Sten Sture the Younger
Encyclopedia
Sten Sture the Younger , Lord of Ekesiö (1493 – February 3, 1520), was a Swedish statesman and regent of Sweden
, under the era of the Kalmar Union
.
, a descendant of the Sture
of Ekesiö family, and Iliana Gisladotter Gädda, heiress of Ulvåsa
.
At the death of his father, the regent Svante, young Sten was only 18 years old. High Councillor Eric Trolle
was chosen as regent by the council—he supported union with Denmark. However, young Sten utilized the castles and troops fiefed to him by his late father and made a coup. After Sten promised to continue union negotiations with Denmark, the High Council accepted him as regent instead of Trolle.
In reality, lord Sten's purpose was to keep Sweden independent of Denmark. He took the Sture name, heritage from his great-grandmother, because it symbolized independence of Sweden as reminder of Sten Sture the Elder, his father's third cousin.
Regent Sten knew that sooner or later, a war with Hans of Denmark (died 1513) and his son and successor Christian II would be inevitable. Therefore he in 1513 agreed to a truce with Russia.
A conflict arose between Regent Sten and archbishop Gustav Trolle
, son of Eric Trolle
. The archbishop claimed more autonomy for the church. Regent Sten had the archbishop deposed and imprisoned.
Finally, Christian II started an invasion of Sweden. Regent Sten was mortally wounded at the battle of Bogesund
on January 19, 1520, in the last part of Christian II of Denmark
's war against Sweden, and died on the ice of lake Mälaren
on his way back to Stockholm
.
Christian II was enthroned in Sweden and archbishop Gustav had his revenge against supporters of Sture and against those who deposed the archbishop: he listed those enemies and accusations against them, dubbing them as heretics. King Christian had those accused executed at the Stockholm bloodbath
in late 1520, including Sten Sture's corpse which was desecrated as a heretic's (burnt at the stake).
His marriage to Christina Gyllenstierna
, great-granddaughter of King Charles VIII
, in 1511 produced the son Svante Stensson Sture
, later elevated to be 1st Count Sture, Count
of Stegeholm. In 20th century, his distant direct descendant, Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha married the Hereditary Prince Gustaf Adolf, and with Sibylla's son, King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden, Sten Sture the younger's blood returned to the Swedish throne.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, under the era of the Kalmar Union
Kalmar Union
The Kalmar Union is a historiographical term meaning a series of personal unions that united the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway , and Sweden under a single monarch, though intermittently and with a population...
.
Life
He was born in 1493, as the son of regent Svante NilssonSvante Nilsson (regent of Sweden)
Svante Nilsson was a Swedish statesman and regent of Sweden 1504 – January 2, 1512. He was born around 1460 as the son of Nils Bosson of the family of Natt och Dag...
, a descendant of the Sture
Sture
Sture was the name of two influential families in Sweden from the late 15th century to the early 16th century. One member of one of these families and two members of the other served as Regents of Sweden in the Kalmar Union between 1470 and 1520...
of Ekesiö family, and Iliana Gisladotter Gädda, heiress of Ulvåsa
Ulvåsa
Ulvåsa, or Ulfåsa, is an mansion by lake Boren outside Motala in Östergötland, Sweden. The construction of the present mansion began in the 16th century. In the early 19th century a third floor was added and it got its present architecture....
.
At the death of his father, the regent Svante, young Sten was only 18 years old. High Councillor Eric Trolle
Eric Trolle
Eric Trolle was elected regent of Sweden in 1512, during the era of Kalmar Union. He was Justiciar of Närke and a Lord High Councillor of Sweden from 1487.-Biography:...
was chosen as regent by the council—he supported union with Denmark. However, young Sten utilized the castles and troops fiefed to him by his late father and made a coup. After Sten promised to continue union negotiations with Denmark, the High Council accepted him as regent instead of Trolle.
In reality, lord Sten's purpose was to keep Sweden independent of Denmark. He took the Sture name, heritage from his great-grandmother, because it symbolized independence of Sweden as reminder of Sten Sture the Elder, his father's third cousin.
Regent Sten knew that sooner or later, a war with Hans of Denmark (died 1513) and his son and successor Christian II would be inevitable. Therefore he in 1513 agreed to a truce with Russia.
A conflict arose between Regent Sten and archbishop Gustav Trolle
Gustav Trolle
Gustav Eriksson Trolle was Archbishop of Uppsala, Sweden, in two sessions, during the turbulent Reformation events.After returning from studies abroad, in Cologne and Rome, he was in 1513 elected vicar in Linköping. One year later he became Archbishop of Uppsala...
, son of Eric Trolle
Eric Trolle
Eric Trolle was elected regent of Sweden in 1512, during the era of Kalmar Union. He was Justiciar of Närke and a Lord High Councillor of Sweden from 1487.-Biography:...
. The archbishop claimed more autonomy for the church. Regent Sten had the archbishop deposed and imprisoned.
Finally, Christian II started an invasion of Sweden. Regent Sten was mortally wounded at the battle of Bogesund
Battle of Bogesund
The Battle of Bogesund was an important conflict in the campaign of Christian II to gain power over Sweden. In 1520, Christian's army of mercenaries had landed in Sweden, seeking to consolidate Christian's powers over Sweden within the Kalmar Union and to unseat the rebellious Swedish viceroy Sten...
on January 19, 1520, in the last part of Christian II of Denmark
Christian II of Denmark
Christian II was King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden , during the Kalmar Union.-Background:...
's war against Sweden, and died on the ice of lake Mälaren
Mälaren
Lake Mälaren is the third-largest lake in Sweden, after Lakes Vänern and Vättern. Its area is 1,140 km² and its greatest depth is 64 m. Mälaren spans 120 kilometers from east to west...
on his way back to Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
.
Christian II was enthroned in Sweden and archbishop Gustav had his revenge against supporters of Sture and against those who deposed the archbishop: he listed those enemies and accusations against them, dubbing them as heretics. King Christian had those accused executed at the Stockholm bloodbath
Stockholm Bloodbath
The Stockholm Bloodbath, or the Stockholm Massacre , took place as the result of a successful invasion of Sweden by Danish forces under the command of King Christian II...
in late 1520, including Sten Sture's corpse which was desecrated as a heretic's (burnt at the stake).
His marriage to Christina Gyllenstierna
Christina Gyllenstierna
Christina Nilsdotter of Fogelvik, Heiress of Tullgarn , was the wife of the Swedish regent Sten Sture the Younger, and after his death, leader of resistance to Christian II of Denmark...
, great-granddaughter of King Charles VIII
Charles VIII of Sweden
Charles VIII of Sweden , Charles I of Norway, also Carl, , was king of Sweden and king of Norway ....
, in 1511 produced the son Svante Stensson Sture
Svante Stensson Sture
Svante Stensson Sture or Svante Sture the Younger was a Swedish count, riksmarsk and statesman. From 1562 to 1564, during the Livonian War, he was governor of Estonia....
, later elevated to be 1st Count Sture, Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
of Stegeholm. In 20th century, his distant direct descendant, Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha married the Hereditary Prince Gustaf Adolf, and with Sibylla's son, King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden, Sten Sture the younger's blood returned to the Swedish throne.
External links
- http://www.historiesajten.se/visainfo.asp?id=229 (Sweden)