The literature collection, which from 1902 formally belonged to the so-called Lagberedningen (Law Commission), thus constitutes, with its approximately 6 700 books and other texts, a completely unique source of how Swedish legislation has developed over two centuries of political shifts and changing social climates.
This legal historical treasure was eventually donated to the Faculty of Law at Lund University, which now wants to start the urgent work of making the material available through cataloguing and some digitalization. Not only legal research will benefit from studying the collection - the project also benefits other faculties and universities in Lund, Sweden and the rest of Europe.
The cost of the project is SEK 2 091 054. The Birgit and Sven Håkan Ohlsson Foundation has now decided to support the project with SEK 697 018 for its first year of operation. The responsible applicant at the Faculty of Law is Martin Sunnqvist, Professor of Legal History, in close collaboration with Catarina Carlsson, Head of the Faculty of Law Library.
- The collection has been in the basement of the Faculty of Law since the 1990s, but only a fraction has been catalogued. Finally, this interesting and, from a legal historical perspective, important book collection can be made available as a source for research, says Martin Sunnqvist.