Bornholm, and Ertholmene. From a linguistic and histor ...


Notes


References

* Alenäs, Stig (2003)
''Loyalty - Rural Deans - Language Studies of 'Swedification' in the Church in the Lund Diocese during the 1680s''
(Lojaliteten, prostarna, språket. Studier i den kyrkliga "försvenskningen" i Lunds stift under 1680-talet). Dissertation 2003, Lund University. * Ambrius, J (1997). ''Skånelands historia'', * Andersson, Ingvar (1956). ''A History of Sweden''. Praeger, 1956 * Andrén, Anders (2000).
Against War! Regional Identity Across a National Border in Late Medieval and Early Modern Scandinavia
. ''International Journal of Historical Archaeology'', Vol. 4:4, Dec. 2000, pp. 315–334. . * Bache, Niels (1884). ''Nordens Historie''. Forslagsbureauet i Kjøbenhavn, 1884. * Damsholt, Nanna (1981). "Women in Medieval Denmark". In ''Danish Medieval History, New Currents''. Eds. Niels Skyum-Nielsen and Niels Lund. Museum Tusculanum Press, 1981. . * Eringsmark Regnéll, Ann-Louise (2006).
Fredsfördraget firas i Altranstäd
. ''Populär Historia'', online edition, 31 August 2006. * Forte, Angelo, Richard Oram and Frederick Pedersen (2005).
Viking Empires
'. Cambridge University Press, 2005. . * Frost, Robert I. (2000). ''The Northern Wars, 1558-1721''. Longman, Harlow, England; 2000 *
Götaland
(2007). Nationalencyklopedin, 5 February 2008. * Gustafsson, Harald (2003). "Att göra svenskar av danskar? Den svenske integrationspolitikens föreställningsvärld 1658-1693"
''Da Østdanmark blev Sydsverige. Otte studier i dansk-svenske relationer i 1600-tallet''
Eds.Karl-Erik Frandsen and Jens Chr.V. Johansen. Narayana Press. , p. 35-60. * Hoffmann, Erich (1981). "The Unity of the Kingdom and the Provinces in Denmark During the Middle Ages". In ''Danish Medieval History, New Currents''. Eds. Niels Skyum-Nielsen and Niels Lund. Museum Tusculanum Press, . *

. Danish National Archives. * Lindquist, Herman (1995). ''Historien om Sverige – storhet och fall''. Norstedts Förlag, 2006. . * Lisk, Jill (1967). ''The Struggle for Supremacy in the Baltic: 1600-1725''. Funk & Wagnalls, New York, 1967. * Mathisen, Trygve (1952). ''Fra Bondeoppbud til Legdshær''. Guldendal Norsk Forlag, 1952. * Moberg, Vilhelm (1971).
History of the Swedish People Vol. 2: From Renaissance to Revolution
'. Transl. Paul Britten Austin, University of Minnesota Press, 2005, . (Swedish original: ''Min Svenska Historia II''. Nordstedt & Söners Förlag, 1971). * Olsson, Sven-Olof (1995)
''Medeltida danskt järn, framställning av och handel med järn i Skåneland och Småland under medeltiden''
Halmstad University. . * Østergård, Uffe (1997).
The Geopolitics of Nordic Identity – From Composite States to Nation States
. ''The Cultural Construction of Norden''. Øystein Sørensen and Bo Stråth (eds.), Oslo: Scandinavian University Press 1997, 25–71. *
Peasant Rebellion
. In ''The Agricultural Revolution''. Educational material for Scanian and Danish highschools, produced by Oresundstid. * Petrén, Birgitta (1995).
Ett liv fyllt av skandaler
. ''Populär Historia'' 2/1995. * Roslund, Carl-Axel (2003)
Motion Skånsk historia
2003/04:Ub277. (In Swedish). * * Sawyer, P.H. (1982). ''Kings and Vikings''. Routledge, 1982. * Saxo Grammaticus.
Gesta Danorum
'. Det Kongelige Bibliotek, Denmark. * Scott, Franklin D. (1988). ''Sweden; the Nation's History''. Southern Illinois Press, 1988. *
Skånelandskapen
(2008). In ''Nationalencyclopedin''. *

(1917). In ''Nordisk Familjebok''. *

(2008). In ''Svenska Akademiens Ordbok'' (SAOB) * Skansjö, Sten (1997). ''Skånes historia''. Lund, . * Stiles, Andrina (1992). ''Sweden and the Baltic, 1523 - 1721''. Hodder & Stoughton, 1992. . * Svensson, Sixten (2005). ''Sanningen om Snapphanelögnen''. . * Thurston, Tina L. (2001). ''Landscapes of Power, Landscapes of Conflict: State Formation in the South Scandinavian Iron Age.'' Kluwer Academic, NY, . * Thurston, Tina L. (1999).

. Dynamic Landscapes and Socio-political Process. ''Antiquity'', 73, 1999: 661-71 * Vikør, Lars S. (2000). "Northern Europe". In ''Language and Nationalism in Europe''. Eds. Stephen Barbour, Cathie Carmichael. Oxford University Press. .


Further reading

* Outlined scanian orthography including morphology and word index. First revision. * Outlined scanian orthography including morphology and word index.


External links


Scania
- Scania Future Foundation, a regionalist organization in Scania
Föreningen Skånelands Framtid
- a cultural, regionalist organization in Scania
Skaansk Fremtid
- a cultural, regionalist organization in Denmark {{DEFAULTSORT:Skaneland Historical regions Blekinge Halland Scania Götaland Geographic history of Sweden