Albert of Sweden
Encyclopedia
Background
He was the second son of Duke Albert II of MecklenburgAlbert II of Mecklenburg
Albrecht II Duke of Mecklenburg was a feudal lord in Northern Germany on the shores of the Baltic Sea. He reigned as the head of the House of Mecklenburg, his princely seat located in Schwerin beginning in the 1350s....
and Euphemia Eriksdotter
Euphemia of Sweden
Eufemia Ericsdotter of Sweden was a Swedish princess, spouse of Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg, Duchess Consort of Mecklenburg, heiress of Sweden and of Norway, mother of king Albert of Sweden.- Biography :Her father was Eric of Sweden Eufemia Ericsdotter of Sweden (1317–1370) was a Swedish...
, the daughter of duke Erik Magnusson of Södermanland
Södermanland
', sometimes referred to under its Latin form Sudermannia or Sudermania, is a historical province or landskap on the south eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Östergötland, Närke, Västmanland and Uppland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea.In Swedish, the province name is...
and the sister of King Magnus IV of Sweden
Magnus IV of Sweden
Magnus Eriksson as Magnus IV was king of Sweden , including Finland, as Magnus VII King of Norway , including Iceland and Greenland, and also ruled Scania . He has also vindictively been called Magnus Smek...
. He married Richardis of Schwerin, daughter of count Otto of Schwerin; she died in 1377 and is today buried in 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...
.
In 1384 he inherited the ducal title of Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
and united it with Sweden in a personal union. Albert based his claims on the Swedish crown upon two family ties with the Swedish House of Sverker
House of Sverker
After the extinction of the House of Stenkil and the ascension of Sverker I of Sweden in 1130, a civil war commenced. In the beginning, there were several pretenders, of whom Sverker I emerged as victorious, for a time...
, both through Albert's mother, through whom he was granted the first place in the Swedish succession order, and through Kristina Sverkersdotter, a daughter of Sverker II of Sweden
Sverker II of Sweden
Sverker II was King of Sweden from 1196 to 1208.-Biography:...
, also known as Sverker the Young. Sverker II had been the king of Sweden between 1196 and 1208.
Reign
In 1363, members of the Swedish Council of Aristocracy, led by Bo Jonsson Grip, arrived in the court of Mecklenburg. They had been banished from the country after a revolt against king Magnus ErikssonMagnus IV of Sweden
Magnus Eriksson as Magnus IV was king of Sweden , including Finland, as Magnus VII King of Norway , including Iceland and Greenland, and also ruled Scania . He has also vindictively been called Magnus Smek...
, who was unpopular among the nobility. At the nobles' request, Albert launched an invasion of Sweden supported by several German dukes and counts. Several Hanseatic
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
cities and dukes in Northern Germany expressed support of the new king. 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...
and Kalmar
Kalmar
Kalmar is a city in Småland in the south-east of Sweden, situated by the Baltic Sea. It had 62,767 inhabitants in 2010 and is the seat of Kalmar Municipality. It is also the capital of Kalmar County, which comprises 12 municipalities with a total of 233,776 inhabitants .From the thirteenth to the...
, with large Hanseatic
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
populations, and also welcomed the intervention.
Albert was proclaimed King of Sweden and officially crowned on 18 February 1364. The coronation took place at the Stones of Mora
Stones of Mora
Stones of Mora was the place where the Swedish kings were elected. The origin of the tradition is unknown.-Mora Meadow:In Lagga parish about 10 km south-east of Uppsala, but in neighbouring Knivsta Municipality, is Mora äng...
. A fragment still remains of the stone commemorating the occasion, the Three Crowns stone. This is the earliest known example of the use of the three crowns as a national symbol for Sweden.
