tredelningen

Tredelningen refers to a historical process that took place in Sweden, primarily affecting the country's social and economic structure. The term 'tredelningen' is often used to describe the division of Swedish society into three main segments, which emerged during the 18th and 19th centuries.

The first segment consisted of the privileged class, comprising high-ranking officials, nobility, and clergy. This group held significant power and influence, enjoying various privileges and exemptions. The second segment was the 'bönder' or peasant class, which made up the majority of the population. They worked as farmers or artisans, and their lives were largely regulated by their social status. The third segment consisted of the laborers or 'drängar', often men who worked as agricultural laborers or in other manual occupations.

Tredelningen had far-reaching consequences for Swedish society. The rigid social hierarchy created significant social inequality and restricted social mobility. The system further reinforced the notion of 'jordbruk' or agriculture as the primary economic activity. Additionally, it limited the development of industrialization and urbanization. Swedish reform movements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries aimed to challenge and dismantle the tredelningen system, ultimately paving the way for more equitable social and economic conditions.

Key figures in the process of reform included social and liberal thinkers, such as writers and politicians, who contributed to the critique and transfiguration of Sweden's social pattern.