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Gustav Trolle and the Stockholm Bloodbath

Stobaeus, Per LU (2025) In Crossing boundaries : Turku medieval and early modern studies p.69-95
Abstract
Archbishop Gustav Trolle worked for the freedom of the church. He was not afraid to compromise in certain circumstances if it served the church’s cause. His alliance with Christian II came later than is often presumed and was more reactive than calculated. Furthermore, the Bloodbath took place on a scale larger than Trolle had intended. His image has, however, been profoundly influenced by his enemies’ subsequent propaganda. At the time of the Bloodbath, Trolle was intent on revenge. However, both the Swedish council and the pope were open to pardoning Sten Sture’s followers. In this situation, the king was the only one who could help Trolle. The king had to ensure the Swedish council was filled with reliable men. He presented himself as... (More)
Archbishop Gustav Trolle worked for the freedom of the church. He was not afraid to compromise in certain circumstances if it served the church’s cause. His alliance with Christian II came later than is often presumed and was more reactive than calculated. Furthermore, the Bloodbath took place on a scale larger than Trolle had intended. His image has, however, been profoundly influenced by his enemies’ subsequent propaganda. At the time of the Bloodbath, Trolle was intent on revenge. However, both the Swedish council and the pope were open to pardoning Sten Sture’s followers. In this situation, the king was the only one who could help Trolle. The king had to ensure the Swedish council was filled with reliable men. He presented himself as the defender of the church, and claimed that this legitimised his actions, but in time he would prove to offer little help to Trolle. A financially and politically powerful church was not something the king desired. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Gustav Trolle, canon law, heretics
host publication
The Stockholm Bloodbath, 1520 : Context and Commemoration - Context and Commemoration
series title
Crossing boundaries : Turku medieval and early modern studies
editor
Droste, Heiko and Jensen, Kurt Villads
pages
69 - 95
publisher
Amsterdam University Press
ISSN
2589-6423
ISBN
9789048557516
9789463724197
DOI
10.1515/9789048557516-006
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c62aff29-7a90-4e85-b11b-571600e37b10
date added to LUP
2025-06-28 22:41:50
date last changed
2025-07-15 17:17:44
@inbook{c62aff29-7a90-4e85-b11b-571600e37b10,
  abstract     = {{Archbishop Gustav Trolle worked for the freedom of the church. He was not afraid to compromise in certain circumstances if it served the church’s cause. His alliance with Christian II came later than is often presumed and was more reactive than calculated. Furthermore, the Bloodbath took place on a scale larger than Trolle had intended. His image has, however, been profoundly influenced by his enemies’ subsequent propaganda. At the time of the Bloodbath, Trolle was intent on revenge. However, both the Swedish council and the pope were open to pardoning Sten Sture’s followers. In this situation, the king was the only one who could help Trolle. The king had to ensure the Swedish council was filled with reliable men. He presented himself as the defender of the church, and claimed that this legitimised his actions, but in time he would prove to offer little help to Trolle. A financially and politically powerful church was not something the king desired.}},
  author       = {{Stobaeus, Per}},
  booktitle    = {{The Stockholm Bloodbath, 1520 : Context and Commemoration}},
  editor       = {{Droste, Heiko and Jensen, Kurt Villads}},
  isbn         = {{9789048557516}},
  issn         = {{2589-6423}},
  keywords     = {{Gustav Trolle; canon law; heretics}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{69--95}},
  publisher    = {{Amsterdam University Press}},
  series       = {{Crossing boundaries : Turku medieval and early modern studies}},
  title        = {{Gustav Trolle and the Stockholm Bloodbath}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9789048557516-006}},
  doi          = {{10.1515/9789048557516-006}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}