Ordering from Svar
Greetings, in 1999 Ingrid Clenmans translated these instructions to English on
how to order from Svar.
With her permission I am posting them here for you to use. Good luck with
your research!
This is the main URL for Svar (Swedish) if you want to take a look, but to
order you need to follow the
instructions below. http://www.svar.ra.se/
Jerry Longstrom
How to order microfiches from SVAR, the Swedish Archival Services.
Go to this URL: http://194.198.128.222/svar/kund/nykund.htm
You have 4 links to choose from:
1. Hur beställer/lånar jag = How do I order/borrow?2. Get customer number = Beställ kundnummer
3. Conditions = Villkor
4. Fees = Avgifter
Click on "Get customer number", it takes you to this page:
http://194.198.128.222/svar/kund/kundnr.htm
Occasionally this form does not function with some browsers. Simply send the required information to the e-mail address listed for SVAR:
Fill out the form:
Ditt namn = Your name:
Address = Street address:
Postnummer = Postal code:
Ort = City/location:
Telefon = Phone number
E-mail:
Land = Country:
Meddelande = Comments
At the end, click on either "Skicka brevet" to send the letter, or on "Rensa" to clear the form and start again.
In about 10 days you will receive a letter from SVAR with your customer number and some additional information, most of which is in Swedish, but one page deals with payment in English. Right now the most important item is your customer number. Save it.
Ordering Records from SVAR
Go to this URL:
http://194.198.128.222/katalog/katindex.htm#kyrkark
You get a complete listing of all Swedish parishes, displayed in ranges alphabetically.
Example: If you are looking for the parish of Ekeby, click on the range "Eke - FA/Södra kronoh Långholm" and you get the page with a list of parishes starting with E and ending FA. Look for Ekeby. You are now faced with a small problem, there is not one but several parishes called Ekeby. How do you know which one is the one you are looking for? Answer: the code number following the name is the clue.
In Swedish genealogy, a system of code numbers is used to specify each parish. A full code has six digits, the first two digits denote the county (län). A four digit code number is not complete and signifies that this name is part of another parish. When you click on the link for a parish name, the information you need to know is displayed. (in Swedish, but not very hard to figure out).
Below is an explanation of county number and letter codes. To get the name in English, replace "län" with county and drop the "s" on the name, it is the possessive form and is not used in English.
AB = 01 - Stockholms län (previously, A denoted the city of Stockholm and B the surrounding county).
AC = 24 - Västerbottens län
BD = 25 - Norrbottens län
C = 03 - Uppsala län
D = 04 - Södermanlands län
E = 05 - Östergötlands län
F = 06 - Jönköpings län
G = 07 - Kronobergs län
H = 08 -Kalmar län
I = 09 - Gotlands län
K = 10 - Blekinge län
L = 11 - Kristianstads län
M = 12 - Malmöhus län
N = 13 - Hallands län
O = 14 - Göteborgs och Bohus län
OA = Göteborgs stad (city)
P = 15 - Älvsborgs län
R = 16 - Skaraborgs län
S = 17 - Värmlands län
T = 18 - Örebro län
U = 19 - Västmanlands län
W = 20 - Dalarnas (Kopparbergs) län
X = 21 - Gävleborgs län
Y = 22 - Västernorrlands län
Z = 23 - Jämtlands län
Once you have determined which parish you need, click on the link with that parish and code number. It will take you to the first page of records. A standard system is used for each type of record, generally listed alphabetically.
AI = husförhörslängder - Clerical Surveys, or House examination rolls
AII = Församlingsböcker - Parish books
BI = Inflyttningslängder - Moving-in records
BII = Utflyttningslängder - Moving-out records
C = Födelse- och dopböcker - Birth and baptismal records. These commonly also include marriage and death records, sometimes marriage records are separate.
DI = Konfirmationsböcker - Confirmation records
DII = Kommunionslängder - Communion rolls
E = Vigselböcker - Marriage records
F = Död- och begravningsböcker - Death and burial records
H = Bilagor och kungörelser som rör kyrkobokföring - Appendices and proclamations related to church accounts
K = Protokoll - Parish meeting minutes
L = Räkenskaper - Parish accounts
SCB = extracts from vital records, such as birth, marriage and death records from the Central Bureau of Statistics, each type listed under the correct heading, i.e. birth extracts follow after birth records.
These are only the church records that are available. Other records can also be borrowed/purchased but require a good knowledge of Swedish, such as court records, fire insurance records, specific profession records etc.
Once you get to the first page of records for the parish you chose, you can begin selecting and order the volumes you need. What is available is listed neatly in sequence and easy to find. If you need birth records covering 1822-53, you look for C Födelse- och dopböcker and locate the date range.
To put a volume in your shopping basket, click on the number link. If you want to look at your order before finalizing it, you can do that as well. These are the headings at the top of each parish page:
SVAR hemsida = SVAR home page
SVARs katalog = SVAR catalog
Sök i SVAR = Search SVAR
Slutet av sidan = End of page
Hjälp = Help
Ny kund = New customer (if you do not have a customer number already)
Se beställning = View your order
Till kassan = To cash
Once you have viewed your order and made sure everything is correct (delete whatever is not, double entries can happen easily and previously stored orders may appear, so pay attention), you decide whether you wish to borrow or purchase the records.
Current prices (Jan. 1999)
Purchase: 18-20 SEK/microfiche
Loan: 20 SEK/volume (each volume may contain any number of individual fiches, listed after the link number)
Minimum charge is 50 SEK per order. Purchases and loans are billed separately and cannot be mixed in the same order.
Notices of price increases will be sent to you by surface mail.
For purchase, click on "Köpa/Köp"
For loan, click on "Låna/lån".
This sends off your order. It will be returned to your e-mail address almost instantly. Review your order again and use the "Reply to" function to send it right back. Do not make any changes to this letter, omit your signature and any added information. The microfiches will arrive by mail in about a week to 10 days, occasionally longer, sometimes sooner.
There are various ways to pay. If you purchased the microfiches, an invoice will be included with the shipment. The due date is found after the word "Förfallodatum". If you borrowed them, you must return them within 37 days. You can extend the loan for another period, but the price will be doubled. Once SVAR receives your returned microfiches, an invoice will be sent to you. SVAR is fairly lenient and allows for 10 days past due date for the fiches to be returned. If they are not returned, you will be billed for as for a purchase.
Some payment information is provided by SVAR in their first letter. A cheap and simply way is to use an international payment service, such as Reusch International, phone 800-424-2923.
© Ingrid Clenman, January 1999