The Swedish Local Heritage Federation

The Swedish Local Heritage Federation (Sveriges hembygdsförbund) is the national organisation for Swedish heritage work, serving as the umbrella body for the country's local heritage movement. It brings together regional heritage federations, whose catchment areas are based on Sweden's counties or historical provinces, and through them thousands of local heritage societies. As of 2022, the federation comprised 26 regional heritage federations, which in turn included just over 2,060 local heritage societies with a combined membership of around 400,000 people. This makes it one of the largest popular movements in Sweden. The federation traces its origins to 1916, when the Samfundet för Hembygdsvård (Society for Local Heritage Care) was founded as a nationwide association. Its first chairman was the liberal member of parliament Karl Starbäck. In 1975 the society was transformed into the movement's actual national organisation, the Riksförbundet för Hembygdsvård (National Federation for Local Heritage Care). Since 1991 the national organisation has been known as Sveriges hembygdsförbund. A large part of the federation's work focuses on common issues concerning the conditions of associational life, as well as work on the cultural environment and local history. Many local heritage societies act as referral bodies at the municipal level, and the federation seeks to raise and highlight issues at the national level. Since 1920 the federation has published the magazine Bygd och natur. It also runs the Hembygdsportalen, which serves as the website for the federation and its member societies; since April 2020 it has also incorporated local heritage information that previously resided on the website bygdeband.se. Jan Nordwall has been secretary-general since 2008, and since 2021 Anna-Karin Andersson from Grangärde has been chair of the board.

The Swedish Local Heritage Federation traces its history to 1916, when the Samfundet för Hembygdsvård (Society for Local Heritage Care) was founded as a nationwide association. Its first chairman was the liberal member of parliament Karl Starbäck. The society was created to support and coordinate the growing local heritage movement across Sweden. In 1975 the society was reorganised and became the movement's actual national organisation, the Riksförbundet för Hembygdsvård (National Federation for Local Heritage Care). This change reflected the movement's desire for a more unified national body that could represent local heritage societies and regional federations. Since 1991 the national organisation has been known as Sveriges hembygdsförbund (The Swedish Local Heritage Federation). Under this name it has continued to serve as the umbrella organisation for the Swedish local heritage movement. By 2022 the federation comprised 26 regional heritage federations, whose catchment areas are based on Sweden's counties or historical provinces. These regional federations in turn included just over 2,060 local heritage societies with a combined membership of around 400,000 people. The federation's work has long focused on common issues concerning the conditions of associational life, as well as on the cultural environment and local history. Many local heritage societies act as referral bodies at the municipal level, while the federation seeks to raise and highlight issues at the national level. Since 1920 the federation has published the magazine Bygd och natur. It also operates the Hembygdsportalen, which serves as the website for the federation and its member societies; since April 2020 it has also incorporated local heritage information that previously resided on the website bygdeband.se. Jan Nordwall has been secretary-general since 2008, and since 2021 Anna-Karin Andersson from Grangärde has been chair of the board.

• 2022

  The federation comprises 26 regional federations and just over 2,060 local heritage societies with around 400,000 members.

• 2021

  Anna-Karin Andersson from Grangärde becomes chair of the board.

• 2020

  Local heritage information from bygdeband.se is incorporated into Hembygdsportalen (April 2020).

• 2008

  Jan Nordwall becomes secretary-general.

• 1991

  The national organisation takes the name Sveriges hembygdsförbund.

• 1975

  The society is transformed into the movement's national organisation, Riksförbundet för Hembygdsvård.

• 1920

  The federation begins publishing the magazine Bygd och natur.

• 1916

  Samfundet för Hembygdsvård founded as a nationwide association; Karl Starbäck becomes first chairman.

National umbrella organisation and advocacy body for Sweden's local heritage movement.

• Bygd och natur

  Magazine published by the federation since 1920.

• Hembygdsportalen

  Website for the federation and its member societies; since April 2020 also includes local heritage information previously on bygdeband.se.

1. 1Wikidata: The Swedish Local Heritage Federationwikidata.org
2. 2Wikipedia (Swedish): Sveriges hembygdsförbundsv.wikipedia.org