Denmark Abbreviations in Army Levying Rolls

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Abbreviations in Army Levying Rolls
Once you understand how to use the Army Levying Rolls of Denmark, and can follow a person through the registration system, the only real obstacle is figuring out the comments and remarks that were written out to the side or below the entry. The comments in the far right column usually refer to which unit and when a person did their required military training. The year is often written with "Sess." meaning the note was made during that year's session. Military units were generally abbreviated.

Sometimes other notes were added such as why a person was not present for military training, why an individual was discharged for health reasons, when he went to another city temporarily, or when he went to prison. Such comments are very interesting for family history but are often abbreviated and described using technical terms.

A list of abbreviations and their meanings for many abbreviated terms found in the Military Levying Rolls was printed into a research booklet by the Danish State Archives (Statens Arkiver.) Another good source is in an article called Lægdsrullevejledning (Directional Guidance to the Levying Rolls) which was printed in a periodical called: Slægten, edition nr. 1, in Jan. of 1990.

The contributors to this project were: Gregers Hvidkjær, previously with the Danish National Archive, who is now with the Regional Archive of Fyn, and Ib Simonsen with the Regional Archive of NørreJylland. The work related to German records was taken from Tyrstrup Herred in Sønderjylland (as recorded 1824 – 32), was contributed by Ester Nørrelykke.

The list does not include common abbreviations such as: gdr. ( gårdejer: a farmer who owns his farm) or hmd. (husmand: a farmer who leases his farm). It may also include some military terms used in later time periods (1912-). Abbreviations were also influenced by regimental abbreviations, and the locality where the levying roll was recorded.