2024-06-122023/24:KrU11 · p.1KrUCulture
Documentation of ecclesiastical cultural heritage
Documentation and digitalisation of church cultural heritage
What's at stake: Better documentation and accessible registers affect how well church properties and items can be preserved and protected, and how prepared authorities and the Church of Sweden are in a crisis. It concerns parishes, county administrative boards and heritage authorities responsible for oversight and protection.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether ongoing digitalisation of church cultural heritage is sufficient, or whether the state should ensure the skills, resources and a complete, accessible register of church items.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee welcomes that the Church of Sweden is continuously working to strengthen and quality-assure the inventory of church properties and items, partly through digital technology, improving the overview of the church cultural heritage. It considers digital channels a good complement to physical access, and rejects the motions citing this ongoing work.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 2 (V, C, MP)
The Left Party, the Centre Party and the Green Party argue that digitalisation should be better used: the Church of Sweden, the National Heritage Board and the county administrative boards need the skills and resources for digital documentation, and a complete, accessible register of church items should exist — not least for civil-preparedness reasons.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 2 by V, C, MP.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | No 0/19/0/5 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| S | No | Yes 90/1/0/15 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| MP | No | No 0/15/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| C | No | No 0/20/1/3 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 12/0/0/4 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| KD | No | Yes 16/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| M | No | Yes 58/0/0/10 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | No | Abstain 0/0/63/9 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
Broke with the party line
| SÅsa Eriksson (S, Västmanlands län) | No — party line: Yes |
| CElisabeth Thand Ringqvist (C, Stockholms kommun) | Abstain — party line: No |
MPs whose vote differs from their party's majority position in this division. Marked with a dark ring in the chamber view.
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2023/24:351 by Runar Filper et al. (SD) point 11 and 2023/24:2887 by Catarina Deremar et al. (C) points 1-3.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2023/24:351 av Runar Filper m.fl. (SD) yrkande 11 och 2023/24:2887 av Catarina Deremar m.fl. (C) yrkandena 1-3.
Riksdag decision: In a letter on the cultural-historical values within the Swedish Church, the government reports, among other things, on how the ecclesiastical-antiquarian compensation was used during the period 2002–2022. The government describes, for example, accessibility to ecclesiastical cultural monuments, knowledge and competence issues, and cooperation between the Swedish Church and various authorities. The Riksdag placed the letter on file, that is, closed the matter. The Riksdag also rejected a number of motion proposals in the same area with reference to ongoing work.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to improve digital documentation of church cultural heritage and strengthen county administrative boards' oversight of its care and maintenance. (V, C, MP) — Reservation 2
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan wants to build digital commons with free access to humanity's collective knowledge and culture, and lifts the cultural heritage law's protection of cultural legacy as a prerequisite for good lives.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to build digital commons with free access to humanity's collective knowledge and culture, and lifts the cultural heritage law's protection of cultural legacy as a prerequisite for good lives. The counter-proposal's demands for expertise and resources for digital documentation and a complete, accessible inventory of ecclesiastical valuables follow that line. The plan also wants cultural policy to provide good economic conditions to institutions, which argues against existing work being sufficient.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill bygga upp digitala allmänningar med fri tillgång till mänsklighetens samlade kunskap och kultur, och lyfter kulturmiljölagens skydd av kulturarvet som en förutsättning för goda liv. Motförslagets krav på kompetens och resurser för digital dokumentation samt en komplett, tillgänglig förteckning över kyrkliga inventarier följer den linjen. Planen vill också att kulturpolitiken ger goda ekonomiska villkor till institutionerna, vilket talar emot att befintligt arbete räcker.
