Early Vasa Era - Sweden - SpottingHistory.com Saint James's Church The origin of the Saint James's Church dates back to a chapel belonging to the Solna parish and at the time built on the outskirts of the parish. It is first mentioned in 1311. The present church, originally founded in the 16th century, took a long time to complete. As a consequence it includes a wide range of architectonic styles, such as Late Gothic,Renaissance and Baroque, the design of architects: Willem Boy (1580-159 ... German Church The German Church, or the Church of Saint Gertrude, was founded in 1571. it started as a Guild Lounge for german merchantmen in Stockholm who where a large part of the population in the 16th century. Hans Jakob Kristler enlarged the chapel in 1638-1642 to the present two-nave church. During the 17th century, while the choir of the school participated at the royal concerts, the church became an important centre for church ... Uppsala Castle Uppsala Castle is a 16th century royal castle in the historical city of Uppsala.

Throughout much of its early history, the castle played a major role in the history of Sweden. It was built during the time Sweden was on its way to become a great power in Europe. King Gustav Vasa began construction of Uppsala Castle in 1549. Kings Erik XIV, John III and Charles IX all remodeled and expanded the citadel into a representativ ... Malm철 Stortorget At the heart of Malmö lies the Big Square (Stortorget). There is a statue of King Karl X Gustav of Sweden, who took the city from Danish dominion. The ornate Malmö City Hall (built in 1546) is on the east side, and in the northwest corner is Kockska Huset, the house of Jörgen Kock, a German immigrant who became mayor of the city and achieved wealth simply and directly: by taking control of the city mint. In ... Maria Magdalena Church The history of Maria Magdalena Church dates back to the 1350s when King Magnus Eriksson with the permission of Pope Clement VI had a funeral chapel built on the location and dedicated it to Mary Magdalene.

When Gustav Vasa liberated Stockholm in the early 1520s, his troops led by Peder Fredag encamped in the chapel and suffered severe losses when the troops of Christian II of Denmark attacked from the city. This might hav ... Halmstad Castle Halmstad Castle (Halmstads slott) is a 17th-century castle dating from the time when Halland was a province of Denmark. In 1595 the farm on the site where the castle now stands was purchased for use as a residence for the Danish Christian IV on his visit to Halmstad. It was under the authority of King Christian that the castle was constructed. Construction on the castle and nine adjoining lots started in 1609. Constructi ... G채vle Castle Gävle Castle is the northest one of so-called Vasa castles, built by Gustav Vasa of Sweden or his sons. The construction started in 1583 by the religious King John III of Sweden. The design was made by Willem Boy and the center of castle was a chapel. The castle was completed in 1597, five years after John"s death.

In 1727 the chapel and the top floor were destroyed by fire. Gävle castle stayed damaged unt ... Klara Church The convent and church of St. Clare was founded on the site in 1280s. It was to be one of the very first convents to be dissolved during the Swedish Reformation. Gustav Vasa had the church and convent torn down in 1527. The new Lutheran church, built under the order of King John III in 1572, is a cruciform shaped. It has the second highest tower in Scandinavia, over one hundred metres high. The interior contains a fine a ... Jukkasj채rvi Church The wooden Jukkasjärvi Church was built in 1607-1608. It is very rare sample of so-called 'buttress' church type; there are 10 existing churches in Finland and this is the only one in Sweden. The church was enlarged in 1726 and the gallery was added in 1785. The external belfry dates from the 1740s.

Vadstena Castle Vadstena Castle was originally built by King Gustav I in 1545 as a fortress to protect Stockholm from enemies from the south. The fortress consisted of three smaller stone buildings facing the lake, Vättern, three 31 meter wide ramparts, a courtyard, a moat and four circular cannons turrets. The original ramparts were torn down in the 19th century and the present ramparts were inaugurated in 1999. The stone buildings ... Stora Herrestad The guest house in Stora Herrestad is one of the oldest in Scania, and dates back to the 1600s. The old stable, which now serves as our banquet room, was used by travellers on their long journeys and the old main building, where the restaurant is now located, was the courthouse. In the 1780s the old main building was destroyed by fire, but was then rebuilt as an inn during the 1800s. The courthouse was relocated across t ...

Vaxholm Castle Vaxholm Castle was originally constructed by Gustav Vasa in 1544 to defend Stockholm against shipborne attacks from the east, but most of the current structure dates from 1833-1863. The stretch of water below the building was formerly the main sea route to Stockholm. Thus, the fortress was strategically situated to defend the city from naval attacks. The castle was attacked by the Danes in 1612 and the Russian navy in 171 ... Gripsholm Castle Gripsholm Castle is regarded as one of Sweden's finest historical monuments. A fortress was built at the location around 1380 by Bo Jonsson Grip, and belonged to his family until the confiscation of mansions and castles by King Gustav I in 1526. The King tore it down, and built a fortified castle with circular corner towers and a wall, for defensive purposes. Of the original medieval fortress, only the façade of a ... North Gate North Gate (Norre Port) is the only existing part of the Halmstad city wall. It was completed in 1601 by King Kristian IV of Denmark.

The gate was restored in 2005 and is one of the rare survived city gates in Sweden. Gr채fsn채s Castle Ruins Gräfsnäs Castle today consists of a heavily restored main building with barred windows and surrounding dry moat. The ruins are remnants of the original palatial fortress built in Swedish-French Renaissance style. The castle, which met with such a tragic fate, was constructed in c. 1571 and belonged to many different owners (like Leijonhufvud, Sparre and Holstein-Augustenburg families) before it was finally aband ... Landskrona Citadel Landskrona Citadel was initially built 1549–1559 as a purely defensive fortification with two complete moats, the inner with a width of 70 metres. The outer (complete) moat is between 40 and 70 metres wide, and has cross fire bastions for artillery and guns. Outside the outer moat, a third narrower moat covers the northwest and northeast. There also exist remains of a fourth moat (between the two outer moats). The f ...

