”Allmänningen” – a central periphery? Common use of land in southwestern Scania during the time periods 1783–1827 and 1990–1920

Abstract

“Allmänning” – “commons” in English – is a medieval word that has currently seen a renaissance in terms of language usage, art, critical studies, and, to some extent, in urban planning. In the past, the Swedish commons have existed in different iterations on land that was used in common. There have been village commons, parish commons, district commons, country commons, crown commons, and royal commons. Commons could be located at the village centre, as a square between houses and farms, or they could be located on the periphery, as meadows or pastures. Regardless of scale and what the land was used for, the word “allmänning”, or commons, implies that a common, shared use existed. Unlike in the Middle Ages, today’s post-industrial urban-rural environments are thoroughly regulated, and all usage of all land is specified. Nevertheless, there are still public land and rights of way, which all involve notions of some form of shared use and access. Some of these places have been used in common for hundreds of years. These are frequently areas that have either been too wet, too dry, or too remote for cultivation, which has helped them retain their character. It may also be land of important cultural significance. Such land is particularly interesting to study, as this may offer a new approach to understanding what common land has meant historically and what it has come to mean today. In this article, we investigate three such sites in south-western Skåne: Kolböra mosse in Djurslöv, south-west of Staffanstorp; Spillepengen, north of Malmö; and Kungsmarken, east of Lund. Drawing on historical and contemporary maps, planning documents, and site observations, we investigate what has constituted a common in the past and what constitutes one now – how does a common come into being and how does it persist in the landscape? Our point of departure is use-right: which uses have been common; which kinds of land have been publicly accessible, and which rights of usage does the public have with regard to these lands?