- digital commons, free accessdecisive»Vi vill bygga upp digitala allmänningar med fri tillgång« (party programme ↗)“We want to build digital commons with free access”
- protection of cultural heritage»som skyddar vårt kulturarv, är viktiga för att alla människor ska kunna« (party programme ↗)“that protect our cultural heritage, are important for all people to be able to”
- resources for cultural institutions»Kulturpolitiken behöver skapa goda ekonomiska villkor för såväl« (party programme ↗)“Cultural policy needs to create good economic conditions for both”
The plan does not address documentation of ecclesiastical cultural heritage, but it establishes that culture shall be accessible to all throughout the country and that digital technology opens new paths between art and the public.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan does not address documentation of ecclesiastical cultural heritage, but it establishes that culture shall be accessible to all throughout the country and that digital technology opens new paths between art and the public. The counter-proposal's requirement for expertise and resources for digital documentation and a complete inventory is in line with this. That the proposal is also motivated by civil defence grounds meets the plan's commitment to strengthen civil defence. The conclusion is derived from general principles.
Original (Swedish)
Planen behandlar inte det kyrkliga kulturarvets dokumentation, men den slår fast att kulturen ska vara tillgänglig för alla i hela landet och att den digitala tekniken öppnar nya vägar mellan konsten och publiken. Motförslagets krav på kompetens och resurser för digital dokumentation och en komplett förteckning ligger i linje med detta. Att förslaget också motiveras av beredskapsskäl möter planens åtagande att rusta upp det civila försvaret. Slutsatsen är härledd ur allmänna principer.
- living cultural lifedecisive»Sverige ska ha ett levande, fritt och obundet kulturliv som både stärker samhörigheten och utmanar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall have a living, free and independent cultural life that both strengthens community and challenges.”
- digital access to culture»Den digitala kommunikationstekniken skapar nya förutsättningar för mötet mellan konsten« (party programme ↗)“Digital communication technology creates new conditions for meeting between art”
- strengthened civil preparedness»Rusta upp det civila försvaret.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen civil defence.”
- cultural institutions throughout the country»Institutioner för det professionella kulturlivet ska därför finnas över hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“Institutions for professional cultural life shall therefore exist throughout the country.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The party programme establishes that cultural heritage is common and that culturally historically valuable buildings and environments shall be preserved and maintained for the future, and that digital technology shall be used in the best way to spread culture and that institutions shall make their activities accessible throughout the country.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme establishes that cultural heritage is common and that culturally historically valuable buildings and environments shall be preserved and maintained for the future, and that digital technology shall be used in the best way to spread culture and that institutions shall make their activities accessible throughout the country. The counter-proposal's requirements for expertise, resources and a complete accessible register follow from these commitments.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att kulturarvet är gemensamt och att kulturhistoriskt värdefulla byggnader och miljöer ska bevaras och vårdas för framtiden, samt att digital teknik ska användas på bästa sätt för att sprida kultur och att institutionerna ska tillgängliggöra sin verksamhet i hela landet. Motförslagets krav på kompetens, resurser och en komplett tillgänglig förteckning följer av dessa åtaganden.
- preserve cultural heritagedecisive»Kulturarvet är vårt gemensamma arv. Kulturhistorisk värdefulla byggnader, minnesmärken och andra miljöer, såväl i städerna som på landsbygden, bör bevaras och vårdas för framtiden.« (party programme ↗)“Cultural heritage is our shared heritage. Culturally historically valuable buildings, monuments and other environments, both in cities and in the countryside, should be preserved and maintained for the future.”
- digital technology for culture»Digital teknik ska användas på bästa sätt för att sprida kultur.« (party programme ↗)“Digital technology should be used in the best way to spread culture.”
- accessibility throughout the country»De statliga kulturinstitutionerna ska ha ett tydligt uppdrag att tillgängliggöra sin verksamhet i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“State cultural institutions should have a clear mandate to make their activities accessible throughout the country.”
- enhanced crisis preparedness»satsa en större andel av försvarets pengar på det civila försvaret, och öka anslagen till krisberedskap.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“invest a larger share of the defence budget in civil defence, and increase budgets for crisis preparedness.”
The plan does not address inventorying of church movable property, but the manifesto makes culture throughout the country an important starting point and the party programme wants that cultural heritage be cared for and spread throughout the country.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan does not address inventorying of church movable property, but the manifesto makes culture throughout the country an important starting point and the party programme wants that cultural heritage be cared for and spread throughout the country. The preparedness argument moreover connects to the promise to equip civil defence and society's preparedness. Better digital documentation of the cultural heritage therefore follows from nearest lying principles.
