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Skåneland

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: General history

          This region should not be confused with Skånland in Norway.

   CAPTION: Skåneland

                         Halland Skåne Blekinge
   Sweden, with the three Skåneland provinces in brown and the Danish
   island Bornholm.
   Unofficial flag of Skåneland, only used in the province of Skåne.

   Skåneland or Scania 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. Skåneland borders the provinces of
   Västergötland and Småland. In some rare contexts, this region has been
   referred to as "Southern Götaland". 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.

Official status

   Skåneland is the Swedish equivalent to the Danish term Skånelandene, a
   term used in official contexts in Denmark. 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 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 a 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. As such, some contexts
   have used the term "Southern Götaland" (Södra Götaland).
   The coat of arms of Scania in an engraving from 1712, at the time of
   the Scanian rebellions.
   Enlarge
   The coat of arms of Scania in an engraving from 1712, at the time of
   the 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.

History

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 southern 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. 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 Danish historians, writing in the 12th and 13th century,
   believed that the Danish Kingdom had existed since king Dan, in a
   distant past. Eighth century sources mention the existence of Denmark
   as a kingdom. 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, though kingdom(s) were
   very loose confederations of lords until the last couple medieval
   centuries saw some increased centralization. The west and south coast
   of modern Sweden was so effectively under Danish control that the said
   area (and not the today Denmark) was known as "Denmark" (literally the
   frontier of the Daner).

   In the loose conditions of medieval kingdom-building, some historians
   have argued that in 10th and 11th centuries, Scania was more or
   sometimes attached to the Swedish kingdom instead of the Danish, and
   that Svend Estridsen and his dynasty were the ones to establish Scania
   as an integral, and sometimes the more important, part of Denmark -
   king Svend seems to have been from Scania himself.

   In 1330s-1360s, Scania was held, even as the "third kingdom", by Magnus
   VII of Norway and Sweden, as result of temporary dossolution of Danish
   central government. He was, since 1335, titled "rex Suecie, Norwegie et
   Scanie" or "regnorum svechie et norwegie terreque scanie rex".

From the Kalmar Union to Denmark's Loss of Skåne, Blekinge and Halland

   Lund Cathedral (after Helgo Zettervall's 19th century restoration).
   Enlarge
   Lund Cathedral (after Helgo Zettervall's 19th century restoration).
   Halmstad Castle, built during the reign of Christian IV.
   Enlarge
   Halmstad Castle, built during the reign of Christian IV.
   Kyrkhultstugan, a farmhouse from Blekinge, which has been relocated to
   the outdoor museum Skansen in Stockholm.
   Enlarge
   Kyrkhultstugan, 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.

   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".

   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.
     * 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.
     * 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 behaviour 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

   The historian Martin Weibull.
   Enlarge
   The historian Martin Weibull.
   Gustaf Otto Stenbock, Swedish field marshal. Engraving by N. Pitau
   (1696).
   Enlarge
   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.

Administration

   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.

   Sources: Terra Scania website

Modern usage

   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.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sk%C3%A5neland"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
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