summary. the open window been made economically movable, what Howell calls partly partible, will be described. When the wife made use of the capitalized value of immovable property, she did so to secure loans and to donate gifts to religious institutions or guilds to obtain increased spiritual care (själavård). It was earlier mentioned that in Stockholm it was not customary to donate immovable property in the form of a will to religious institutions. Since the 15th century, the city council of Stockholm attempted to limit the possibilities for the church to purchase property located in Stadsholmen, and it later prohibited burghers from donating immovable property to the church. In the earliest period under review, this endeavor seems to have succeeded. Such measures significantly improved the opportunities for burghers to acquire property in the city. The alternative that remained was, so to speak, to donate the movable portion of immovable property. This meant that the donor was able to donate the income from the rental of the donor’s dwelling, shop, basement or attic to the receiving institution. Both women and men made donations during the major part of their productive lives, but also when they became old. The younger the donor, the greater the donation was. Thus, the receiving institution had enhanced prospects of receiving regular income for many years. In Stockholm, when the donor died, the receiving religious house or guild could count on another year’s income. Thereafter, however, the religious house or guild must offer the donor’s relatives, or his or her surviving spouse, the opportunity to redeem the property for the sum that had been added annually to the religious house or guild. The heirs, or spouse, faced the choice of either redeeming the property or allowing the institution to continue to collect interest income. Redemption of property was the most common choice. The reason why heirs redeemed the property can be explained by the housing shortage that prevailed in Stockholm since commercial privileges were only granted to burghers who lived in Stadsholmen. In cases where the deceased lacked heirs or whose spouse was no longer alive, the mayor and the city council saw to it that religious houses were not allowed to retain the donated property. The property must be 293
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