Original (Swedish)
Planen behandlar inte inventering av kyrkliga inventarier, men manifestet gör kultur i hela landet till en viktig utgångspunkt och partiprogrammet vill att kulturarvet vårdas och sprids i hela landet. Beredskapsargumentet knyter dessutom an till löftet att rusta civilförsvaret och samhällets beredskap. Bättre digital dokumentation av kulturarvet följer därför av närmast liggande principer.
- culture throughout the countrydecisive»Att tillhandahålla kultur i hela landet är en viktig utgångspunkt för Centerpartiet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Providing culture throughout the country is an important starting point for the Center Party.”
- spread cultural responsibility»Statliga kulturinstitutioner ska sprida sin verksamhet i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“State cultural institutions shall spread their activities throughout the country.”
- strengthened civil preparedness»Vi måste rusta civilförsvaret och samhällets beredskap inför krig och kris.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We must equip civil defence and society's preparedness for war and crisis.”
The plan establishes that cultural heritage in Sweden shall be kept accessible for future generations and that new technology increases accessibility to culture.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that cultural heritage in Sweden shall be kept accessible for future generations and that new technology increases accessibility to culture. The party programme also makes digital accessibility a central principle: all public that at reasonable cost can be made digitally accessible shall also be made digitally accessible. The counter-proposal's requirement for digital documentation and a complete, accessible inventory of church furnishings follows from these commitments, although the church cultural heritage is not mentioned in particular.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att kulturarvet i Sverige ska hållas tillgängligt för kommande generationer och att ny teknik ökar tillgängligheten till kultur. Partiprogrammet gör dessutom digital tillgänglighet till en central princip: allt offentligt som till rimlig kostnad kan göras digitalt tillgängligt ska också göras det. Motförslagets krav på digital dokumentation och en komplett, tillgänglig förteckning över kyrkliga inventarier följer av dessa åtaganden, även om det kyrkliga kulturarvet inte nämns särskilt.
- cultural heritage shall be kept accessibledecisive»kulturarv som finns i Sverige är en del av mänsklighetens gemensamma kulturarv och ska hållas« (party programme ↗)“cultural heritage that exists in Sweden is part of humanity's shared cultural heritage and shall be kept”
- digital accessibility as principle»som till en rimlig kostnad kan göras digitalt tillgängliga också ska göras digitalt tillgängliga.« (party programme ↗)“as at reasonable cost can be made digitally accessible also shall be made digitally accessible.”
- technology increases culture access»Den nya tekniken ökar tillgängligheten till kultur.« (party programme ↗)“New technology increases accessibility to culture.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan makes stewardship of the cultural heritage a cultural policy task and explicitly includes cultural-historical buildings and objects in the material heritage, with public institutions as an important actor.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan makes stewardship of the cultural heritage a cultural policy task and explicitly includes cultural-historical buildings and objects in the material heritage, with public institutions as an important actor. A complete and accessible documentation of church furnishings is a means for precisely this stewardship. Therefore, the plan supports the requirement for digital documentation and resources.
Original (Swedish)
Planen gör förvaltarskapet av kulturarvet till en kulturpolitisk uppgift och räknar uttryckligen in kulturhistorisk bebyggelse och föremål i det materiella arvet, med offentliga institutioner som en viktig aktör. En komplett och tillgänglig dokumentation av kyrkliga inventarier är ett medel för just detta förvaltarskap. Därför stöder planen kravet på digital dokumentation och resurser.
