Orphanages in Sweden
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There have always been children who needed to be cared for after one or both of their parents had passed away, or their remaining family could not meet thier needs. In medieval Sweden the monasteries, abbeys, and sanctuaries provided assistence for this need. After the reformation, the church took this role in both the cities and the rural areas until the 1600's. If you have an ancestor that was an orphan, finding their biological parents can be difficult. This article will help you understand how the orphanages came about, how they changed through the years, and introduce you to the records they left behind.
Swedish society addressed these needs differently in the cities than in rural areas. In rural areas, the local parish was the first place to turn for assistance. Generally the local rural parishes had a meager budget to meet their social needs. Parishes in the cities had larger budgets but the social demands were also much greater. City authorities were concerned for these social problems and their consequences. In 1624 King Gustaf II Adolf presented a plan to require an orphanage in every Swedish province and city. One example of this is the Stora Barnhus in Stockholm that was founded in 1633. This was the beginning of many orphanages in Sweden.
Related Pages[edit | edit source]
To learn more about the orphanage and the records they kept, click on the name of the orphanage from the list below:
| Name of Orphanage | Location | Time Period |
|---|---|---|
| Allmänna Barnhus
- before 1785 see the Stora Barnhus page. |
Stockholm | 1785 - 1960 |
| Arbetarklassens barnhem | Lund | 1868 - 1908 |
| Borgerskapets Barnhus | Göteborg (private) | 1757 |
| Frimurarbarnhus | Stockholm (private) | 1753 - 1940 |
| Frimurarbarnhuset | Göteborg (private) | 1756 - present |
| Gustavianska Barnhus | Norrköping (private) | 1772 - |
| Gustafsbergs Barnhus | Uddevalla (private) | 1776 - 1924 |
| Göteborgs Stads Barnhus | Göteborg | 1737 - 1999 |
| Joachim Firbrandts Barnhus | Gråmunkholmen (Stockholm) | 1624 - 1630 |
| Kungsholm | Stockholm | 1893 – 1943 |
| Lidköpings Barnhus | Lidköping | 1675 - 1830 |
| Malmqvistska Barnuppfostringsanstalten | Stockholm (private) | 1882 – 1922 |
| Malmö Barnhus | Malmö | 1682 (?) - 1890 |
| Murbeckska stiftelsen | Stockholm | 1754 – 1920 |
| Politibarnhus | Stockholm | 1754 - 1785 |
| Prins Carls Uppfostringsinrättning (Gålöstiftelsen) | Gålö (Stockholm) | 1832 – 1848 |
| Stora Barnhus
- after 1785 see Allmänna Barnhus |
Stockholm | 1633 - 1785 |
| Östads Barnhus | Östad Säteri near Alingsås (private) | 1774 -1978 |
