Pensioner in Denmark

Aftægt
Aftægt is a kind of "private pension". It can also be called revenue, presence or roofing. Aftægt was a set of different benefits that a new occupant in a house or on a farm gave to the older, former residents, who had declined or charged property.

Usually it was in the family when such an elderly couple "waived their bed" to a daughter and son-in-law to take possession of their home. Then there was perhaps only family members grace and mercy (or even worse, poor housing) that assure the elderly a secure living situation until their death.

Quality of life and funeral
Aftægt could typically consist of food or different means in everyday life. For example, it could be agreed upon by aftægtsfolkene (those overseeing the pension process) that those receiving pension should have certain amounts of milk, butter, bacon, peas, rye, fuel, fodder, and stall space for a few animals. Those housing the pensioners must also help with things such as washing and transportation. Aftægtsfolkene could live in a aftægtstue and eat, etc. together with the farm's new residents. But there were occasionally also special aftægtshuse (pensioner houses) for the aged. As a rule, it was also a part of the agreement that the pensioners had a decent burial according to parish practice when they died.

Registration as a precaution
Both landowners and tenants could be a pensioner. Much was dependent on whether the tenant approved the aftægtskontract. One could make an oral agreement, but a pensioner could also get a written contract for security if later there was a disagreement. If one ceded a piece of land to a daughter and son-in-law, one could not be sure if the son-in-law remarried, whether the new wife would be willing to meet the previous contract.