page_title: Historical murders and executions in Stockholm
section_title: Political murders
hierarchical_section_title: Historical murders and executions in Stockholm / The Middle Ages / Political murders
context_page_description: Murders and executions in Stockholm, Sweden have been documented since the 1280s, when King Magnus Ladulås ordered the execution of three magnates of the Privy Council, who had been accused of several "traitorous acts against the throne". The city's murders between the middle of the 15th century and the middle of the 17th century have been documented fairly well in the logs of the Stockholm City Court. Violence with a deadly outcome was most common during the Middle Ages, a trend which had more than halved by the beginning of the 1700s. The most common cases of manslaughter and murder usually involved fights between men where alcohol was involved.
  During the reign of Gustav III, the use of capital punishment decreased and was abolished for certain crimes. The last hanging took place in 1818 at Hammarbyhöjden, and the last public execution occurred in 1862. The last execution in Sweden and Stockholm took place on 23 November 1910, when robber and murderer Alfred Ander was executed by decapitation in a guillotine.
context_section_description: Besides murder and manslaughter among the general population, political murders were not uncommon occurrences in Stockholm. The most common cases were politicians who desired to get rid of competitors or punish critics. The oldest documented cases of this category goes back to 1280, when King Magnus Ladulås ordered the execution of three members of the privy council, who had been accused of several "traitorous acts against the throne".
  Another notable case is the execution of Torkel Knutsson on 10 February 1306. After being sentenced to death, he was killed by decapitation on Pelarbacken (Götgatsbacken) and buried in Grey Friar's Abbey. The capture and subsequent execution of Torkel was the result of an agreement between King Birger Magnusson and his brothers in order to stop Torkels dominance of the government.
  Magnus Birgersson, son of Birger Magnusson, did not die a natural death either. He was a prince and was capable of threatening the throne. On 21 October 1320 he was sentenced to death and executed a week later at Helgeandsholmen. He received an honorable funeral at Riddarholm Church.
  The knight Broder Svensson Tjurhuvud was forced to pay with his life in 1436 after he had publicly expressed his dismay against the king. He had insulted King Charles VIII with harsh words, when he had not received a castle as a fief. He was arrested and executed on Brunkebergstorg.
  Betrayal against the king was not acceptable either and was punishable by death. Måns Bryntesson Lilliehöök, one of Sweden's most eminent men in the 1520s, suffered the death penalty in 1529 when he participated in the Westrogothian Rebellion against King Gustav Vasa. The rebellion failed, and the king offered Lilliehöök mercy. But, in his belief that all evidence incriminating him had been destroyed, Lilliehöök declined and demanded that a trial be held. Authorities did have evidence, and in 1529, the Riksdag at Strängnäs sentenced him to death. Lilliehöök attempted to escape custody, but fell and broke his femur. After crawling his way out of the city, he was found hiding in a field. On 7 September 1529, Lilliehöök was executed by decapitation on Södermalmstorg. His head was impaled on a spear and his body was buried at Riddarholm Church.
  In some cases, kings have personally murdered people. In 1568, King Eric XIV beat his secretary Martin Olai Helsingius to death with a stove poker. Martin had allegedly advised the king against pardoning his former secretary Jöran Persson, who was a very trusted advisor and friend of the king, but whom the Swedish people despised. Persson had been accused of causing the looting of Svartsjö Palace in 1567 and the Sture murders the same year. He received his verdict on 28 September 1568 and was punished "as an honorless, faithless and perjurous traitor, rogue and villain". Martins punishment was cruel. Both of his ears were nailed against the gallows, along with his patent of nobility. He was later hinged onto the gallows, but before his death he was brought down again. and subjected to breaking wheel torture at Brunkebergstorg. He was eventually beheaded and his body was nailed to a stake, where his body could be observed in public. This was a regular practice during the Middle Ages in Sweden, until it was outlawed in 1841.
caption: Karin Månsdotter, Erik XIV and Jöran Persson, painted by Georg von Rosen in 1871.
exif: {"Image Copyright": "Nationalmuseum 2004"}