Entailed dynasties. The establishment of fideikommiss in Sweden, 1686-1810

Abstract

This article examines the establishment of fideikommiss (entailed estates) in Sweden between 1686 and 1810, as acts of dynastic formation. Drawing on a database of 239 fideikommiss, we analyze who the founders were, their social and marital status, landholdings, and the orders of succession they prescribed. Our findings show that the first generation of nobles were disproportionately active in creating fideikommiss, often as a way to secure the material basis of their new lineage. Women played a more significant role than is usually acknowledged. The establishment of fideikommiss thus defined who belonged to the dynasty, bound land to lineage, and regulated compensation for excluded heirs. Swedish fideikommiss functioned as legal tools for shaping dynastic continuity among noble families.