När Gustav Vasa blev kung!

Jag gör ett besök i Strängnäs och den plats där Gustav Vasa blev vald till kung den 6 juni 1523. Men hur gick det egentligen till?

english introduction:

How Gustav Vasa Became King of Sweden

On 6 June 1523, Gustav Eriksson Vasa was elected King of Sweden in Strängnäs. But the election was not a carefully planned ceremony—and Gustav Vasa was not even present when it took place.

Sweden was still fighting to break away from the Kalmar Union. Stockholm and Kalmar remained under the control of forces loyal to the deposed Danish king Christian II. Gustav Vasa’s rebellion had depended heavily on money, weapons and professional soldiers supplied by the powerful Hanseatic city of Lübeck.

Lübeck now wanted guarantees. It expected repayment of its loans and freedom from Swedish customs duties. Supporting Gustav Vasa as king was one way to secure those promises—and also to prevent the new Danish king, Frederick I, from restoring the union under his own rule.

The exact location of the election is uncertain, but it probably took place outside Strängnäs Cathedral. Gustav Vasa waited nearby in Roggeborgen while the Swedish nobles chose him as king.

Lübeck may have believed that Sweden’s new ruler would remain dependent on them. History would soon prove otherwise.

Watch the video to discover how an improvised meeting in Strängnäs helped create an independent Swedish kingdom.

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