Officers of Arms
In the Middle Ages, heraldic arms in Sweden were granted by the Royal Council (kungliga kansliet), but this role was turned over to the College of Antiquities (antikvitetskollegiet) in 1660. Prior to 1953, the office of the National Herald (Riksheraldiker) was responsible for preparing municipal arms and the royal arms of Sweden, but today these duties are carried out by the Heraldry Board of the National Archives, including the State Herald (Statsheraldiker). In order to register new municipal arms, a municipality must submit its proposal to both the National Archives Heraldry Board, which consults and renders an opinion, and to the PRV for registration. Once the board has completed its consultation process and provided a warrant of arms, the arms thus warranted may then be registered by the PRV and implemented by the municipality. Apart from municipal arms, heraldic arms registered by counties and by military and other government bodies are also handled by the National Archives Heraldry Board and the PRV.
The National Archives Heraldry Board, established under Swedish statute 2007:1179, is the highest heraldic body in Sweden. The board is chaired by the National Archivist and includes three other officials, three deputies, the State Herald (who acts as secretary), the National Archives jurist and the National Archives heraldic artist. This board convenes as needed, which in recent years has been once or twice a year.
The first National Herald was Conrad Ludvig Transkiöld (died 1766), who served as Riksheraldiker 1734-1765. Subsequent National Heralds included Daniel Tilas (1768-1772), Anders Schönberg (1773-1809), Jonas Carl Linnerhielm (1809-1829), Niklas Joakim af Wetterstedt (1829-1855), August Wilhelm Stiernstedt (1855-1880), Carl Arvid Klingspor (1880-1903), Adam Lewenhaupt (1903-1931) and Harald Fleetwood (1931-1953), and State Heralds (since the 1953 reform) have included Carl Gunnar Ulrik Scheffer (1953-1974), Lars-Olof Skoglund (1975), Jan von Konow (1975-1981), Bo Elthammar (1981-1983), and Clara Nevéus (1983-1999). Since 1999, the State Herald of Sweden has been Henrik Klackenberg.
The Swedish Collegium of Arms, operating under the Swedish Heraldry Society, is responsible for reviewing and registering burgher arms. The Swedish Heraldry Society is a non-profit association founded in 1976, and is not affiliated with the National Archives or their Heraldry Board, which registers arms of municipalities and other public entities.
Read more about this topic: Swedish Heraldry
Famous quotes containing the words officers and/or arms:
“No officer should be required or permitted to take part in the management of political organizations, caucuses, conventions, or election campaigns. Their right to vote and to express their views on public questions, either orally or through the press, is not denied, provided it does not interfere with the discharge of their official duties. No assessment for political purposes on officers or subordinates should be allowed.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)
“Strange that so few ever come to the woods to see how the pine lives and grows and spires, lifting its evergreen arms to the light,—to see its perfect success; but most are content to behold it in the shape of many broad boards brought to market, and deem that its true success! But the pine is no more lumber than man is, and to be made into boards and houses is no more its true and highest use than the truest use of a man is to be cut down and made into manure.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)