Mariestad Cathedral Mariestad Cathedral was built in Gothic style between 1593-1615 and is very unusual in being one of the few churches built in Sweden in the late 16th century. It is one of only two churches in Sweden to bear the title cathedral while not being the seat of a bishop. In this case it is because a bishop was once resident here and the seat has since been moved. Dylta Bruk The first sulfur factory in Dylta was mentioned in 1558. It was first owned by the Crown. In 1649 Queen Christina gave mill to Henrik Barckhusen. The Privy Council baron Samuel Åkerhielm became in 1739 the owner of Dylta Mill, which belonged to the family Åkerhielm in 265 years. The main building, which is built in wood, dates back to the 1740s. In the 1850s, the well-known architect J.F. Åbom designed ...

Svaneholm Castle Svaneholm Castle (Svaneholms slott) was initially erected in the 1530s by the Danish knight and royal advisor Mourids Jepsen Sparre. Original murder-holes in the oldest castle walls are still preserved. During the Middle Ages the residence was called Skurdorp (Skudrup), which was fortified and situated next to the parish church, where remains still can be seen. During the mid-15th century it was owned by guardsman Hennin ... Kungshuset Kungshuset, the "King's House", was built by the Danish king Frederick II between 1578–1584 and originally intended as the residence for the bishop of Lund. After the secession of the Scanian lands to Sweden at the Treaty of Roskilde 1658, and the foundation of Lund University in 1666 to enhance the Swedification of the Danish provinces, the house was incorporated to serve as the university's main building and libra ... Sorunda Church Sorunda church is an unusually large, medieval church.

Its history goes back to the 12th century with major additions made in the 15th and 16th centuries (the current exterior dates mainly from 1540). The church contains burial chapels for local aristocratic families and several interior details dating from the Middle Ages, notably an unusually fine wooden sculpture by Herman Rode. The altar screen dates from the late 140 ... Vittsk철vle Castle Vittskövle Castle (also spelt Widtsköfle) is one of the best-preserved Renaissance castles in the Nordic countries. It has had medieval precursors, but the present castle was built by Jens Brahe in 1553. It is the largest castle in Skåne with approx. 100 rooms. Location and shape were decided out of consideration for defence and the tiled four-winged castle was built on piles in the marsh and supplied with ... Kulla Gunnarstorp Castle In the late 1400s Kulla Gunnarstorp was known as Gundestrup and it belonged to the Pardsberg family.

In the mid-1500s it was acquired by Jörgen Brahe, who built the older castle which still exists. After him it has been owned by famous Sparre, De la Gardie and de Geer families. The newer castle was built by Baltzar von Platen in 1865-1868. This was designed by Danish architect Christian Zwingmann. Today the estate is ... List of Rulers of Europe | Lists of Rulers | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art List of Rulers of Europe See works of art 52.189.11 1983.183.5 The list that follows is meant as a complement to the Timeline of Art History, not as a comprehensive historical reference. It presents a simplified picture of dynastic succession in a small number of large European principalities. The names of numerous princes who ruled smaller states are not to be found here, nor are the names of many pretenders, regents, and fully legitimate monarchs whose reigns were short or ambitions otherwise stifled.

The abridged list includes above all those kings and queens whose rule affected the arts of Europe in important ways and whose names are most commonly raised in art historical discussion.

Central Europe Holy Roman Empire (see below for a list of emperors) 962–1806 Zygmunt III Wasa (Sigismund III Vasa) 1587–1632 Vladislav IV Wasa (Wladyslaw IV Vasa) 1632–1648 Jan II Kasimierz Wasa (John II Casimir Vasa) 1648–1668 Jan III Sobieski (John III Sobieski) 1674–1696 Augustus II, the Strong ( 1982.60.318 ) 1697–1704, 1709–1733 divided under Habsburg, Prussian, and Russian rule 1795–1867 Friedrich Wilhelm I (Frederick William I) 1713–1740 Friedrich II, der Grosse (Frederick II, the Great) 1740–1786 Friedrich Wilhelm II (Frederick William II) 1786–1797 Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Wessex

 (centered in southern England) 519–871 Aethelred 866–871 The kings of Wessex, supreme throughout England, become the first royal house of England: see England.

Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Kent (centered in southeastern England) 455–827 Baldred 823–825 The kings of Wessex, who have controlled Kent periodically during the eight and ninth centuries, secure it for good as of 827. Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria (centered in northern England, bordering Scotland) 592–841 Eanred 809–841 The kings of Wessex control Northumbria after 827, following a period of disorder and decline after Eadberht's demise. Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Mercia (centered in central and western England, bordering Wales) 626–919 Mercia is annexed by the kings of Wessex.

England Harold I, called Harold Harefoot 1035–1040 William II, called William Rufus 1087–1100 Mary I, called Mary Tudor or Bloody Mary 1553–1558 William III and Mary II 1689–1694 William IV, the Sailor-King or Silly Billy 1830–1837 Charles (Charlemagne) 768–814 The Kingdom of the Franks ends when Charlemagne raises it to imperial stature in 800—thereafter, see the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire. Duchy of Aquitaine (centered in western France) 898–1204 William IV, Fierabras (the Strong-Armed) 963–993 The duchy is united with England upon Eleanor's marriage to Henry II of England.

Duchy of Brittany (centered in western France) 937–1514 Alan IV, Fergant (the Iron-Gloved) 1084–1112 Arthur I (husband of Alix, daughter of Geoffrey II) 1187–1221 The duchy is united with France upon Anne's marriage to Louis XII of France. Duchy of Burgundy (centered in eastern France) 1162–1477 The dynasty ends with a female heir, and the duchy reverts to the French crown. County of Provence (centered in southeastern France) 1112–1481 Provence becomes French territory according to the terms of Charles III's will. County of Toulouse (centered in southwestern France) 844–1271 Bernard II, Hairfoot, of Auvergne 872–885 Raymond V, of St.

