Denmark Jurisdictions

Stift
Also called a bispedømme or diocese, it is the highest church jurisdiction in Denmark. A stift was split into smaller deaneries that were then divided into parishes. The diocese was run by the bishop, who was the spiritual supervisor of all priests. The diocese kept records such as histories of the parishes/priests, some land records (especially concerning the diocese property), and court records. Marriage records were also kept by the diocese. For additional information about the Danish stift, see this article.

Pastorat
A pastorat is a set of typically 2 or more parishes in which one priest is responsible. For more information on the pastorat, see this article.

Amt
The amt in Denmark is the county, or the immediate civil jurisdiction under the country itself. The amt was established in 1662, and was in effect until 2007 when Denmark was re-divided into 5 regions. For more information about amts, see articles for 1662-1793, and 1794-1970.

Herred
The herred is the next civil jurisdiction level under the amt, and consists of any number of parishes. For more information on herreds, see this article.


 * Kommune
 * 1788 – 1793 Lægd number
 * 1794 – 1869 Lægd number
 * Description of a Lægd
 * Gods