Anna of Finland
Encyclopedia
Anna Vasa or Anna of Sweden also Anne (17 May 1568 – 26 February 1625) was a Swedish princess. She was the sister of the monarch of Poland, Sweden and Lithuania, Sigismund III Vasa
, and starosta
of Brodnica
and Golub
.
of Poland
. Her birth took place in Eskilstuna
and was just after her family was released from captivity at Gripsholm, during which she had been conceived.
Her father ascended in 1569 to the throne of Sweden. Although her mother had raised her in Catholicism, she converted to the Lutheran faith later in 1580s. In 1587, Her brother became King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. Anna went with her brother to Poland in 1587, but was sent back in 1589 because the Polish court greatly disliked her being a Lutheran and the influence she had over her brother. After this she lived in Sweden during the reign of her father.
Anna engaged herself to marry her father's first cousin, Count Gustav Brahe who was a general in Poland. She fell in love with him as a child - he was raised at the royal court. The couple later met at the house of Brahes sister, Ebba Sparre, meetings which was considered scandalous: it was said, that Brahe had plans to take the throne through a marriage with Anna. In 1589, Brahe came to Poland, and her brother Sigismund was not averse to the idea. Although it was not the most desirable marriage proposed to her, she declined all other suitors. However, time passed and nothing came of her intended marriage. A definite explanation of this has not been found in historical sources.
When Sigismund succeeded in Sweden in 1592, he planned to make Anna the Regent
of that kingdom, while he was to reside in Poland. Instead, their uncle, Charles, Duke of Södermanland
, got the Swedish council
to appoint himself. Duke Charles, a fierce Protestant, however, called Anna a poison
er and used that in denigration of Sigismund. In 1595, she arranged for the wedding between her lady-in-waiting
Sigrid Brahe and Johan Gyllenstierna against the consent of the couple's families: this became a considered a scandal
, as Brahe was engaged to another man by her family. Anna was much disliked by her uncle, the regent and future king.
When her uncle took the throne in 1598, she left for Poland
to live in her brother Sigismund III
's, court, where she spent the rest of her life. She was known as Anna of Svecia (Anna of Sweden) and was a Protestant member of a Catholic royal family. She did, however, return to the Swedish court on several brief occasions, among them in 1618.
Anna remained unmarried. In 1596, she was engaged to marry George John, Margrave of Brandenburg; the dowry and the date was decided, but the wedding was canceled for political reasons before it had been completed.
She was her brother's political advisor and acted as protector for the exiled Swedish loyalists and Protestants. She had to leave the court in Poland, because she insisted on staying Lutheran, but as an income she received administration of Strasburg
in Royal Prussia.
Anna's appanage
was Strasburg (now Brodnica
), a Royal Prussia
n district in Poland near the Baltic
, where she lived in Golub
and Strasburg in the 1620s. She became very respected because of her great learning. She was interested in literature, music, gardening and medicine. She was a specialist in medicinal herbs and kept her own apothecary
. By the help of an Italian assistant, she made her own experiments in herbal medical knowledge.
She was buried at the Church of St.Mary in Toruń
, Poland several years after her death, as a Pope had first forbidden the burial of a Protestant in a blessed graveyard in Catholic Poland. Only her nephew, king Władysław IV Vasa
, got that decree reversed. He built a beautiful black Dębnik
marble
tomb monument with a white alabaster figure of his beloved aunt.
Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, a monarch of the united Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1587 to 1632, and King of Sweden from 1592 until he was deposed in 1599...
, and starosta
Starosta
Starost is a title for an official or unofficial position of leadership that has been used in various contexts through most of Slavic history. It can be translated as "elder"...
of Brodnica
Brodnica
Brodnica is a town in northern Poland with 27,400 inhabitants . Previously part of Toruń Voivodeship [a province], from 1975 to 1998, Brodnica has been situated in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999...
and Golub
Golub-Dobrzyn
Golub-Dobrzyń is a town in central Poland, located on the both sides of the Drwęca River. Situated in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship , it was previously in the Torun Voivodeship...
.
Biography
Anna was the youngest child of Duke John of Finland and Catherine Jagellonica, sister of Sigismund II AugustusSigismund II Augustus
Sigismund II Augustus I was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, the only son of Sigismund I the Old, whom Sigismund II succeeded in 1548...
of Poland
Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)
The Kingdom of Poland of the Jagiellons was the Polish state created by the accession of Jogaila , Grand Duke of Lithuania, to the Polish throne in 1386. The Union of Krewo or Krėva Act, united Poland and Lithuania under the rule of a single monarch...
. Her birth took place in Eskilstuna
Eskilstuna
Eskilstuna is a city and the seat of Eskilstuna Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 60,185 inhabitants in 2005. Eskilstuna has a large Sweden Finn population....
and was just after her family was released from captivity at Gripsholm, during which she had been conceived.