Gilles 1093–1105 Alfonso of Poitiers 1249–1271 The county is united with France upon the death of Joan, daughter of Raymond VIII and wife of Alfonso of Poitiers, son of Louis VIII of France. France Robert II, le Pieux (the Pious) 996–1031 Louis VI, le Gros (the Fat) 1108–1137 Louis VII, le Jeune (the Young) 1137–1180 Louis IX (St.

Louis) ( 37.173.3 ) 1226–1270 Philippe III, le Hardi (Philip III, the Bold) 1270–1285 Philippe IV, le Bel (Philip IV, the Fair) 1285–1314 Louis X, le Hutin (the Stubborn) 1314–1316 Philippe V, le Long (Philip V, the Tall) 1316–1322 Charles IV, le Bel (the Fair) 1322–1328 Philippe VI (Philip VI) ( 17.190.387,388,392 ) 1328–1350 Jean II, le Bon (John II, the Good) 1350–1364 Charles V, le Sage (the Wise) 1364–1380 Charles VI, le Bien-Aimé (the Well-Beloved) 1380–1422 François I (Francis I) ( 41.100.245 ) 15

15–1547 Henri II (Henry II) ( 25.2.93 ) 1547–1559 Henri IV (Henry IV, called Henry of Navarre) 1589–1610 Louis XIV, le Roi Soleil (the Sun King) ( 46.43.4 ) 1643–1715 Louis XV, le Bien-Aimé (the Well-Beloved) 1715–1774 Louis-Philippe, le Roi-Citoyen (the Citizen King) ( 41.16.1 ) 1830–1848 Napoleon III, called Louis-Napoléon ( 1974.297 ) 1852–1870 Charlemagne (Charles I, the Great) 800–814 Louis I, le Pieux (the Pious) 814–840 Lothair I (in the Western part of the empire) 840–855 Ludwig II, der Deutsche (Louis II, the German) (in the Eastern part

 of the empire) 843–876 Charles II, le Chauve (the Bald) 875–877 Charles III, le Gros (the Fat) 881–887 Ludwig III, das Kind (Louis III, the Child) 899–911 Heinrich I, der Vogelfänger (Henry I, the Fowler) 919–936 Otto I, the Great ( 41.100.157 ) 936–973 Heinrich II, der Heilige (Henry II, the Saint) 1002–1024 Friedrich I (Frederick I), Barbarossa ( 71.121 ) 1152–1190 Albrecht I (Albert I) (Habsburg) 1298–1308 Heinrich I (Henry VII) of Luxembourg 1308–1313 Ludwig IV der Bayer (Louis IV of Bavaria) 1314–1347 Ruprecht Klem (Rupert) of the Palatinate 1400–14

10 Papacy (from John VIII, first pope to use the title officially) John VIII John XXII (ruled from Avignon) 1316–1334 Benedict XII (ruled from Avignon) 1334–1342 Clement VI (ruled from Avignon) 1342–1352 Innocent VI (ruled from Avignon) 1352–1362 Urban V (ruled from Avignon) 1362–1370 Gregory XI, Pierre-Roger de Beaufort 1370–1378 Innocent VII, Cosimo de' Migliorati 1404–1406 Calixtus III, Alfonso de Borgia 1455–1458 Pius II, Enea Silvio Piccolomini 1458–1464 Sixtus IV, Francesco della Rovere 1471–1484 Innocent VIII, Giovanni Battista Cibò 1484–1492 Pius III, Francesco Todeschini Piccolomini 1

503 Julius II, Giuliano della Rovere 1503–1513 Leo X, Giovanni de' Medici 1513–1521 Adrian VI, Adrian Florensz Boeyens 1522–1523 Clement VII, Giulio de' Medici 1523–1534 Julius III, Giovanni Maria Ciocchi del Monte 1550–1555 Paul IV, Gian Pietro Carafa 1555–1559 Pius IV, Giovanni Angelo de' Medici 1559–1565 St.

Pius V, Antonio Ghislieri 1566–1572 Innocent IX, Giovanni Antonio Facchinetti 1591 Leo XI, Alessandro de' Medici 1605 Innocent X, Giovanni Battista Pamphilj ( 08.49 ) 1644–1655 Alexander VII, Fabio Chigi ( 57.20 ) 1655–1667 Clement XI, Giovanni Francesco Albani 1700–1721 Benedict XIV, Prospero Lambertini ( 2009.145 ) 1740–1758 Pius VI, Giovanni Angelo Braschi 1775–1799 Pius VII, Barnaba Gregorio Chiaramonti 1800–1823 Leo XII, Annibale della Genga 1823–1829 Pius VIII, Francesco Saverio Castiglioni 1829–1830 St.

Pius X, Giuseppe Sarto 1903–1914 Benedict XV, Giacomo della Chiesa 1914–1922 Paul VI, Giovanni Battista Montini 1963–1978 John Paul I, Albino Luciani 1978 John Paul II, Karol Wojtyla 1978–2005 Francis I, Jorge Mario Bergoglio 2013–present Leovigild (sole king after 572) 568–586 Muslim conquest brings kingdom to an end.

Kingdom of Aragon (northeastern Spain) 1035–1516 Alfonso I, el Batallador (the Battler) 1104–1134 Ramiro II, el Monje (the Monk) 1134–1137 Alfonso II, el Casto (the Chaste) 1164–1196 Jaime I, el Conquistador (James I, the Conqueror) 1214–1276 Pedro III, el Grande (Peter III, the Great) 1276–1285 Alfonso III, el Liberal (the Generous) 1285–1291 Alfonso IV, el Benigno (the Benign) 1327–1336 Pedro IV, el Ceremonioso (Peter IV, the Ceremonious) 1336–1387 Alfonso V, el Magnánimo (the Magnanimous) 1416–1458 Fernando II, el Católico (Ferdinand II, the Catholic) 1479–

