Swedish nobility

The Swedish nobility (Adeln) was historically a privileged class in Sweden. Noble families and their descendants are still a part of Swedish society today, but do no longer retain any specific or granted privileges to speak of. The Swedish nobility is organized in to three classes according to a scheme introduced in 1561, where the classes are:

Privileges

The noble estate was never abolished in Sweden, but its privileged position has been weakened step by step since 1680. The nobility's political privileges were practically abolished by the reformation of the Riksdag of the Estates in 1866, and the last rights of precedence to certain governmental offices were removed in the 1920s. By then also the last taxation privileges had been abolished. Some minor privileges remained up until 2003, when the law concerning the privileges of the nobility was completely abolished.

Related Topics:
Sweden - 1680 - Riksdag of the Estates - 1866 - 1920s - 2003

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The privileges of the nobility today are limited to protection of noble titles and certain elements and styles used in coats of arms: a helm with open visor, a coronet showing rank, and the use of supporters. Legal protection regarding names in Sweden does not make specific distinctions on the grounds of nobility.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~