Sweden Societies

There are several societies and organizations in Sweden that may have valuable information for your genealogical research. Many Swedish communities have genealogical and historical societies, called hembygdsföreningar, many of which publish books and periodicals. You can write to Sveriges Hembygdsförbund for an address of a local hembygdsförening.

There may also be some Swedish societies in the country your ancestor immigrated to, especially in the United States.

Genealogical Societies
Many societies publish periodicals, transcripts, and compiled genealogies. They may also have special indexes, collections, and projects. Some publish queries about Swedish ancestors or maintain a list of members' research interests. Some specialize in the immigrants to a specific area. The following societies may be of interest:

DIS Föreningen DIS is the name of a nonprofit Swedish genealogical society whose focus is to use computer technology to assist genealogical research. The acronym DIS stands for Datorhjälp I Släktforskning meaning, data assistance for genealogical research. DIS publishes a periodical called "Diskulogen med Släktforskarnytt" meaning Diskulogen with Genealogy News. Within DIS there are eight regional organizations. Each regional group is responsible for the direct contact with its members in a variety of ways. Through the years DIS has created multiple data tools for the family history researcher. To see more information about DIS click here

Föreningen Släktdata (Släktdata Society) c/o Lennart Larsson Mossaledsvägen 61 S-429 34 Kullavik Sweden Släktdata's main objective is to collect indices and transcripts of Swedish church records and other documents and to publish them freely for genealogy research.

The society was founded 1989 has, as of today (2011), about 900 members.

On Släktdata's web site you can find the freely searchable database containing 7 million records from Sweden. You can also find Allan Palmgren's Swedish-English dictionary of genealogical words. The web site is currently only available in Swedish but there are some "mouse-over" English hints on i.e. the search form and in the navigation.

The database contains records supplied by various people and societies. The records are secondary sources and should be treated as such and always checked against the original sources.

Internet: Släktdata's website The search page Släktdata on Facebook Släktdata on Twitter

Genealogiska Föreningen:(The Genealogical Association of Sweden) Anderstorpsgatan 16 S-171 54 Solna Sweden

Internet: http://www.genealogi.net/engresearch.htm

The Genealogical Association of Sweden (Genealogiska Föreningen) was founded in 1933 and has as its objective “the promotion of Swedish genealogical research and the creating of interest for the same.” Total membership runs over 2000, scattered in all of Sweden. Its quarterly magazine was named Släkt och Hävd (Family and Origin), but ceased publication in 2004.

The magazine was started in 1934 under the name of Genealogiska Föreningens Månadsblad. In 1950 the name was changed to the present title. Every number contains a list of additions to the association's archive, many of them being more or less elaborate family genealogies just published.

The association has a large index of family names, Släktnamnsregistret, and a geographical index, Geografiska registret, divided into provinces (landskap), cities (städer) and districts (härader, tingslag, skeppslag or bergslag).

Both indexes are microfilmed and the FamilySearch Catalog numbers to Släktnamnsregistret are as follows:

Aab-Bot --  # 383557 Bou-Ehr --   # 383558 Eic-Grö --  #383559 Gua-Kio --  #383560 Inb-Loo --   #3 83561 Loo-Rip --  #383562 Rua-Smi --  #383563 Smi-Utt --  #383564 Vac-Ött -- #383565 The call number to Geografiska registret is #383566. An index of authors of genealogical literatures is listed under the call Number #383565.

Personhistoriska Samfundet (The Personal History Association of Sweden) Personhistoriska Samfundet

c/o Gunnel Furuland Tomtebogatan 53  S-113 38 Stockholm, Sweden

Internet: www.personhistoriskasamfundet.se/system/english.html

As the name indicates, this organization is more interested in the history of the individual person or family, while Genealogiska Föreningen places its stress more on the genealogical facts of a person or family. The headquarters are located in the National Archives. Research results are published in the association quarterly, called Personhistorisk Tidskrift, published since 1898. The general index 1898-1956 of this publication contains more than 40,000 names. It is available on microfilm at the Family History Library with the following call numbers:

Aaby-Benedictus --   #254961 Bengt- Erik  --  #254962  Erikska-Ingolphus  --   #254963 Ingrid-Mikkola  --   #254964 Milen-Sköring   --  #254965 Sladerbach-Öström  --   #254966

Sveriges Släktforskarförbund

Sveriges Släktforskarförbund (The Federation of Swedish Genealogical Societies) This association was founded in 1986 by the local genealogical associations as a common organ of the Swedish genealogical movement. Its excellent magazine Släkthistoriskt Forum (The Family History Forum) is published five times per year. The headquarters are located at Anderstorpsvägen 16, S-171 54 Solna, Sweden.

The Federation has currently about 160 member societies all around Sweden.

Internet: www.genealogi.se

Historical Societies
Swedish historical societies can be valuable sources of information. Such societies exist in countries where Swedish emigrants settled, and they often collect information about Swedish immigrants. Many societies have special collections of books and manuscript material for Sweden that may be hard to find in libraries and archives. Two historical societies are:


 * The Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center Augustana College 639 Thirty-Eighth Street Rock Island, IL 61201-2296 USA Internet: http://www.augustana.edu/swenson/


 * Swedish-American Historical Society, Inc. 5125 North Spaulding Avenue Chicago, IL 60625 USA Internet: http://www.swedishamericanhist.org/

These societies' collections of family and local histories and manuscripts may be helpful. The material in their collections can be circulated.

Institutes
The American Swedish Institute

2600 Park Avenue Minneapolis, Minnesota 55407 USA

Phone: 612-871-4907


 * www.americanswedishinst.org