1516 Kingdom of Castile (central Spain) 1029–1555 Sancho I, el Mayor (the Great) 1029–1035 Fernando I, el Magno (Ferdinand I, the Great) 1035–1065 Alfonso VI, el Bravo (the Valiant) 1072–1109 Fernando III, el Santo (Ferdinand III, the Saint) 1217–1252 Alfonso X, el Sabio (the Learned) 1252–1284 Fernando IV, el Emplazado (Ferdinand IV, the Summoned) 1295–1312 Pedro, el Cruel (Peter, the Cruel) 1350–1369 Enrique III, el Doliente (Henry III, the Sufferer) 1390–1406 Isabel I, la Católica (Isabella I, the Catholic) 1474–1504 Juana I, la Loca (Joan / Joanna I, the Mad) 1504

–1555 Carlos I (Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire) ( 17.190.745 ) 1516–1556 Felipe II (Philip II) ( 38.150.9 ) 1556–1598 Felipe IV (Philip IV) ( 14.40.639 ) 1621–1665 Felipe V (Philip V) (abdicated) 1700–1724 Felipe V (Philip V) (reinstated) 1724–1746 Langobardic Kingdom (centered in northern Italy) 569–774 Authari (first husband of Theodelinda) 584–590 Agilulf (second husband of Theodelinda) 590–615 Invasion of the Franks brings kingdom to an end.

Doges of Venice Ludovico Monin 1789–1797 The Venetian Republic and the office of Doge come to an end with the French invasion of 1797. Low Countries Johanna (daughter of John III and wife of Wenceslas) 1383–1406 The duchy is united with Burgundy as of Philip's reign.

Russia Fyodor I Ivanovich (Theodore I Ivanovich) 1584–1598 Catherine (Yekatrina) II, the Great ( 52.189.11 ) 1762–1796 Kingdom of Denmark (centered in the Danish peninsula) 940–1396 Kalmar Union (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden) House of Pomerania Kingdom of Denmark and Norway 1521–1914 regency of Johann Friedrich Struense 1770–1772 Kingdom of Sweden (centered in Baltic Scandinavia) 980–1388 Houses of Sverker and Erik 1130–1234 Albert 1364–1388 The Swedes invite Margaret of Denmark to reign over them, and the two kingdoms are joined in the Kalmar Union from 1397 to 1523.

House of Vasa Gustav II Adolf (Gustavus Adolphus) 1611–1632 Karl X Gustav (Charles X Gustav) 1654–1660 Department of European Paintings, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters, The Metropolitan Museum of Art October 2003 (originally published) April 2007 (last revised) Citation Department of European Paintings. “List of Rulers of Europe.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.

(originally published October 2003, last revised April 2007) Related Scenes from the Legend of Saint Vincent of Saragossa and the History of His Relics King Louis IX Carrying the Crown of Thorns Seasons and Elements (Air) (set of four) King, from a group of Donor Figures including a King, Queen, and Prince François I (1494–1547), King of France Henri II, King of France, Between France and Fame Portrait of Napoleon I The Past, the Present, and the Future (Le passé – Le présent – L'Avenir), published in La Caricature, no. 166, Jan.

9, 1834 Napoléon III (1808–1873), Emperor of the French Plaque with Christ Receiving Magdeburg Cathedral from Emperor Otto I The Investiture of Bishop Harold as Duke of Franconia Presentation Coin (Doppelguldiner) Showing Maximilian I (1459–1519) Allegory of Virtues and Vices at the Court of Charles V Maximillian II, Holy Roman Emperor (1527–1576) Portrait of Rudolph II Pope Innocent X (Giovanni Battista Pamphili, reigned 1644–55) Pope Alexander VII (1599–1667) Pope Benedict XIV (Prospero Lambertini, 1675–1758) Emperor Charles V (1500–58) and his Son Philip II of Spain (1527–98) Philip IV (1605-1665), King of Spain The Empress Elizabeth of Russia (1709-1762) on Horseback, Attended by a Page Catherine II (The Great), Empress of Russia Watch OF

Ms History of Sweden Family Research: Available Help: Fourteen thousand years ago the whole of the present country of Sweden was covered by a thick ice cap.

As the ice slowly retreated, man came to Sweden and the first known human dwelling place, which has been found in southern Sweden, dates from around 12000 BC. It is clear that from the period 8000 to 6000 BC the country as a whole began to be populated by peoples who lived by hunting and fishing and who used simple stone tools. Dwelling places and graves dating from the Stone Age, which is generally regarded as lasting until about 1800 BC, are being found in increasing numbers. Stone tools became more sophisticated during that period, which was succeeded in the Nordic region by the Bronze Age from 1800 to 500 BC. This period gets its name from the bronze weapons and religious objects that characterize the archaeological discoveries dating from these centuries, even though stone tools continued to dominate everyday life. The Bronze Age is marked in the Nordic region, especially in Denmark but also in Sweden, by a high level of culture, as is shown, for example, by the artifacts found in graves. After about 500 BC, such artifacts become more rare as iron began to be more generally used.

During the Early Iron Age (500 BCï¿½400 AD), the period of the great migrations (400ï¿½550) and the Vendel period (550ï¿½800) ï¿½ so named because of the magnificent boat graves found at Vendel in the province of Uppland ï¿½ the population of Sweden became a settle done and agriculture came to form the basis for the economy and for society. The Viking Age and Early Christianity The Viking Age, 800ï¿½1050, was characterized by a marked expansion, which in the case of Sweden was mainly directed eastward. Many Viking expeditions set off from Sweden with the mixed purpose of plunder and trade along the coasts of the Baltic Sea and the rivers which stretched deep into present-day Russia, where Swedish Vikings established trading stations and short-lived principalities, like that of Rurik at Novgorod. The Vikings active in the east traveled as far as the Black and Caspian Seas, where they developed trading links with the Byzantine Empire and the Arab dominions.

