Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (SBL) Dictionary of Swedish National Biography Riksarkivet

Overview

Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (SBL), or the Dictionary of Swedish National Biography in English, is a major biographical reference work and online archive administered by the National Archives of Sweden (Riksarkivet). It is one of the largest reference works in the Nordic countries.

History and Founding

Work on the SBL began in 1917, and the first printed volume—covering names from Abelin to Anjou—was published in 1918. Since the early 1960s, the project has been carried out under government auspices. As of 2024, 34 volumes have been published, each comprising approximately 800 pages. The work has progressed alphabetically and currently covers names up to the letter S, with new articles added as they are completed. Government funding finances its ongoing publication.

Collections and Holdings

The SBL contains more than 9,000 family and individual biographies spanning approximately 27,200 pages. It covers persons who have been active in Sweden or have worked on Sweden's behalf abroad, focusing primarily on deceased individuals. The work draws on first-hand archival sources and covers figures from all areas of Swedish society—from monarchs and statesmen to scholars, artists, clergy, and military leaders—across a period stretching from the early medieval era to the recent past. Entries for living persons appeared in the earliest volumes (through volume 11) but are no longer included.

Online Access

The SBL is freely accessible as a searchable online database through the Riksarkivet website. Downloadable data files (CSV and Excel) are available under a CC0 licence. The biographical narrative texts of articles are available in the web version and printed volumes; the downloadable dataset omits biographical texts due to copyright considerations.