Resistance to commodification: farmland prices and rents in Sweden, 1274 - 1649

Long historical series of farmland prices and rents are rare, especially for the pre-industrial era. This article makes two contributions: (1) series of land prices and rents are presented for a peripheral economy of the time, East Sweden, in the period 1274 - 1649. Phases of decline and growth are compared to those of some other European regions; (2) the effects of certain anti-capitalist institutions on farmland prices are explored. An unanticipated trait of the Swedish series is that land prices declined during most of the sixteenth century, despite resurging population growth. Regulations aimed at counteracting the commodification of land were in effect during this period, exerting a downward pressure on prices.