At the same time, Christianity first reached Sweden with the mission of Ansgar, who visited the country from the Carolingian Empire in the ninth century. However, it was not until the eleventh century that Sweden was Christianized. Even then the old pagan Nordic religion survived until far into the twelfth century, and Sweden did not obtain an archbishop of its own until 1164. Swedenï¿½s expansion in the east continued during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries through the incorporation of Finland into the Swedish kingdom after several crusades. The Founding of the Kingdom The various provinces of Sweden, which had previously been independent entities, were absorbed around 1000 into a single unit whose center of gravity lay partly in Vï¿½stergï¿½tland and ï¿½stergï¿½tland and partly in the provinces around Lake Mï¿½laren, especially Uppland. From the middle of the twelfth century onward there was an intensive struggle for temporal power in this kingdom between the Sverker and Erik families, which held the crown alternately between 1160 and 1250.

However, during this period the main administrative units were still the provinces, each of which had its own assembly (ting), lawmen and laws. It was first during the latter part of the thirteenth century that the crown gained a greater measure of influence and was able, with the introduction of royal castles and provincial administration, to assert the authority of the central government and to impose laws and ordinances valid for the whole kingdom. In 1280 King Magnus Ladulï¿½s (1275ï¿½90) issued a statute which involved the establishment of a temporal nobility and the organization of society on the feudal model. A council containing representatives of the aristocracy and the church was set up to advise the king. In 1350, during the reign of Magnus Eriksson (1319ï¿½64), the various provincial law codes were superseded by a law code that was valid for the whole country. ï¿½ The Hansa Period Trade increased during the fourteenth century, especially with the German towns that were grouped under the leadership of Lï¿½beck in the Hanseatic League.

For the following 200 years, until the middle of the sixteenth century, the Hansa dominated Swedenï¿½s trade, and a large number of towns were founded in Sweden as a consequence of the lively commercial activity connected with the Hansa. Agriculture was and remained the basis for economic life and it too developed during these years through the introduction of the three-field system and improved tools. However, the Black Death, which reached Sweden in 1350, led to a long period of economic decline marked by a smaller population and many abandoned farms. The crisis did not really end until the late fifteenth century, at the same time as the production of iron in central Sweden began to play an increasingly important role in the countryï¿½s economy. The Nordic area around 1450 In the mid-fifteenth century Sweden included the southwestern parts of Finland. Lappmarken (Lapland) had not yet been colonized and in fact lay outside the countryï¿½s borders. The eastern border with Russia had been settled in 1323.

The Kalmar Union In 1389, through inheritance and family ties, the crowns of Denmark, Norway and Sweden were united under the rule of the Danish Queen Margareta. In 1397, the ï¿½Kalmar Unionï¿½ was concluded under her leadership. It involved an undertaking that the three Scandinavian countries should have one and the same monarch. In fact, however, the whole union period, 1397ï¿½1521, was marked by conflict between the central government, represented by the monarch, on the one hand, and the high nobility along with intermittently rebellious burghers and peasants, on the other. These conflicts, which became interwoven with efforts to maintain Swedenï¿½s national unity and the economic interests it shared with the Hansa, culminated in the ï¿½Stockholm Bloodbathï¿½ in 1520, when eighty of the leading men in Sweden were executed at the instigation of the Danish union king, Kristian II.

This event provoked a rebellion, which in 1521 led to the deposition of Kristian II and the seizure of power by a Swedish nobleman, Gustav Vasa, who was elected king of Sweden in 1523. The Vasa Period The foundations of the Swedish national state were laid during the reign of Gustav Vasa (1523ï¿½60). The church was turned into a national institution, its estates were confiscated by the crown and the Protestant Reformation was introduced in several stages. At the same time the administration was reorganized along German lines, and power was concentrated in the hands of the king. The position of the crown was strengthened further in 1544 when a hereditary monarchy was introduced. Before that time the country had been an elective monarchy, and the aristocracy had been able to assert itself every time the throne fell vacant. The efforts of the higher nobility to re-establish the power of the council during the reigns of Erik ï¿½XIV (1560ï¿½68), Johan III (1568ï¿½92) and Sigismund (1592ï¿½99) failed in the long run.

During the reigns of Karl IX (1599ï¿½1611) and Gustav II Adolf ï¿½ or Gustavus Adolphus ï¿½ (1611ï¿½32), the crown was able to maintain and strengthen its position. After the death of Gustav II Adolf at the Battle of Lï¿½tzen in 1632, the higher nobility succeeded in introducing a new constitution, the 1634 Form of Government, which created a number of central administrative bodies and placed effective power in their hands. However, this constitution only applied during periods when the monarch was a minor ï¿½ first in the case of Queen Kristina and then in that of Karl XI ï¿½ and lost all relevance in 1680 when Karl XI repossessed crown land which had previously been transferred to the nobility. This move definitively turned the nobility into a bureaucratic class obedient to the kingï¿½s will in everything.

Foreign Policy Since the dissolution of the union with Denmark and Norway, Swedish foreign policy had aimed at gaining domination of the Baltic Sea, and this led from the 1560s onward to repeated wars with Denmark. After Sweden intervened in 1630 with great success in the Thirty Yearsï¿½ War on the side of the German Protestants and Gustav II Adolf had become one of Europeï¿½s leading monarchs, Sweden defeated Denmark in the two wars of 1643ï¿½45 and 1657ï¿½58. These victories led to the incorporation into Sweden of the previously Danish provinces of Skï¿½ne, Halland, Blekinge and Gotland and of the previously Norwegian provinces of Bohuslï¿½n, Jï¿½mtland and Hï¿½rjedalen. Finland, as well as a number of provinces in northern Germany and the present-day Baltic republics, also belonged to Sweden, and after the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 and the Peace of Roskilde with Denmark in 1658, Sweden was a great power in northern Europe.