The arrival of Albert led to eight years of civil war in Sweden between Albert's and Magnus' supporters. In a battle near Enköping
Enköping
Enköping is a locality and the seat of Enköping Municipality, Uppsala County, Sweden with 20,204 inhabitants in 2005.- Geography :Enköping is situated near Lake Mälaren, about 78 km west of Stockholm....
in 1365 between Albert's German forces and king Magnus Eriksson
Magnus IV of Sweden
Magnus Eriksson as Magnus IV was king of Sweden , including Finland, as Magnus VII King of Norway , including Iceland and Greenland, and also ruled Scania . He has also vindictively been called Magnus Smek...
's forces, supported by king Haakon VI of Norway
Haakon VI of Norway
Haakon VI of Norway was King of Norway from 1343 until his death and King of Sweden from 1362 until 1364, when he was deposed by Albert of Mecklenburg in Sweden.-Background:...
(Magnus' son), Magnus was defeated and taken prisoner by Albert. After the initial defeat, Valdemar IV of Denmark
Valdemar IV of Denmark
Valdemar IV of Denmark or Waldemar ; , was King of Denmark from 1340 to 1375.-Ascension to the throne:...
intervened on Magnus' and Haakon's behalf, and Valdemar's forces were joined by Swedish peasants who supported Magnus. Apart from German strongholds like Stockholm, Albert was unpopular in large parts of Sweden, especially among Swedish commoners in the provinces, who were discontent with Albert's policy of appointing Germans as officials in all Swedish provinces and who suffered under his rule.
With the help of Danish and Swedish allies, Haakon managed to temporarily beat back Albert and lay siege to Stockholm in 1371. However, the siege was short-lived; with military help from the Swedish nobility in Stockholm, Albert was able beat back the Norwegians and the Danes. A peace agreement was signed, with the condition that Magnus be released and allowed to freely travel back to Norway (where he spent the rest of his life). Albert had secured the Swedish crown, but was also forced to make a belated coronation oath in which he agreed to extensive concessions to the Swedish nobility in the regency council. Bo Jonsson (Grip)
Bo Jonsson (Grip)
Bo Jonsson was head of the royal council and marshal under the regency of Magnus IV of Sweden. Also in the council was his friend and colleague, Karl Ulfsson av Ulvåsa, eldest son of Saint Birgitta...
used this power to personally usurp 1,500 farms and he soon became Sweden's largest landowner, controlling a third of the entirety of the Swedish territory and possessing the largest non-royal wealth in the country.
Deposition
Albert kept the crown of Sweden for another 19 years, but most of western Sweden did not support his reign. However, it was only when he attempted to introduce reductionReduction (Sweden)
In the reductions in Sweden, fiefs that had been granted to the Swedish nobility were returned to the Crown.The first reduction under Charles X Gustav of Sweden in 1655 restored a quarter of "donations" made after 1632. In the Great Reduction of 1680 under Charles XI of Sweden the Crown...
of the large estates of the Swedish nobility that he lost his support in Stockholm. In 1389, facing a loss of landholdings and wealth, the Swedish regency council turned to Margaret I of Denmark
Margaret I of Denmark
Margaret I was Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden and founder of the Kalmar Union, which united the Scandinavian countries for over a century. Although she acted as queen regnant, the laws of contemporary Danish succession denied her formal queenship. Her title in Denmark was derived from her...
to plead for help in getting rid of Albert. Margaret sent troops and in February 1389, the Danes defeated Albert at the Battle of Åsle (slaget vid Åsle). Albert was captured, deposed and sent to Lindholmen Castle
Lindholmen Castle
Lindholmen Castle is a former Danish fortified castle on the banks of lake Börringe in Svedala Municipality, Scania, southern Sweden.-Medieval history:...
in Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
, where he spent the next six years imprisoned. He was released after 16 days of peace negotiations in 1395, during which he agreed to either give up 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...
within three years, or pay large sums in retribution to Margaret. When the three years were up, Albert chose to give up Stockholm rather than pay the fine, and in 1398 the agreement came into force, granting Margaret possession of Stockholm.
