Skåneland
This region should not be confused with Skånland in Norway. | | |
| Sweden, with the three Skåneland provinces in brown |
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Skåneland is a denomination for the historical region in southern and southwestern
Sweden, once making up the eastern part of
Denmark. It was permanently ceded to
Sweden under the
Treaty of Roskilde (
1658). Another name for it is
Skånelandskapen, which translates to
the Provinces of Skåne; sometimes the Latin names
terra Scania or
terra Scaniæ are used.
Skåneland consists of the provinces
Skåne,
Halland, and
Blekinge. Sometimes, the term only refers to Skåne. The area is almost coterminous with
Eastern Denmark, except that the islands of
Bornholm and
Anholt have remained Danish whereas the rest of the region was
annexed to Sweden. Skåneland borders the provinces of
Västergötland and
Småland. The region is accepted by the
Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation under the name of
Scania, although this is also the Latin and English name for Skåne proper.
Skåneland is the Swedish equivalent to the Danish term
Skånelandene, a term used in official contexts in Denmark.
[See for example the official site for the Danish Monarchy, the section Kongehusets historie: Kongerækken (The Royal Lineage), where the sub-section "Frederik IV" mentions the king's abandonment of hope to regain Skånelandene ("opgivelse af håbet om generobring af Skånelandene"). Also see the Danish National Archives for documents relating to Skånelandene, for example Lensregnskaberne 1560-1658: "De vigtigste len i Skånelandene var: Helsingborg, Malmøhus, Landskrone, Christianstad, Varberg, Laholm, Halmstad, Froste herred, Christianopel, Sølvitsborg".)] In Sweden, the term is seldom used in official context. Because some
regionalists advocate independence for Scania proper, or a Swedish
republic where regions like Skåneland have more autonomy, the term is unpopular with many Swedes. Such
separatist movements often have a basis in
nationalism; frequently a sense of political under-representation and a perception of economic disadvantage play important roles.
[The list of active autonomist and secessionist movements in the world is extensive. Examples of other separatist movements include the non-violent Québécois movement in Canada, the until recently violent Spain's Basque movements, and the almost dormant northern Italian peninsula movement based on Gallo-romance linguistic and cultural roots.] The relatively long amalgamation of
Skåneland with Sweden would suggest that the area is generally "Swedified" and that separatism represents a minority viewpoint.
When defining the region in more general context, the names of the individual provinces are used, or Skåneland is simply considered as being a late addition to the historic
Götaland.
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The coat of arms of Scania in an engraving from 1712, at the time of the time Scanian rebellions. |
Origin of name
The Swedish term "Skåneland" was introduced by the Swedish historian and
Scandinavist Martin Weibull in his political appeal
Samlingar till Skånes historia in 1868 to illuminate the common pre-Swedish history of Skåne, Blekinge, and Halland. The term was basically a translation from the medieval
Latin terra Scaniæ ("land of Skåne"). Weibull used the term as a combined term for the three provinces where
Skånelagen ("The Scanian law", the oldest provincial law of the
Nordic countries) had its jurisdiction, as well as the area of the
archdiocese of
Lund until the
Reformation in
1536, later the Danish
Lutheran diocese of Lund. This form of Skåneland was then used in the regional historical periodical
Historisk tidskrift för Skåneland, beginning in 1901, published by Martin's son,
Lauritz Weibull.
[Swedish National Encyclopedia article Skånelandskapen]["Some consider the island of Bornholm a part of Skåneland, despite currently belonging to Denmark. The island was originally included in the territories ceded to Sweden in 1658, but it rebelled and was returned to Denmark only two years later." ]Early history
The
Latin name
terra Scaniæ was used in the
Middle Ages as a denomination for the easternmost parts of Denmark. At that time, dense forests and
boggy ground blocked the northern provinces of Sweden from Skåneland, in comparison to the relative ease of travel by sea. It was therefore natural to draw the national borders on land. This is documented by
Adam of Bremen in the 11th century when he visited
Scania and Scandinavia and called it the richest and most important part of Denmark. Even in later periods as the roads gradually improved, some parts were still difficult to travel through, even through the 19th century.
[ Skånelands historia, ved Ambrius, J, 1997 ISBN 91-971436-2-6] From 1104 the Danish archbishop had his residence in Lund; and it was also here the first Danish university was founded, the Lund Academy (1425-1536).
The earliest historians, writing in the 12th and 13th century, believed that the Danish Kingdom had existed since time immemorial, while the kingdoms of Norway and Sweden were formed in the 10th and 11th century, each by consolidation of multiple small kingdoms. Eighth century sources do confirm the existence of Denmark as a kingdom then. Ninth century sources mention the
Svear (ancient Swedes) in the
Folklands which is essentially the modern Swedish province of
Uppland. According to ninth century Frankish sources, by the early 9th century many of the chieftains in the south of Scandinavia acknowledged Danish kings as their overlords. The west and south coast of modern Sweden was so effectively under Danish control that the area was known as Denmark (literally the frontier of the Danes). In the ninth century, various Svear chieftains gathered tribute in Finland and northern Russia.
[Medieval Scandinavia, by Bridget and Peter Sawyer, University of Minnesota Press, 1993.][Kings and Vikings, by P.H. Sawyer, Routledge, 1982.][Sawyer considered sources such as Saxo Grammaticus and Snorri Sturluson but validated their material against contemporary primary documents of the period.]From the Kalmar Union to Denmark's Loss of Skåne, Blekinge and Halland
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Lund Cathedral ravaged by the war of 1676. (Illustration by unknown artist, dated between 1676 and the 1800s.) |
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Halmstad Castle, built during the reign of Christian IV. |
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Kyrkhyltstugan, a farmhouse from Blekinge, which has been relocated to the outdoor museum Skansen in Stockholm. |
By the end of the fourteenth century, the Finnish coast was under Swedish control, but Denmark was the most powerful of Scandinavian states. As a result, when the
Kalmar Union was formed in 1397, the union was administered from Copenhagen. By 1471 Sweden had tired of Danish domination and rebelled under
Sture family leadership. In 1503, when
Sten Sture the Elder died, eastern Sweden's independence from Denmark had been established.
[Sweden and the Baltic, 1523 - 1721, by Andrina Stiles, Hodder & Stoughton, 1992 ISBN 0-340-54644-1] In 1600 Denmark controlled virtually all land bordering on the
Skagerrak,
Kattegat, and the restricted Sound (
Øresund). The current Swedish provinces of
Skåne,
Blekinge and
Halland were still Danish and the province of
Båhuslen was still Norwegian. Skåneland became the site of bitter battles, especially in the 16th and 17th century, as Denmark and Sweden confronted each other for control of the Baltic and of Swedish access to western trade. Danish historians often represent this as a period of unending Swedish aggression during which Sweden was continuously at war, while Swedish historians often represent this as "Sweden's Age of Greatness".
[ A History of Sweden by Ingvar Andersson, Praeger, 1956 ] [ Nordens Historie, ved Hiels Bache, Forslagsbureauet i Kjøbenhavn, 1884. ] [ The Northern Wars, 1558-1721 by Robert I. Frost; Longman, Harlow, England; 2000 ISBN 0-582-06429-5] [ The Struggle for Supremacy in the Baltic: 1600-1725 by Jill Lisk; Funk & Wagnalls, New York, 1967][Sweden; the Nation's History", by Franklin D. Scott, Southern Illinois Press, 1988.]Sweden interevend in the Danish civil war known as the
Count's Feud (1534-1536), launching a highly destructive invasion of Skåneland as the ally of King
Christian III. Subsequently, in the period between the breakup of the Kalmar Union and 1814, Denmark and Sweden fought 11 times in Skåneland and other border provinces: 1563-70, 1611-1613, 1644-1645, 1657-1658; 1659-1661, 1674-1678, 1700, 1710-1721, 1788, 1808-1809, and 1814.