The country even founded a short-lived colony in what is now Delaware in North America. However, Sweden was, except for some small iron works and the copper mine at Falun, a purely agrarian country based on a natural economy, and lacked the resources to maintain its position as a great power in the long run. After its defeat in the Great Northern War (1700ï¿½21) against the combined forces of Denmark, Poland and Russia, Sweden lost most of its provinces on the other side of the Baltic Sea and was reduced to largely the same frontiers as present-day Sweden and Finland. During the Napoleonic Wars, Finland was finally surrendered to Russia and Swedenï¿½s last possessions in northern Germany were also lost. As compensation for these losses, the French marshal Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, who had been elected heir to the Swedish throne in 1810, succeeded in obtaining Norway, which was forced into a union with Sweden in 1814. This union was peacefully dissolved in 1905 after many internal disputes. Since the short war fought against Norway in 1814 in connection with the creation of the union, Sweden has not been involved in any war.

Since World War I, Sweden has also pursued a foreign policy of non-alignment in peacetime and neutrality in wartime, basing its security on a strong national defense. Nonetheless, Sweden joined the League of Nations in 1920 and the United Nations in 1946. Within the framework of these organizations, it has taken part in numerous international peacekeeping missions. ï¿½ The Swedish Baltic Empire 1658-1721 During the period 1658ï¿½1721 Sweden was a great power in northern Europe. After its defeat in the Great Northern War of 1700ï¿½21, Sweden lost its provinces to the south and east of the Gulf of Finland, as well as all its possessions in Germany, except for a small part of Pomerania. In the 1990s, the end of the Cold War and of the political division of Europe created new perspectives for Swedenï¿½s foreign and security policy, and new opportunities for Sweden to participate in the process of West European integration.

Sweden therefore applied for full membership of the European Community (EC) in 1991, and became a member of the European Union (EU) in 1995 following a 1994 referendum. Today, military non-alignment remains the basis of Swedish security policy, but the threats to Swedenï¿½s national security have been redefined, which has paved the way for closer cooperation with other countries in this policy field. Absolutism and the Age of Liberty After the death of the warrior king Karl XII in 1718 and Swedenï¿½s defeat in the Great Northern War, the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag) and council were strong enough to introduce a new constitution which abolished royal absolutism and placed power in the hands of Parliament. During the ï¿½Age of Libertyï¿½ (1719ï¿½72) Sweden developed a form of parliamentary government, which meant that the party that was dominant in Parliament appointed the government (the council), which in turn was responsible before Parliament.

However, Gustav III (1771ï¿½92) reduced the power of Parliament through a bloodless coup in 1772 and later, in 1789, he reintroduced absolutism. In other respects, eighteenth-century Sweden was characterized by rapid cultural development, which partly occurred in close contact with France. Overseas trade, which also developed at a rapid pace during the eighteenth century, was hard hit by the Napoleonic Wars, which led to general stagnation and economic crisis in Sweden during the early nineteenth century. Even during the latter part of the century, despite the construction of railways and the emergence of the sawmill industry, Sweden was still a poor country, in which 90 percent of the people earned their livelihood from agriculture. One consequence of this situation was emigration, mainly to North America, which in relative terms was very substantial. From the mid-19th century to 1930, about 1.5 million Swedes emigrated, out of a population that totaled only 3.5 million in 1850 and slightly more than 6 million in 1930.

Industry did not begin to grow until the 1890s, though it then developed very rapidly between 1900 and 1930 and transformed Sweden into one of Europeï¿½s leading industrial nations after World War II. Processes of Democratization Domestic politics were marked by calm and peaceful development after Gustav IV Adolf (1792ï¿½1809) was deposed by a coup dï¿½ï¿½tat in 1809. A new constitution characterized by the separation of powers on Montesquieuï¿½s model was introduced. Shortly afterwards, the French marshal Jean Baptiste Bernadotte was elected heir to the Swedish throne. He became king in 1818 as Karl XIV Johan (1818ï¿½44). His conservative policies put their mark on his reign, but nevertheless a liberal opposition began to make its presence felt. In 1842, compulsory education and elementary schools were introduced. The reigns of his son and grandson, Oscar I (1844ï¿½59) and Karl XV (1859ï¿½72), witnessed a liberal breakthrough.

This included the abolition of the guild system in 1846, the adoption of free trade in the 1850s and 1860s, and finally the introduction of local self-government in 1862 and the reform of Parliament in 1866. This last reform involved the abolition of the old Parliament of four estates, which had existed since the fifteenth century, and its replacement by a bicameral Parliament, which survived until the introduction of a unicameral system in 1971. Nineteenth-century Sweden was also marked by the emergence of strong popular movements that included the free churches, the temperance and womenï¿½s movements and above all the labor movement. The latter, whose growth kept pace with industrialization in the late nineteenth century, was reformist in outlook after the turn of the twentieth century. The first Social Democrats entered the government as early as 1917. Universal suffrage was introduced for men in 1909 and for women in 1921.The latter year also marked the final breakthrough of the principle of parliamentary government.

Plans for a welfare state were laid during the 1930s after the Social Democrats had become the governing party. It proved possible to put these plans into effect in all essentials after World War II. The Post-War Era ï¿½ Modernization Under Social Democratic Leadership During World War II, a coalition government of Swedenï¿½s four ï¿½ï¿½democraticï¿½ parties (excluding the Communists) was formed. After the war ended, a purely Social Democratic government resumed office under Per Albin Hansson. On Hanssonï¿½s death in 1946, Tage Erlander became prime minister and held this post without interruption until 1969, when Olof Palme succeeded him until 1976. Under Social Democratic leadership, but in close cooperation with the other democratic parties, a number of reforms were carried out in the 1940s and 1950s that together laid the foundations of the Swedish welfare state. Simultaneously, demands for a modernization of the 1809 constitution were also made. After lengthy discussions and investigations, a new Instrument of Government was adopted in 1974.

