Ancestors from Skåne

[Nico Mischok]

Hello, I have a question and I hope you can help me with it. Based on the current information, I have some ancestors from Lyngsjö and the surrounding area in Skåne from the years 1664 to 1869. However, I am now unsure whether I should classify these ancestors as Swedes or something else since this area belonged to Denmark for a long time and only became fully part of the Swedish Kingdom in 1719. My last ancestor from Lyngsjö was born in 1853 and emigrated in 1869. As mentioned, Skåne has been fully part of Sweden since 1719, but assimilation took significantly longer, and I cannot look into the minds of my ancestors to see whether they identified as Swedes or Danes. I would like to hear your opinion on this matter as there are certainly several people here who have much more knowledge about the history of Skåne.

Thank you in advance.

Best regards,
Nico

[Kalle Birgersson]

They probably didn't care very much. In their mind they were from Lyngsjö and possibly Skåne, if it was danish or swedish taxcollectors who exploited them didn't matter. And at that point Skåne also had been pillaged by both swedish and danish military troops several times.

[Hans Högman]

Regarding Skåne: Skåne became Swedish in 1658 under the peace treaty of Roskilde on 26 February 1658.
 The main features of the treaty were that Denmark-Norway ceded to Sweden; Skåne, Blekinge, Halland (permanently - in the Peace of Brömsebro in 1645, Sweden had gained Halland in 30 years), Bohuslän, Bornholm, and Trondheim counties.
 After that, the Swedishization of Skåne began. The Governor General of Skåne was established in 1658 to govern the regions of Skåne. The first Governor-General was Gustaf Otto Stenbock (1658-1664). These measures were partly psychological. The Danish language, Danish books, and all forms of contact with Denmark were banned.
 As a result of the compulsory church attendance, people in Skåne were forced to listen to Swedish-language sermons. Teaching for children was also conducted exclusively in Swedish.
 If your ancestor emigrated from Sweden in 1869, more than 200 years after Skåne became Swedish, I would say that he should have identified himself as Swedish.
 /Hans

[Nico Mischok]

Thank you for the responses, they were very helpful.

Best regards,
Nico

[Nico Mischok]

I have two more questions. Firstly, when did people from Skåne start speaking Swedish? Secondly, if Danish was so strongly prohibited and only Swedish was allowed, how did the Scanian dialect manage to persist for so long?

Best regards,
Nico

[Hans Högman]

It is impossible to say when the people in Skåne began speaking Swedish. However, I suspect it took a generation or two.
Regarding dialects: All provinces in Sweden have dialects in one form or another. Some dialects are more distinct, others less. Some distinct dialects are the Värmland dialect, Dalarna, Gotland, and all the various dialects in Norrland, to mention a few.
 And yes, the Skåne dialect is quite distinct.
However, I think dialects are less and less spoken nowadays, which is sad. Young people tend to speak National Swedish, what we call “Rikssvenska”.
The Scandinavian languages are quite similar, Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish. We understand each other, although Norwegian is easier for Swedes to understand than Danish, but it is possible.
  /Hans

[Hans Högman]

To emphasize the Swedish authorities' distrust of the Skåne people after Skåne became Swedish in 1658 we can look at how soldiers were recruited to the two cavalry regiments established in Skåne after the province became Swedish; the Norra Skånska kavalleriregementet (the Northern Skåne Cavalry Regiment) and Södra Skånska kavalleriregementet (the Southern Skåne Cavalry Regiment). Although the regiments were now regiments in Skåne, Skåne people were not allowed to be recruited until 1698 because their loyalty to the Swedish Crown was considered uncertain. /Hans

[Lennart Altin]

Danskan och svenskan är inte särskilt stor skillnad på i nutid och på 1600-talt var skillnaden ännu mindre. Jag har inga problem att lyssna på Danska TV-program och förstå vad de säjer.
När Skåne blev svenskt skevs det ut Soldater medelst roterings och utskrivningslängder.
Dessa skånska infanterisoldater skickades sedan till den svenska provinsen Ingermanland, som kan läsas i deras Länsräkenskaper och Finska Släktforskarsajten - Digihakemisto.