Preserving land in noble families. Entailed manors ( fideikommiss ) in Sweden and Finland, 1686–1975

This article explores the establishment of fideikommiss in Sweden and Finland from 1686 to 1975. Fideikommiss was the right to entail land to a single heir, thus preserving it for future generations. By using probate inventories, the extent of fideikommiss has been measured, revealing that they were mainly established between 1720 and 1810, when the right to found new ones was abolished. The establishment of fideikommiss partly responded to increased competition for land from non-nobles. The higher nobility, who had the means to set aside land since inherited land could not be entailed, were the main founders. Fideikommiss comprised five per cent of the kingdom’s area and were mainly established in the southern regions, where the best arable land was located. In 1964, a new law began the process of abolishing fideikommiss, although more than half had already been dissolved between 1810 and 1945 due to economic crises. Notably, the smaller and medium-sized fideikommiss in the less fertile western and eastern regions of Sweden, often accompanied by ironworks, were the first to be dissolved. In contrast, the largest fideikommiss remained, most of which were located in the very fertile southern plains. These undoubtedly preserved the nobility as large landowners.