Page 20 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Stockholm

18  INTRODUCING ST OCKHOLM

The newly chosen king, Gustav Vasa, making his ceremonial entry into Stockholm, Midsummer Day 1523
The Vasa Era Descendants of Gustav Vasa oversaw the rise
One of those who managed to avoid of Sweden into one of Europe’s great powers.
execution in the Stockholm Bloodbath was During the reign of Gustav’s son Erik XIV,
the young nobleman Gustav Eriksson. At the there were wars against Denmark, Lübeck
end of 1520 Gustav organized an army to and Poland. His brothers dethroned him,
oust the Danish King Kristian from Sweden. and he died in prison, probably of a pea soup
Gustav was successful and on 6 June 1523 – poi soned by his brother Johan III. During
later to become Sweden’s National Day – he the reign of Karl IX, the third son, Sweden
was named king with the title Gustav Vasa. waged war against Denmark and Russia.
When Gustav Vasa took the throne he
discovered a nation in financial Gustav II Adolf and Kristina
crisis. He called on Parliament to When the next king, Gustav II Adolf,
pass a controversial law transferring came to power in 1611, Sweden
the property of the Church to the was involved in wars against
State, which then became the Russia, Poland and Denmark.
country’s most important source of Under his rule Sweden steadily
economic power. Another increased its influence over the
important result of this policy was Baltic region. Stockholm started to
the gradual separation from develop into the country’s political
Catholicism and the adoption of and administrative centre. In 1630
the Luth eran State Church. Portrait of Erik XIV (1561) Gustav II Adolf, to gether with
During his reign Gustav Vasa his influential chancellor Axel
implemented tough economic policies in Oxenstierna, decided to intervene in
order to concentrate central power in the Thirty Years’ War on the side of the
Stockholm. This effective dictatorship also Protestants, using religious motives as a
resulted in the Swedish Parliament’s decision pretext. Sweden had some notable military
in 1544 to make the monarchy hereditary. successes dur ing the war, but paid a heavy

1617 Death penalty introduced for
1523 Gustav Vasa 1542 Nils Dacke 1560 Gustav 1568 Erik XIV imprisoned by 1611 Gustav II conversion to Catholicism
chosen as king in and supporters Vasa dies his brothers at Gripsholms Slott Adolf comes
Strängnäs and stage a peasant to power 1632 Gustav II
marches into revolt in Småland Vasa dynasty’s 1577 Erik XIV dies, Adolf killed at
Stockholm coat of arms probably poisoned battle of Lützen
1525 1550 1575 1600
1527 Reformation: 1561 Eric XIV is crowned 1570 Nordic Seven
Parliament confiscates 1544 Heredi tary king, and his brothers’ Years’ War ends
Church property monarchy powers are curbed 1612 Axel
established for 1587 Johan III’s son Oxenstierna
Gustav Vasa’s male 1569 Johan III Sigismund chosen named State
descen dants crowned in Stockholm as king of Poland Chancellor

018-019_EW_Stockholm.indd 18 19/09/17 12:00 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
History Portrait template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.2)
Date 20th August 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm