A slottslän (Finnish: linnalääni) was a type of secular[1] administrative division throughout the Kingdom of Sweden from late 13th century to 1634. The administrative center was a castle. Slottslän were divided into municipalities and administrators. The term slottslän can be translated as "castle fief". Although the word "län" literally means fief, in Sweden it is translated as "county" and in Finland as "province".
There existed multiple different types of slottslän, there existed pantlän, which could be assigned to a lord as compensation for a loan to the crown, until a repayment was done. There also existed kronolän, which were managed by an advocatus, if the advocatus was a military commander, would be referred to as a "hövitsman", which was a capitaneus, they were ordered to deliver and report surplus profit to the crown, however sometimes a fixed sum was to be delivered annually, where the advocatus got to retain some profit. There also existed län which were granted to noblemen for their services to the King.[2]
Slottsläns were established by Birger Jarl to replace the lething system in the latter-half of the 13th century.[3] Slottsläns were disbanded in 1634 following Axel Oxenstierna's land reform and replaced with provinces.[4]
| slottslän | administrative centre | modern region(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Axevalla län | Västra Götaland | ||
| Dalaborgs län | Västra Götaland | ||
| Ekholms län | Västra Götaland | ||
| Gullbergs län | Västra Götaland | ||
| Hofs län | Östergötland | ||
| Lindholmens län | Västra Götaland | ||
| Lödöse län | Västra Götaland | ||
| Olsborgs län | Västra Götaland | ||
| Openstens län | Västra Götaland | ||
| Orreholmens län | Västra Götaland | ||
| Ringstaholms län | Östergötland | ||
| Stegeborgs län | Östergötland | ||
| Stynaborgs län | Västra Götaland | ||
| Telgehus län | Södermanland | ||
| Vadstena län | Stockholm, Östergötland | ||
| Älvsborgs län | Västra Götaland |
| slottslän | administrative centre | est. | disest. | modern region(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porvoon linnalääni Borgå län | 1523 | 1619 | Uusimaa, eastern half without northern part of Hyvinkää from Kymenlaakso: southwestern part of Kouvola | ||
| Kastelholman linnalääni Kastelholms län | 1388 | 1634 | Åland | ||
| Korsholman linnalääni Korsholms län | 1384 | 1634 | Central Ostrobothnia Kainuu Northern Ostrobothnia Coastal Ostrobothnia without Kaskinen, Korsnäs, Kristinestad and Närpes Southern Ostrobothnia without Isojoki, Karijoki, Soini and Ähtäri Lapland, southernmost part | ||
| Kokemäenkartanon linnalääni Kumogårds län | 1331 | 1634 | Satakunta without Eura, Rauma and southern part of Eurajoki Pirkanmaa without Akaa, Pälkäne, Urjala and Valkeakoski from Coastal Ostrobothnia: Kaskinen, Korsnäs, Kristinestad and Närpes from Southern Ostrobothnia: Isojoki, Karijoki, Soini and Ähtäri from Finland Proper: Loimaa, Oripää and northern part of Pöytyä from Central Finland: Keuruu and Multia | ||
| Savonlinnan linnalääni Nyslotts län | 1475 | 1634 | Southern Savonia without Pertunmaa and southern part of Mäntyharju Northern Savonia without Kaavi, Keitele, Rautalampi, Rautavaara, Vesanto and easternmost part of Kuopio | ||
| Raaseporin linnalääni Raseborgs län | 1634 | Uusimaa, western half without Karkkila and Vihti | |||
| Hämeenlinnan linnalääni Tavastehus län | 1634 | Tavastia Proper Päijänne Tavastia Central Finland without Keuruu and Multia from Northern Savonia: Keitele, Rautalampi and Vesanto from Uusimaa: Karkkila, Vihti and northern part of Hyvinkää from Southern Savonia: Pertunmaa and southwestern part of Mäntyharju from Finland Proper: Loimaa from Kymenlaakso: northwestern part of Kouvola | |||
| Viipurin linnalääni Viborgs län | 1293 | 1634 | South Karelia without Parikkala Kymenlaakso without western half of Kouvola from Southern Savonia: southern parts of Mikkeli and Mäntyharju from Leningrad Region, Russia: Vyborg District from Saint Petersburg, Russia: almost the whole Kurortny District | ||
| Turun linnalääni Åbo län | 1634 | Finland Proper without Loimaa, Oripää, Somero and northern part of Pöytyä from Satakunta: Eura, Rauma and southern part of Eurajoki |