Swedish National Heritage Board

The Swedish National Heritage Board is the agency of the Swedish government that is responsible for heritage and historic environment issues. Its mission is to play a proactive, coordinating role in heritage promotion efforts and to ensure that the historic environment is preserved in the most effective possible manner.

The Swedish National Heritage Board, which serves as Sweden's central administrative agency in the area of heritage and the historic environment, is under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture. The Cabinet's objectives for the Board include encouraging: 1) preservation and protection of the historic environment; 2) respect for the heritages of different groups; 3) appreciation of, commitment to, and the assumption of responsibility for one's own heritage.

One of the Board's primary tasks is to empower heritage as a force in the evolution of a democratic, sustainable society. The Board works closely with national agencies and organisations, as well as county administrative boards, regional museums and other local groups. The joint effort gathers and disseminates information about heritage and the historic environment, develops new working methods, and identifies innovative ways of exploring the relationship between human beings, their surroundings and society at large.

Vital to the Board's work is elevating the status of heritage - along with protecting, documenting and preserving the historic environment - on the road to a sustainable society. As the national coordinating agency, the Board has overall responsibility for promoting the objectives of Sweden's heritage policy. Among the Board's activities are various initiatives to protect the historic environment. That includes the accumulation and dissemination of information, preservation, conservation, interagency coordination and archaeological ventures.