[ Min Svenska Historia II, by Vilhelm Moberg, P.A. Nordstedt & Söners Förlag, 1971. ][The most notable periods of combat for SkÃ¥neland were the Northern Seven Years' War (1563–1570), the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and the Northern War (1655–1658). ]* During the Northern Seven Years' War, attacks were launched on Sweden from Danish
Halland in
1563, and Swedish counterattacks were launched against Danish provinces of
Halland and
Skåne in
1565 and
1569. In 1570 peace was finally agreed when the Swedish king withdrew the claims to Danish Skåne, Halland, Blekinge and
Gotland, while the Danes withdrew their claims to Sweden as a whole.
[ Fra Bondeoppbud til Legdshær'' by Trygve Mathisen, Guldendal Norsk Forlag, 1952]* During the Thirty Years' War extensive combat took place in the Danish provinces of Skåne, Halland, and Blekinge. By the
Peace of Brömsebro (
1645) Denmark ceded the Norwegian provinces of
Jämtland and
Härjedalen and agreed Sweden was to occupy the Danish province of
Halland for 30 years as a guarantee of the treaty provisions.
* During what has been described as the Northern War (
1655–
1658), Danish attempts to recover control of
Halland ended in a serious defeat administered by Sweden. As a result, in the Treaty of Roskilde (
1658) Denmark ceded the provinces of Skåne, Blekinge and Halland (i.e., Skåneland).
Vilhelm Moberg, in his history of the Swedish people, provides a thoughtful discussion of the atrocities which were committed by both sides in the struggle over the border provinces, and identified them as the source of propaganda to inflame the peoples' passions to continue the struggle. These lopsided representations were incorporated into history text books on the respective sides. As an example,
Moberg compares the history texts he grew up with in Sweden which represented the Swedish soldier as ever pure and honorable to a letter written by
Gustavus Adolphus celebrating the 24 Skånian parishes he'd helped level by fire, with the troops encouraged to rape and murder the population at will. One must infer that this Swedish behavior was mirrored equally on the Danish side. Skåneland was a rather unpleasant place to dwell for an extended period.
Assimilation with Sweden
Following on the
Treaty of Roskilde in 1658 - but in direct contradiction of its terms - the Swedish government forcefully demanded Skåneland adopt Swedish customs and laws. Swedish became the only permitted language in the Church liturgy and in schools, books in Danish were not allowed to be printed, and all appointed politicians and priests were required to be Swedish. To promote further Swedish assimilation the
University of Lund was inaugurated in 1666, and the inhabitants of Scania were not allowed to enroll in
Copenhagen University until the 19th century.
The population was initially opposed to the Swedish reforms, as can be ascertained from church records and court transcripts. The Swedes did encounter severe civil revolts in some areas, perhaps most notably in the
Göinge district, in dense forest regions, and in northern Scania. Against 17th Century rebels known as "
snapphanar", the Swedish authorities resorted to the use of
impalement, where the stake was inserted between the spine and the skin of the victim. In that way, it could take four to five days before the victim died.
The last civil revolts in Skåneland were peasant revolts early in the 19th century, but during that period the region was so integrated that, at the end of the century, Skåneland was declared to have been "fully incorporated with Swedish habits, customs and history".
The transformation of age-old customs, commerce and administration to the Swedish model could not be effected quickly or easily. In the first fifty years of the transition, the treatment of the population was rather ruthless, but thereafter it softened. Denmark, on the other hand, made several attempts to recapture the territories -- the last attempt in 1710, during which they almost recaptured the entire Skåneland until they were beaten back by Swedish armies and forced to withdraw.
Recent history
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Gustaf Otto Stenbock, Swedish field marshal. Engraving by N. Pitau (1696). |
The complete history of Skåneland was not taught for a long time in schools in Skåneland, especially during periods with the immediate threat of revolt. Instead a Swedish-centric history was taught, and the Scanian history before 1658, for instance concerning the list of monarchs, was disregarded as a component of Danish history. In reaction, a movement began in the late 19th century to revive awareness of the history and culture of Skåneland. The renewed focus resulted in the publication of several books about Scanian history.
It is still disputed whether children of the Scanian Provinces should learn the local Danish-era history or the Swedish history for the period before 1658.
Before 1658, Skåneland had consisted of four counties: the counties of Malmöhus, Landskrona, Helsingborg and Kristianstad.
