Gustav I of Sweden, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

    

Gustav I of Sweden

King of Sweden

Date of Birth: 12-May-1496

Place of Birth: Rydboholm Castle, Sweden

Date of Death: 29-Sep-1560

Profession: politician

Nationality: Sweden

Zodiac Sign: Taurus


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About Gustav I of Sweden

  • Gustav I, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known as Gustav Vasa (12 May 1496 – 29 September 1560), was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death in 1560, previously self-recognised Protector of the Realm (RiksförestĂĄndare) from 1521, during the ongoing Swedish War of Liberation against King Christian II of Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
  • Initially of low standing, Gustav rose to lead the rebel movement following the Stockholm Bloodbath, where his father was executed.
  • Gustav's election as King on 6 June 1523 and his triumphant entry into Stockholm eleven days later marked Sweden's final secession from the Kalmar Union.As king, Gustav proved an enigmatic administrator with a ruthless streak not inferior to his predecessor's, brutally suppressing subsequent uprisings (three in Dalarna – which had once been the first region to support his claim to the throne – one in Västergötland, and one in SmĂĄland).
  • He worked to raise taxes and bring about a Reformation in Sweden, replacing the prerogatives of local landowners, noblemen and clergy with centrally appointed governors and bishops.
  • His 37-year rule, which was the longest of a mature Swedish king to that date (subsequently passed by Gustav V and Carl XVI Gustav) saw a complete break with not only the Danish supremacy but also the Roman Catholic Church, whose assets were nationalised, with the Lutheran Church of Sweden established under his personal control.
  • He became the first truly autocratic native Swedish sovereign and was a skilled bureaucrat and propagandist, with tales of his largely fictitious adventures during the liberation struggle still widespread to date.
  • In 1544, he abolished Medieval Sweden's elective monarchy and replaced it with a hereditary monarchy under the House of Vasa and its successors, including the current House of Bernadotte.
  • Thus, three of his sons, Eric XIV, John III and Charles IX, all held the kingship at different points.Gustav I has subsequently been labelled the founder of modern Sweden, and the "father of the nation".
  • Gustav liked to compare himself to Moses, whom he believed to have also liberated his people and established a sovereign state.
  • As a person, Gustav was known for ruthless methods and a bad temper, but also a fondness for music and had a certain sly wit and ability to outmaneuver and annihilate his opponents.
  • He founded one of the now oldest orchestras of the world, the Kungliga Hovkapellet (Royal Court Orchestra).
  • Royal housekeeping accounts from 1526 mention twelve musicians including wind players and a timpanist but no string players.
  • Today the Kungliga Hovkapellet is the orchestra of the Royal Swedish Opera.

Read more at Wikipedia

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