Parish (Denmark)

In Denmark, a parish (sogn; plural: sogne) is a local ecclesiastical unit in the Church of Denmark. Each sogn is assigned to a physical church, and the church's administration (sognekontor) handles the area's civic registration of births, marriages and deaths. Each Danish municipality is composed of one or more sogne.

From the middle of the 19th century until an administrative reform in 1970, parishes not located in købstæder (market towns) also operated as the lowest level of civil administration, either individually or in groups of two or three sogne. In the civil context, the sogn was headed by a sogneråd (parish council) and often described formally as a sognekommune. The chairman of a sogneråd held the title of sognerådsformand.

History

Danish parishes originated in the Middle Ages. Beginning in 1645, Danish pastors have been required to maintain a parish register, which in modern times has become a valuable tool for genealogical research.[1] Since 1812, each parish has been instructed to keep two separate copies of this record, one written by the priest and one by an assistent degn, each stored in a separate building to prevent the destruction of both in case of fire. In 2001, civil registrations were merged into a national computerized system (elektronisk kirkebog), now handled by around 500 parish priests.[2]

Until the municipal reform of 1970, rural sognekommuner functioned as the lowest unit of civil government with responsibility mostly concerning schools, roads, unemployment and care for the invalids and the elderly without family.

In 1870, there were 1097 rural sognekommuner. Pre- and post-1920 figures cannot be compared directly due to the 1920 reunification of South Jutland with Denmark.

In 1970, an administrative reform merged Denmark's market towns (købstæder) and more than 1300 sognekommuner to 277 municipalities.[3] Since 1970, municipalities normally comprise several parishes. The number of municipalities was further reduced by the 2007 municipal reform to 98.

The parish boundaries continue to play a significant role in terms of community cohesion - notably in rural areas - and are often a basis for school districts.

Civil administration

Example hierarchy of Beder parish in the Ning hundred of Aarhus County

Between 1662 and the Danish municipal reform of 1970, each parish was assigned to a hundred (herred) which in turn was part of a county (amt). In 1970, the herreder lost their administrative functions and the amter were dissolved in 2006.

Since 2007, each municipality comprises one or more sogne, and in turn belongs to a region.

Church of Denmark administration

Each parish (sogn) is assigned to a provsti in turn forming part of a stift (diocese). When multiple sogne are serviced collectively by one or more priests, they are referred to as a pastorat.

The civic registration of births, marriages and deaths is conducted by the Church of Denmark. Historically, a number of religious minorities have been awarded the same right concerning their own members, notable the Jewish and Calvinist communities in Denmark.

An exception to this rule is South Jutland where civil administration is conducted by the local municipality. This administrative divergence dates from the 1864-1920 period when the South Jutland region was part of Prussia.

References

  1. ↑ "Parish Registers". The State Archives. Retrieved 2014-04-07.
  2. ↑ [https://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/kirke-tro/kirkens-besparelser-p%C3%A5-elektronisk-kirkebog-kom-aldrig Kirkens besparelser på elektronisk kirkebog kom aldrig, Kristelig Dagblad, 22 April 2013
  3. ↑ "Kommunalreformen 1970" (in Danish). Dansk Center For Byhistorie. Retrieved 2014-04-07.
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