Scales on Historical Maps of Sweden

Sweden Scales on Historical Maps of Sweden

The scale on the historical maps will vary according to the map. You have to search the map to see if there is a scale. Up until 1851 Sweden was using a unit of measurement called an “aln.“ The oldest known aln measurement was the Rydaholms aln that was hung up on the door of Rydaholms church in Jönköpings County. The Rydaholms aln was used as a measuring unit as early as the 1100s. By royal decree it became the standard for all of Småland in 1582. The parliament session in 1604 decided that the Rydaholms aln would be standard kingdomwide (0.593 meters long which equals 1.945 feet). Karl IX had an aln (based upon the Rydaholms aln) placed upon the door of the Stockhom Rådhus in 1605 which was called the Stockholms aln. Even with this said, the aln continued to vary in length in different parts of the kingdom. The standard used by the lantmäteriet was the Rydaholm aln. In 1855 the foot replaced the aln, which then was officially replaced by the metric system in 1878.