This enshrines the principle that all public power is derived from the people, who are to select the members of Parliament in free elections. Parliament alone is to pass laws and is entitled to levy taxes. The government is appointed by and responsible to Parliament. The king is still the head of state, but his functions are reduced to purely ceremonial ones. Gustaf VI Adolf, who came to the throne in 1950, was succeeded on his death in 1973 by Carl XVI Gustaf, the first Swedish king to ï¿½reignï¿½ in accordance with the new constitution. In 1980, an amendment in the order of succession introduced an equal right of inheritance to the crown for men and women. Princess Victoria thus became the heir to the throne, instead of her younger brother Carl Philip. Economic Crisis and New Governments The international economic crisis precipitated by the dramatic hikes in oil prices in1973 boosted unemployment in Sweden, ï¿½as else where.

The expansion of industry that had taken place at a very rapid rate during the 1950s and 1960s, as well as the swift growth in production had, by the early 1970s, brought about a steady and steep rise in living standards in Sweden. From the mid-1970s this improvement in standards slowed. Toward the end of the1980s it ceased entirely. The economic crisis led to the resignation of the Social Democratic government after the 1976 parliamentary elections and the formation of a non-socialist coalition government under the leadership of Center Party chairman Thorbjï¿½rn Fï¿½lldin. However, conflicts concerning the continued expansion of nuclear power prompted several government reshuffles. In the 1982 parliamentary elections, employment and the budget deficit were among the focal issues of debate. The elections resulted in a victory for the Social Democratic Party, which thereafter formed a government with Olof Palme as prime minister. By means of a devaluation and various other vigorous measures, the new government succeeded in improving Swedenï¿½s economic situation.

The sharp upturns in the international business cycle in 1983 and subsequent years enabled Sweden to balance its national budget once more. The government utilized this for a massive expansion of the public sector. The murder of Olof Palme on February 28, 1986 came as a shock to the Swedish people, who had been spared this kind of political violence for nearly 200 years. Palmeï¿½s successor as prime minister was Ingvar Carlsson, who in all essentials continued Palmeï¿½s policies. The rapid growth in output that had previously characterized the Swedish economy ended in the 1980s. At the end of the decade and in the early 1990s, it gave way to a fall in industrial production and balance of payments deficits. At the same time, the earlier expansion of the public sector imposed heavy demands on the economy. A swift rise in unemployment contributed further to massive budget deficits and a rapidly swelling national debt. Discontent with the Social Democratic government grew ever stronger. The 1991parliamentary elections resulted in its resignation and replacement by a non-socialist coalition government, with Moderate Party leader Carl Bildt as prime minister.

Despite all its efforts to encourage enterprise and carry out major savings in the public sector, this new government did not succeed in lowering unemployment or the rapidly growing budget deficit and national debt. The Social Democrats Back in Power The parliamentary elections of 1994 put the Social Democrats back in power. They formed a minority government with Ingvar Carlsson as prime minister. In March1996 Mr. Carlsson stepped down as prime minister for personal reasons and was replaced in this position by his finance minister, Gï¿½ran Persson. The first task of the Social Democratic government was to redress the balance of public finances. This was achieved through a combination of tax increases and spending cuts, which had repercussions on some of Swedenï¿½s social welfare systems. Meanwhile the government was intent on curbing inflation and creating scope for reducing Swedenï¿½s heavy national debt. Public finances gradually improved over the next few years. But the cutbacks in the social welfare system were painful and caused widespread discontent among the governing partyï¿½s traditional voters.

In the 1998 election, the Social Democrats received their weakest support since the1930s, winning only 36.4 percent of votes compared to 45.3 percent four years earlier. Despite this setback, Gï¿½ran Persson stayed on as prime minister, with parliamentary support from the Left Party and from the small Green Party. Sweden Enters the Twenty-first Century As the twenty-first century began, the Swedish economy was again in balance. The central government budget showed surpluses, inflation was low, growth was good and unemployment was falling. This was partly a result of the governmentï¿½s economic policies, but the Swedish economy was meanwhile benefiting from a vigorous cyclical recovery throughout the Western world. In the 2002 election, the government was given a renewed mandate. With continued support from the Left Party and Greens, the Social Democrats ï¿½ who had won 39.8 percent of the vote this time ï¿½managed to stay in power. Gï¿½ran Perssonï¿½s era as prime minister ended with the 2006 election, at which the Moderate Party were the main victors.

Together with the Center Party, the Liberal Party and the Christian Democrats, they were able to form a coalition government, headed by Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, the Moderate Party leader. One of the coalitionï¿½s main policy arguments was that reduced taxes could generate more jobs. Another focal point at the beginning of the new century was Swedenï¿½s cooperation with the EU. When Sweden took over the EU presidency during the first half of 2001, this gave the government the chance to play a more prominent part in Europe. In this role, Sweden ï¿½ which was regarded as one of the most EU-skeptical members of the union ï¿½ mainly pursued the issues of the EUï¿½s eastward enlargement and transparency in a successful way. However, during the final June 2001 EU summit in Gï¿½teborg (Gothenburg), Swedenï¿½s political successes were upstaged by popular demonstrations that deteriorated into riots. The autumn 2003 referendum on membership in the currency union also showed that EU skepticism was still widespread in Sweden. A clear majority of the population voted against replacing the Swedish krona with the euro.

The final stage of the referendum campaign was nevertheless completely overshadowed by a new shock for the Swedish people. Less than a week before the referendum the countryï¿½s foreign minister, Anna Lindh, was assassinated at a department store in central Stockholm. Swedenï¿½s role in the EU in particular, but also Swedish skepticism towards the union, have been identified by the centre-right coalition government which came to power in 2006 as important issues for the countryï¿½s future. Sweden's Monarchs since 1523: Gustav Vasa (regent 1521) 1523-1560 Erik XIV 1560-1568 Vasa Dynasty (Sweden) - Dictionary definition of Vasa Dynasty (Sweden) | Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary Vasa Dynasty (Sweden) Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World COPYRIGHT 2004 The Gale Group Inc. VASA DYNASTY ( SWEDEN ) VASA DYNASTY (SWEDEN).