- steward the cultural heritagedecisive»En god kulturpolitik måste sträva efter att ta tillvara det värdefulla kulturella arv« (party programme ↗)“A good cultural policy must strive to take advantage of the valuable cultural heritage”
- material cultural heritage is included»vi ser i form av till exempel kulturhistorisk bebyggelse, fornlämningar och föremål« (party programme ↗)“we see in the form of for example cultural-historical buildings, ancient monuments and objects”
- responsibility of public institutions»offentliga institutioner som till exempel museer en viktig roll« (party programme ↗)“public institutions such as museums an important role”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan does not address documentation of church inventories.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan does not address documentation of church inventories. The closest commitments are that Sweden is shaped by a Christian cultural heritage, that the security of faith communities shall be valued and that civil defense needs long-term planning. The counter-proposal's demands for digital documentation and a complete inventory, partly for readiness reasons, align with these principles.
Original (Swedish)
Planen behandlar inte dokumentation av kyrkliga inventarier. Närmast liggande åtaganden är att Sverige är format av ett kristet kulturarv, att trossamfundens säkerhet ska värnas och att det civila försvaret behöver långsiktig planering. Motförslagets krav på digital dokumentation och en komplett förteckning, delvis av beredskapsskäl, ligger i linje med dessa principer.
- Christian cultural heritagedecisive»Sverige är format av ett kristet socialt och kulturellt arv som« (party programme ↗)“Sweden is shaped by a Christian social and cultural heritage that”
- security of faith communities»Slå vakt om trossamfundens säkerhet för alla ska kunna utöva sin tro utan att känna sig hotade« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Guard the security of faith communities so that everyone can practice their faith without feeling threatened”
- civil preparedness planning»Säkra en långsiktig planering för det civila försvaret« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Ensure long-term planning for civil defense”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan wants to preserve, care for and showcase Swedish culture and attaches intrinsic value to cultural heritage that the state should support.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to preserve, care for and showcase Swedish culture and attaches intrinsic value to cultural heritage that the state should support. A complete and accessible digital inventory of church movables, with expertise and resources at the church and public authorities, is a direct means for that. The plan's requirement to analyze and plan for various types of major crises also supports the preparedness argument.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill värna, vårda och visa svensk kultur och tillmäter kulturarvet ett egenvärde som staten ska stödja. En komplett och tillgänglig digital förteckning över kyrkliga inventarier, med kompetens och resurser hos kyrkan och myndigheterna, är ett direkt medel för det. Planens krav på att analysera och planera för olika typer av stora kriser stöder också beredskapsargumentet.
- care for Swedish culturedecisive»Sverigedemokraterna vill värna, vårda och visa svensk kultur.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Swedish Democrats want to preserve, care for and showcase Swedish culture.”
- cultural heritage's intrinsic value»Kulturarvet har ett egenvärde genom bland annat de skönhetsvärden och den estetik« (party programme ↗)“Cultural heritage has intrinsic value through, among other things, its aesthetic values and aesthetics”
- increased support for cultural heritage»levandegörandet av det svenska kulturarvet öka.« (party programme ↗)“the bringing to life of Swedish cultural heritage increase.”
- planning for crises»Analysera och planera för olika typer av stora kriser« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Analyze and plan for various types of major crises”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
Share and embed
Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2023/24:KrU11)
- Committee report full text (HB01KrU11)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2023/24:1487 — Kyrkoantikvarisk ersättning av Mirja Räihä m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1892 — Sveriges kristna kulturarv av Julia Kronlid och Aron Emilsson (båda SD)
- Motion 2023/24:2686 — Utgiftsområde 17 Kultur, medier, trossamfund och fritid av Lawen Redar m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:2882 — med anledning av skr. 2023/24:109 De kulturhistoriska värdena inom Svenska kyrkan - om förvaltningen av det kyrkliga kulturarvet av Runar Filper m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:2887 — med anledning av skr. 2023/24:109 De kulturhistoriska värdena inom Svenska kyrkan - om förvaltningen av det kyrkliga kulturarvet av Catarina Deremar m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2023/24:351 — Kulturarvspolitik av Runar Filper m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:357 — Trossamfundsfrågor av Alexander Christiansson m.fl. (SD)
- Regeringens skrivelse 2023/24:109 — De kulturhistoriska värdena inom Svenska kyrkan - om förvaltningen av det kyrkliga kulturarvet
Source: The Swedish Parliament