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Photo of the title page of The Law of Scania (Copenhagen, 1505). The title page bears a woodcut of a figure who wears a crown and holds a sword and orb, all symbols of kingship. The royal coat of arms of Denmark appears on his shield.
Title page of The Law of Scania (Copenhagen, 1505). The title page bears a woodcut of a figure who wears a crown and holds a sword and orb, all symbols of kingship. The royal coat of arms of Denmark appears on his shield. [Photo by Nathan Dorn]

New Acquisitions: Skånske lov, the Law of Scania (Copenhagen, 1505)

Posted by: Nathan Dorn

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As part of its comprehensive collection development objectives, the Law Library of Congress collects the laws of nations of the world, including historic works that document the earliest layers of those nations’ legal heritage. A recent acquisition for the Law Library’s Rare Book Collection captures one such moment in the history of the laws of Denmark.

Skånske lov is a compilation of the laws of Scania, a region that belonged to Denmark until 1658 but is today part of Sweden. The compilation is one of the first law books to be written and printed in Danish. It represents the laws of the region of Scania, one of three regions, along with Zealand and Jutland