After his release, Albert went back to Mecklenburg, where he had been a duke since 1384 when his brother Henry III
Henry III, Duke of Mecklenburg
Henry III, Duke of Mecklenburg was Duke of Mecklenburg from 1379 until his death.- Life :Henry was the first son of Duke Albert II of Mecklenburg and his wife Euphemia of Sweden, the sister of King Magnus II of Sweden....
died. However, as Albert and the Vitalians retreated from Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
, the Teutonic Order captured Gotland
Gotland
Gotland is a county, province, municipality and diocese of Sweden; it is Sweden's largest island and the largest island in the Baltic Sea. At 3,140 square kilometers in area, the region makes up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area...
on Albert's behalf. Gotland was thus not turned over to Denmark until 1408, when Eric of Pomerania
Eric of Pomerania
Eric of Pomerania KG was King Eric III of Norway Norwegian Eirik, King Eric VII of Denmark , and as Eric King of Sweden...
bought it from Albert and the Teutonic Order.
Albert died in 1412 and is buried in the monastery of Doberan, Mecklenburg.
Marriages and children
In 1359 Albert married Richardis of Schwerin in a marriage contracted in WismarWismar
Wismar , is a small port and Hanseatic League town in northern Germany on the Baltic Sea, in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,about 45 km due east of Lübeck, and 30 km due north of Schwerin. Its natural harbour, located in the Bay of Wismar is well-protected by a promontory. The...
on 12 October 1352. The King and Queen had two children:
- EricEric I, Duke of MecklenburgEric I, Duke of Mecklenburg was Duke of Mecklenburg.Eric was the eldest son of Albert III, Duke of Mecklenburg and Richardis, a daughter of Count Otto I of Schwerin....
(died 1397), Swedish crown princeCrown PrinceA crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
and ruler of GothlandGotlandGotland is a county, province, municipality and diocese of Sweden; it is Sweden's largest island and the largest island in the Baltic Sea. At 3,140 square kilometers in area, the region makes up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area... - Richardis Catherine (died 1400), married in PraguePraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
in 1388 to Emperor Charles IVCharles IV, Holy Roman EmperorCharles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
's fifth son John of Bohemia (1370–1396), Margrave of Moravia and Duke of av Görlitz (LusatiaLusatiaLusatia is a historical region in Central Europe. It stretches from the Bóbr and Kwisa rivers in the east to the Elbe valley in the west, today located within the German states of Saxony and Brandenburg as well as in the Lower Silesian and Lubusz voivodeships of western Poland...
)
In February 1396 in Schwerin
Schwerin
Schwerin is the capital and second-largest city of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population, as of end of 2009, was 95,041.-History:...
Albert married Agnes of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Agnes of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Agnes of Brunswick-Lüneburg was a Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg by birth and by marriage Duchess of Pomerania and later Duchess of Mecklenburg. She was the daughter of Duke Magnus II of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Catharine of Anhalt-Bernburg Agnes of Brunswick-Lüneburg (born: before 1356; died:...
(died 1430/1434). They had a son:
- Albert V of MecklenburgAlbert V, Duke of MecklenburgAlbert V, Duke of Mecklenburg was Duke of Mecklenburg from 1412 until his death.Albert V was the son of Albert III and Agnes, daughter of Duke Magnus of Brunswick. Albert III died in 1412 and, in accordance with an agreement with John IV, Agnes acted as guardian and regent for Albert V. In 1415...
(died 1423), Duke of MecklenburgMecklenburgMecklenburg is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
and SchwerinSchwerinSchwerin is the capital and second-largest city of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population, as of end of 2009, was 95,041.-History:...
Ancestry
Other sources
- Nordberg, Michael I kung Magnus tid. (Stockholm: Norstedts, 1995) ISBN 91-1-952122-7
- Den svenska historien: Medeltid 1319-1520. (Stockholm: Bonniers, 1966) p. 74-83
- Hagen, Ellen Margareta - Nordens drottning. (Stockholm: Saxon & Lindströms förlag, 1953) ISBN 9915109830
- Larsson, Lars-Olof Kalmarunionens tid. (Stockholm: Prisma, Andra upplagan 1997) ISBN 9151842173