Sätila

History

Sätila parish is as much of a character in the story of Magda's family as are the people themselves. I mentioned in my previous post that no genealogical records for Sätila exist prior to 1681, but there are ancient remains in and around Sätila which indicate it was populated long before that. One such artifact is a stone marker which is believed to have given Sätila its name. The landmark or border stone located on the beach road near Lake Lygnern was inscribed multiple times as the name of the area evolved. In 1313 was inscribed the name "Sæ Teldhrom," in 1393 "Sæ theldra," in 1412 "Sætelra," in 1419 "Sæteldra," from 1540-1572 "Sättilla," and sometime later was inscribed the name "Sätila." "Sæteldhra" has been interpreted to mean "landmark by the lake."

Sätilastenen

Scholars believe that Sätila and its surrounding area was among the first to be populated by immigrants following the last great Ice Age. The ancient population would have participated in sacrificial rituals and pagan practices as there is evidence of the worship of Nordic Gods such as Håfvet and Hadh. The ancient inhabitants included hunters and fishers, but Sätila, it seems, has always been a farming community first and foremost. Additionally, throughout recent centuries, weaving and textiles in Sätila and surrounding areas took hold among village craftsmen and eventually grew into a profitable, wide-scale industry.

In 1571 it was documented that there were 111 taxed households in Sätila. Their cumulative assets included 369 pieces of silver, 205 lbs. of copper, tin, and brass, 124 horses, 65 oxen, 576 cows, 393 1-2 yrs-old bovine animals, 257 3-4 yrs-old bovine animals, 454 sheep, 298 goats, and 466 swine.

In 1855, almost 300 years later, the population was 2,615, which had increased by only 142 people during the previous 10 years, and who lived in 399 households: 404 married couples, 566 widowed men and women, 376 male and 410 female unmarried people over 15 yrs. old, 448 young boys, and 407 young girls. Among the working inhabitants of Sätila in 1855 there were 2 priests, a clockmaker, an organist, 2 millers, a paper maker, 71 landowners, 4 parish craftsmen, and 324 farmers. Single farmhands and service workers over 15 yrs of age totaled 324 men and 364 women. It was observed that "the mood of the people is good and fair and they have not been infected by the desire for abundance and ease that has occurred in other places. The community is spared of serious crimes due to the unity of the commonwealth and the strong enforcement of the laws."

By 1890 the population had risen by just 403 people. Available land was scarce and many of those in the up and coming generation simply did not have access to sufficient resources to provide for a family. Consequently, many relocated to the cities as industrialization drew in a much needed work force. Widespread emigration to America throughout the latter half of the 19th century also reduced the population. As of 2010, the population of the village of Sätila was just 1,059 people.

Geography

Currently, Sweden is divided into 21 counties or län; however, the total number of established counties and their territorial boundaries have varied throughout Sweden's history. From 1694 through the end of 1997 Sätila was located in Älvsborg län.

Älvsborg län, 1694-1997

On 31 December 1997, Älvsborg län was merged with the counties of Göteborg, Bohus, and Skaraborg to form Västra Götaland län.

Västra Götaland län

Each län is made up of a number of municipalities or kommuner. Currently there are 290 kommuner in Sweden, 49 of which are located in Västra Götaland. Sätila is in Mark kommun which is located in the southwest portion of Västra Götaland.

Mark kommun

Mark was the name of an old district that existed in western Sweden as early as the 14th century. Mark kommun as it looks today was formed during a municipal reform in 1971. The word "Mark" originates from the Middle Ages and means "borderland," as it once lay on the border between Sweden and land owned by Denmark.

Mark's municipal coat of arms was based on the district's old seal from the 17th century. The three distinct images had no pre-determined symbolism, but meaning has since been assigned to each of its elements. The wheat (left) symbolizes the agricultural industry and the rich, fertile farmland of the Viskan, Häggån, Surtan, and Storän valleys found within the kommun. The cannonballs (down the center) are reminiscent of the volatile and troubled times that existed when Mark shared a border with Denmark. And the shuttle (right) is a symbol of the textile industry that has made Mark famous nationwide and throughout many parts of Europe.

Mark kommun Coat of Arms

Each kommun consisted of several parishes or socken. And here's where it gets a little more complicated. Following the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, the Lutheran church of Sweden became the country's governing body - there was no separation of church and state. Local parish priests were not only responsible for their traditional religious duties, they managed all of the civic affairs of the community as well. They kept the civic registry, collected taxes, and enforced the laws. In addition, they were responsible for local schools and education. So the local parish was an all-encompassing authority in the lives of its inhabitants. An extensive series of government and religious reform occurred throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, and once the governance of a parish was no longer tied to the church, it became known as a församling. In 2016, parishes were dissolved and municipalities were divided into districts rather than parishes.

24 parishes initially made up Mark kommun. 24 parishes became 23, which became 18 parishes by 1985, 11 parishes by 2016, and Mark is now divided into 17 districts. But as you can see from the maps below, Sätila parish/socken/församling/district itself has remained geographically unchanged for quite some time.

Mark kommun Parishes

Mark kommun Districts

Sätila is about 36 miles southeast of Göteborg and is the largest district in Mark municipality, covering about 56 sq miles. The village of Sätila sits at one end of picturesque Lake Lygnern which, it's believed, was formed at the end of the Ice Age about 10,000 years ago. Lygnern stretches 12 miles to the southwest and is only 1.6 miles across at its widest point. It stops less than 4 miles from the Kungsbacka Fjord (Kunsbackafjorden) which opens up to the Kattegat Sea.

Keep in mind that the village of Sätila is only one of many small villages within the Sätila Parish. It is centrally located in the parish and houses the parish church and the majority of the commerce. The parish villages of the past were mostly farming communities, many consisting of several individual farms. Magda's family lived in various farms and villages throughout the parish. According to a local historian, Sätila's landscape remained relatively unchanged from the Middle Ages through the early 20th century.