From governor to property manager

The people of Sweden own the state's properties together. They are a legacy from our forefathers, a cultural treasure that is is our duty to pass on to our children and grandchildren.

Continuing a long tradition

There is a long tradition of organised property management in Sweden. The role of National Property Board Sweden (SFV) hails back to an organisation founded in 1618. According to the organisation's charter, the governors of the nation's castles and palaces were responsible for the Crown's property. In 1697, Nicodemus Tessin the Younger was appointed First Surveyor of all royal palaces, houses, buildings and gardens.

In 1818, the First Surveyor's Office was assigned responsibility for the Crown's estates in Stockholm and all other residences and palaces in Sweden. A hundred years later the National Board of Public Buildings in Sweden took over the responsibilities of the First Surveyor's Office. Over the years it came to encompass more and more state-owned buildings with civilian uses. In 1993, the National Board of Public Buildings was split into two commercial companies, Vasakronan AB and Statliga Akademiska Hus AB - and the National Property Board, which became the new managing body of state property and kept under state ownership.

An honourable assignment

Our official remit comes from the people of Sweden, and is the very core of our operation. The reason for our existence. We have been asked by the Swedish people to manage and create part of our common cultural history. We are responsible for many of Sweden's most important buidlings with cultural and historical values. We have been entrusted to nurture, preserve and develop our national cultural heritage, while also writing a new chapter in the architectural history of the present and future.

SFV is a knowledge-based organisation and a public enterprise. This means that we shall offer the best expertise in every area. It is also our responsibility to find suitable tenants and adapt the premises accordingly, with great respect for the soul and history of each building. All our historical buildings must have a care and management programme.

We conduct our operation with a business-oriented, long-term approach. Our remit also includes increasing public accessibility in our cultural buildings and environments.