Her father ascended in 1569 to the throne of Sweden. Although her mother had raised her in Catholicism, she converted to the Lutheran faith later in 1580s. In 1587, Her brother became King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. Anna went with her brother to Poland in 1587, but was sent back in 1589 because the Polish court greatly disliked her being a Lutheran and the influence she had over her brother. After this she lived in Sweden during the reign of her father.
Anna engaged herself to marry her father's first cousin, Count Gustav Brahe who was a general in Poland. She fell in love with him as a child - he was raised at the royal court. The couple later met at the house of Brahes sister, Ebba Sparre, meetings which was considered scandalous: it was said, that Brahe had plans to take the throne through a marriage with Anna. In 1589, Brahe came to Poland, and her brother Sigismund was not averse to the idea. Although it was not the most desirable marriage proposed to her, she declined all other suitors. However, time passed and nothing came of her intended marriage. A definite explanation of this has not been found in historical sources.
When Sigismund succeeded in Sweden in 1592, he planned to make Anna the Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of that kingdom, while he was to reside in Poland. Instead, their uncle, Charles, Duke of Södermanland
Charles IX of Sweden
Charles IX of Sweden also Carl, was King of Sweden from 1604 until his death. He was the youngest son of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife, Margaret Leijonhufvud, brother of Eric XIV and John III of Sweden, and uncle of Sigismund III Vasa king of both Sweden and Poland...
, got the Swedish council
Privy Council of Sweden
The High Council of Sweden or Council of the Realm consisted originally of those men of noble, common and clergical background, that the king saw fit for advisory service...
to appoint himself. Duke Charles, a fierce Protestant, however, called Anna a poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
er and used that in denigration of Sigismund. In 1595, she arranged for the wedding between her lady-in-waiting
Lady-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
Sigrid Brahe and Johan Gyllenstierna against the consent of the couple's families: this became a considered a scandal
Scandal
A scandal is a widely publicized allegation or set of allegations that damages the reputation of an institution, individual or creed...
, as Brahe was engaged to another man by her family. Anna was much disliked by her uncle, the regent and future king.
When her uncle took the throne in 1598, she left for Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
to live in her brother Sigismund III
Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, a monarch of the united Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1587 to 1632, and King of Sweden from 1592 until he was deposed in 1599...
's, court, where she spent the rest of her life. She was known as Anna of Svecia (Anna of Sweden) and was a Protestant member of a Catholic royal family. She did, however, return to the Swedish court on several brief occasions, among them in 1618.
Anna remained unmarried. In 1596, she was engaged to marry George John, Margrave of Brandenburg; the dowry and the date was decided, but the wedding was canceled for political reasons before it had been completed.
She was her brother's political advisor and acted as protector for the exiled Swedish loyalists and Protestants. She had to leave the court in Poland, because she insisted on staying Lutheran, but as an income she received administration of Strasburg
Brodnica
Brodnica is a town in northern Poland with 27,400 inhabitants . Previously part of Toruń Voivodeship [a province], from 1975 to 1998, Brodnica has been situated in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999...
in Royal Prussia.
Anna's appanage
Appanage
An apanage or appanage or is the grant of an estate, titles, offices, or other things of value to the younger male children of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture...
was Strasburg (now Brodnica
Brodnica
Brodnica is a town in northern Poland with 27,400 inhabitants . Previously part of Toruń Voivodeship [a province], from 1975 to 1998, Brodnica has been situated in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999...
), a Royal Prussia
Royal Prussia
Royal Prussia was a Region of the Kingdom of Poland and of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth . Polish Prussia included Pomerelia, Chełmno Land , Malbork Voivodeship , Gdańsk , Toruń , and Elbląg . It is distinguished from Ducal Prussia...
n district in Poland near the Baltic
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, where she lived in Golub
Golub-Dobrzyn
Golub-Dobrzyń is a town in central Poland, located on the both sides of the Drwęca River. Situated in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship , it was previously in the Torun Voivodeship...
and Strasburg in the 1620s. She became very respected because of her great learning. She was interested in literature, music, gardening and medicine. She was a specialist in medicinal herbs and kept her own apothecary
Apothecary
Apothecary is a historical name for a medical professional who formulates and dispenses materia medica to physicians, surgeons and patients — a role now served by a pharmacist and some caregivers....
. By the help of an Italian assistant, she made her own experiments in herbal medical knowledge.
She was buried at the Church of St.Mary in Toruń
Torun
Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....
, Poland several years after her death, as a Pope had first forbidden the burial of a Protestant in a blessed graveyard in Catholic Poland. Only her nephew, king Władysław IV Vasa
Władysław IV Vasa
Władysław IV Vasa was a Polish and Swedish prince from the House of Vasa. He reigned as King of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 8 November 1632 to his death in 1648....
, got that decree reversed. He built a beautiful black Dębnik
Debnik
Dębnik may refer to the following places:*Dębnik, Lesser Poland Voivodeship *Dębnik, Lubusz Voivodeship *Dębnik, Opole Voivodeship *Dębnik, Pomeranian Voivodeship...
marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
tomb monument with a white alabaster figure of his beloved aunt.