This is a case study of administration and power relations in early modern Europe. The case is lceland, a province in the Danish absolutist monarchy. Here, the administration was the only means of communication between the central authorities and the local society. Who made the decisions? How much was decided by the officials?
The administration is surveyed with the use of both normative sources and studies of its everyday functions. The characteristics and the recruitement of the officials are investigated. Decision-making is studied in a few key issues, where conflicts between different groups make it possible to determine the nature of the power relations.