Heirs

GeneaLogies of Old Wealth (GLOW)

Funded by the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet)
Project period: 2025–2028

Genealogies of Old Wealth (GLOW) explores how Sweden’s wealthiest families managed and transmitted their fortunes between 1850 and 1950 – a period of rapid industrialisation and growing inequality. Using a pioneering genealogical approach, the project traces wealth through family trees, combining tax records, probate inventories, and wills to reveal how inheritance shaped economic inequality. By linking individuals, families, and society, GLOW uncovers the strategies behind long-term wealth preservation and offers new insights into how inherited fortunes influenced modern society.

The project is led by Martin Dackling (Lund University) and Matteo Pompermaier (University of Brescia). Emma Börjesson (Lund University) works on the project as a student assistant. During 2026, Josefin Hägglund and Ebba Strutzenbladh (Lund University) have worked as project assistants. In late 2026, a researcher will join the project team.

*Genealogical chart of the exceptionally wealthy Dickson family.*

Knut and Alice Wallenberg, among Sweden’s wealthiest individuals in the early twentieth century. Their wealth was ultimately transformed into one of Sweden’s most significant sources of research funding.

*Excerpt from the probate inventory of Maria Ekman (born Lavonius), one of Sweden’s wealthiest individuals when she died in 1915. Remarkably, almost her entire fortune was held in stocks.*

Publications from the project so far:

Dackling & Pompermaier, ”Mapping Family, Wealth, and Inheritance: A Genealogical Approach”, Journal of Interdisciplinary History 56:4 (2026)

Dackling & Pompermaier, ”Inheritance and wealth accumulation among Sweden’s business elite. The case of the Ekman family (1800–1950)”, The History of the Family (published online ahead of print)