Karl Vasa (1550 - 1611)

Born 13 Jun 1550 in Stockholm Castle, Sweden

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 30 Oct 1611 at age 61 in Nyköping Castle, Södermanland, Sweden

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Karl IX Vasa is a member of the House of Vasa.

Karl IX Vasa was a member of the aristocracy in Europe.

Titles

• Hereditary Prince of Sweden (from birth, fourth in line)
• Duke of Södermanland, Närke, Värmland and parts of Västmanland and Västergötland. (1560)
• Head of the nation (1593-1599 in Sigismunds absence and 1599-1604)
• King of Sweden (1604-1611)

Motto

• God is my comfort

Biography

Birth

Karl was born October 4, 1550 at Stockholm Castle as the eleventh child of Gustav Vasa, king of Sweden. His mother was Margareta Leijonhuvud who was the second wife of Gustav Vasa.

Duchies

In 1560 Karl became duke of Södermanland, Närke, Värmland and parts of Västmanland Province and Västergötland Province.

Karl had inherited his father's administrative talents and ran his duchies well. He founded the towns of Filipstad in Värmland and Mariestad in Västergötland Province. He encouraged trade and the extraction and handling of ore. Finnish settlers were brought over the Baltic to settle in the woods of Värmland.

Family Conflicts = Conflicts of the Nation

The oldest of Karl's brothers, Erik XIV, had periods of insanity. Therefor his brothers, Johan and Karl, decided to oppose, and in the end dethrone him in 1568.

Johan became king, Johan III, and the brothers argued over the independence of the duchy.

When Johan dies in 1592, his son Sigismund becomes king. Sigismund is also king of Poland since 1587 and Karl is the head of the nation when Sigismund is in Poland. Karl wants to be the sole regent in the kings absence but members of the nobility work against him. Karl, however, is ruthless and several of the aristocrats flee to Poland.

Disputes over religion, Sigismund was catholic and Karl Lutheran, and domains in Estonia led to war, known as The War Against Sigismund (1598-1599). The war was settled with The Battle at Stångebro (1598). Sigismund was dethroned in 1599 but it was not until 1604, at the Riksdag session in Norrköping, that Karl officially took over the title King of Sweden.

Karl was a revengeful person and executed several of his opponents.

In 1609, from February to May, Karl rides the traditional Eriksgata through Sweden, when the newly elected regent has his election confirmed by the local assemblies.

Wives, Mistresses and Children

As a young man Karl has an affair with a minister's unmarried daughter, Karin Nilsdotter. Together they have a son:

1. Carl Carlsson Gyllenhielm (1574-1650)

During a visit at Heidelberg Castle, where the electoral prince Ludwig VI af Pfalz-Simmern resided, Karl falls in love with the prince's 15 year old daughter Maria af Pfalz (1561-1589). They get married May 11, 1579, and the couple live happily together until Maria passes away in 1589. Together they have six children but only the daughter Katarina reaches adulthood.

1. Margareta Elisabet
2. Elisabet Sabina
3. Ludvig
4. Katarina (1584-1638)
5. Gustav
6. Maria

Karl marries Kristina af Holstein Gottorp (1573-1625), August 27, 1592 at Nyköping Castle. She was the daughter of Duke Adolf van Holstein Gottorp and Kristina van Hessen. Together they have three chrildren.

1. Gustav II Adolf (1594-1632)
2. Karl Filip
3. Maria Elisabet

Death and Burial

Karl died October 30, 1611, at Nyköping Castle. He is buried in Strängnäs Cathedral, Södermanland.

Timeline

• 1550, October 4, born at Stockholm Castle
• 1560, Duke of Södermanland, Närke, Värmland and parts of Västmanland Province and Västergötland Province.
• 1568, helps dethrone his brother Erik XIV
• 1574, his bastard son Karl Karlsson Gyllenhielm is born
• 1579, May 11, marries Maria af Pfalz
• 1592, August 27, marries Kristina af Holstein Gottorp
• 1594, his son # Gustav II Adolf is born.
• 1598-1599 The War Against Sigismund (1598-1599)
• 1599-1604 Head of the Nation
• 1604, March 22 elected to be king of Sweden
• 1604-1611, King of Sweden
• 1607, March 15, crowned king of Sweden
• 1609, February - May rides Eriksgata through Sweden
• 1611, October 30, dies at Nyköping Castle in Södermanland

Sources

See also:

• Svensson, Alex. Sveriges regenter under 1000 år. Svenskt Militärhistoriskt Biblioteks Förlag, 2010. [ ]

• Larsson, Lars-Ove. Vem är vem i svensk historia - Från forntid till år 1900. Rabeén & Sjögren, 1993. [ ]

• Sundberg, Ulf. Kungliga släktband. Historiska Media, 2004. [ ]

• Wikipedia:Charles_IX_of_Sweden
• This WikiTree profile is referenced from Wikidata: Item Q52939, en:Wikipedia
• Find A Grave: Memorial #16024962 Retrieved Sälgö-1 19:34, 29 September 2016 (EDT).
• Svenskt Biografiskt Lexikon #12354 Retrieved Sälgö-1 19:34, 29 September 2016 (EDT)