What is the history of the Ombudsman concept?
It is generally agreed that the “classical” Ombudsman (see below) originated in Sweden in the 18th Century, though a similar kind of official post existed in Turkey at about the same time. Swedish King Charles XII, who is credited with creating the Swedish Ombudsman, spent several years in Turkey beginning in 1709. It has been speculated that he was influenced by the Turkish model. Finland created an Ombudsman in 1911, Denmark followed suit in 1953, and many countries and several North American states created Ombudsman offices in the 1960’s and 1970’s. All but one of the Canadian provinces and five states (Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Iowa, and Nebraska) now have Ombudsman offices, as do numerous counties and municipalities, and about 200 U.S. colleges and universities. Many corporations and professional organizations have Ombudsman offices as well.