The Vasa Dynasty, which ruled Sweden from 1523 to 1654, included Gustav I Vasa (Gustav Eriksson), Erik XIV, John III, Sigismund I Vasa, Charles IX, Gustavus II Adolphus, and Christina. During their reigns, Sweden left the Kalmar Union and became an independent state, adopted Lutheranism, developed a more complex economy, built a Baltic empire and a place of importance in European affairs, and became increasingly European culturally. (The Vasa name derives from the vase, a sheaf of grain in the family's insignia or shield. The family's noble roots lie in the fourteenth century.) Gustav I Vasa (ruled 1523–1560) established the dynasty. Aided by the Hanseatic League and important elements of the Swedish commons, he led the last of Sweden's rebellions against the Danish-controlled Kalmar Union. He became king in June 1523, and for thirty-seven years worked diligently and ruthlessly to ensure Sweden's independence and development.

He made and maintained peace with Denmark , encouraged the Reformation, expropriated the properties of the Catholic Church to the crown's benefit, supported economic developments, built up a modest army and navy, curbed the Hanseatic League's influence, used the Parliament to ratify his actions, made Sweden a hereditary monarchy (1544), crushed domestic disturbances, and fostered the growth of a central administration. One of Europe 's "new monarchs," he enhanced the power of the crown and curbed that of the nobility. Following his death in 1560, many of his achievements were eroded by the half-century of internal turmoil and foreign wars initiated by his sons Erik, John, and Charles. Erik XIV (ruled 1560–1568) was temperamental, suspicious, and mentally unstable. He squandered the fiscal and political assets his father had bequeathed him. He launched Sweden's age of imperial adventures in the Baltic, helped to precipitate the Northern Seven Years' War (1563–1570) with Denmark, and even sought the hand of Elizabeth I of England .

He also engaged in a running conflict with his half-brother, Duke John, who, from his duchy in Finland , acted like a king in his own right. This conflict peaked in 1568, when John, with the aid of their brother Charles, deposed Erik and imprisoned him in Gripsholm Castle, where he died in 1577. John III (ruled 1568–1592), more stable, cultured, and politically astute than Erik, worked to restore peace and stability. His efforts were undermined by religious strife. His marriage to Catherine, daughter of Sigismund II Augustus of Poland , led to a drift towards Catholicism, and this was reinforced when their heir, Sigismund, who was raised a Catholic, became king of Poland as Sigismund III Vasa in 1587. When Sigismund (ruled Sweden as Sigismund I Vasa 1592–1599) succeeded his father as king of Sweden, a political arrangement was forged to balance the interests of the crown, those of the last of the Vasa sons (Charles), and those of the high nobility.

Fear of the king's Catholicism led to a reaffirmation of Lutheranism at Uppsala in 1593. Sigismund stacked the administration with his favorites, which alarmed Charles, and civil war erupted in 1597. Sigismund was defeated at Stångebro the following year and deposed in 1599. He remained king in Poland, however, until his death in 1632, and for over half a century the two lines of the Vasa dynasty were in conflict. Charles IX (ruled 1599–1611) acted as regent until 1604, and he was not crowned until 1607. He ruthlessly eliminated his opponents (Linköping Bloodbath, 1600) and ruled personally or through favorites. He ignored complaints that he was violating the nobility's privileges. Following his death in 1611, the nobles took their revenge. Charles's heir, Gustavus II Adolphus, was only seventeen, and the price of his recognition was an accession charter that guaranteed noble power in the country.

Until relatively recently, Gustavus II Adolphus (ruled 1611–1632) has been viewed as one of Sweden's greatest kings—architect of Sweden's age of greatness; author of creative and positive developments in government, administration, economics, and education; one of history's best military leaders; and the man most responsible for the survival of Lutheranism in Germany . This interpretation usually paired him with his adviser and chancellor, Axel Oxenstierna. More recent assessments tend to assign greater influence to Oxenstierna in political, economic, and administrative matters. In military matters he was less a creative thinker than an efficient and effective applier of ideas originating elsewhere. Gustavus II Adolphus spent almost his entire reign at war (successively with Denmark, Russia , Poland, and the Catholic-Imperial forces in Germany). He died at the Battle of Lützen on 6 November 1632. Christina (ruled 1632–1654), Gustavus II Adolphus's only legitimate heir, was six when her father was killed.

Power therefore passed to a regency dominated by Axel Oxenstierna, and for the next twelve years the influence of the nobility was enhanced. Christina's personal rule covered a decade, and her importance has been variously interpreted. Oxenstierna's influence declined, and she effectively played competing factions against each other to achieve her desire for peace in Germany and the recognition of her cousin, Charles X Gustav, as her heir. Unwilling to marry, she abdicated and left Sweden in 1654. She converted to Catholicism and lived the rest of her life in Rome , where she pursued her cultural interests and dabbled in politics. She died in 1689. The Vasa dynasty ended with Christina's abdication, as the crown passed to Charles X Gustav (ruled 1654–1660), son of Gustavus II Adolphus's half-sister, Katherine, and John Casimir of Pfalz-Zweibrücken. See also Charles X Gustav (Sweden) ; Christina (Sweden) ; Gustavus II Adolphus (Sweden) ; Kalmar, Union of ; Oxenstierna, Axel ; Sweden .

BIBLIOGRAPHY Kirby, David. Northern Europe in the Early Modern Period: The Baltic World 1492–1772. London and New York , 1990. Nordstrom, Byron J., ed. Dictionary of Scandinavian History. Westport, Conn., 1986. This work contains articles on each of the rulers in the Vasa dynasty. Robert, Michael. The Early Vasas: A History of Sweden. 1523–1611. Cambridge, U.K., and London, 1968. Scott, Franklin D. Sweden: The Nation's History. Carbondale, Ill., 1988. Byron J. Nordstrom Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. MLA Learn more about citation styles Citation styles Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). Within the “Cite this article” tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list.

Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. Therefore, it’s best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publication’s requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: Modern Language Association

Question: Which European country was ruled by the House of Vasa from 1523 - 1818?
Answer: SWEDEN