When the area was annexed by Sweden, Blekinge County was merged with Kristianstad County, to form at total of three counties of the area. In addition, Sweden also appointed a
Governor General, who in addition of having the highest authority of the government, also was the highest military officer. The first to hold the post of Governor General was
Gustaf Otto Stenbock, between
1658 to
1664. His residence was in the largest city,
Malmö.
The office of Governor General was abandoned in 1669, deemed unnecessary. However, when the
Scanian War erupted in 1675, the office was reinstated, and
Fabian von Fersen held the office between
1675 to
1677, when he died in the defence of
Malmö.
Replacing him was
Rutger von Ascheberg, in
1680. He came to hold it to his death in
1693. It was during Ascheberg's time in office that the stricter policy of Swedenfication was initiated, as a reaction to the threats of war and possible Danish repossession.
Following the death of Ascheberg, the Governor General was dismantled into separate generals, governing the separate provinces Skåne, Blekinge and Halland.
(See also: Governors-General of Sweden)Sources: Terra Scania website
[Terra Scania website, article Skåne Län Efter 1658 in Swedish]The term
Skåneland (Scania) is today mostly used to denote the area accepted as an unrepresented nation and in order to differentiate it from the historical, pre-1658 Skåne proper (Scania), the now Swedish province
Skåne (Scania) and from the administrative county
Skåne (Scania), a county recently established after having been split into Malmöhus County and Kristianstad County between 1719 and 1997.
Skåneland is based on the Danish term
Skånelandene, a term of historical significance as a common name for Bornholm and the formerly Danish, now Swedish, provinces of Skåne, Blekinge and Halland. It is a term which translates to "Terra Scaniae" in Latin, the term preferred in medieval times. Both terms were in use after the area became Swedish, as noted by the Swedish Academy, which
lists examples of the usage of Skåneland in documents from 1719, from 1759 (by
Carl von Linné), from 1901 and from 1937. In some examples of Swedish usage, Bornholm is not included. The collective term for the provinces is presently not in general use among Swedish historians or in government administration. The modern usage is therefore mostly found in research by Danish and regional historians as a way to refer to the common culture, language and history of Skåne, Blekinge, Halland and Bornholm before the Swedish acquisition of Skåne, Blekinge and Halland, and by regionalists who desire to stress the culturally unique features of the region. In regards to the usage of the term
regionalist in this context, it is worth noting that the term is sometimes used in a liberal way to encompass all historians who view the two kingdoms' violent and brutal tug of war over the area as a footnote in the history of the region, and not the other way around.
Because of the revived notions of a common cultural heritage, separate from that of the national state of Sweden, Skåneland has become a member of
UNPO (Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation) and
FUEN (Federal Union of European Nationalities) under the name of
Scania.
References in popular culture
* A large part of the book
The Long Ships or "Red Orm" (original title: "Röde Orm"), a best-selling
Swedish 1941 novel written by
Frans Gunnar Bengtsson takes place in this region. It is the homeland of the book's Viking hero, Orm, from which he sets out to long voyages and to which he returns. The book emphaisizes tha fact that at time the region was part of Denmark, and the hero and his comrades are proud of being Danes. It also portrays the inhabitants as rebellious, independent-minded and resentful of all central authority, and is very sympathetic to these characteristics - and though the book is about the Viking era, the 17th century history had obviously been in the writer's mind.
*The Swedish singer
Lotta Engberg mentions the region in the
song Succéschottis on her
1987 album Fyra Bugg & en Coca Cola.
*
Skåne*
History of Sweden*
History of Denmark*
Carlsten,
Bohus,
Fredriksten*
Scania -
Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation, an international regionalist organization
*
Scania - Scania Future Foundation, a regionalist organization in Skåne
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Terra Scaniae - a history project for Middle- and Highschool educators, supported by Region Scania's culture department â€" Kultur SkÃ¥ne â€" and the Foundation Culture of the Future, established by the Swedish Government.
*
Codex Runicus - a manuscript from c. 1300 containing Scanian law
*
Øresundstid. A cooperative educational project established by Scanian and Danish history teachers, funded by EUs InterregIIIA-program, the Danish Department of Education and others, 2004-2006.
