Christina Gyllenstierna
Christina Gyllenstierna, the defender of Stockholm, was a Swedish noblewoman that led the Swedish resistance against Christian II of Denmark. She married Sten Sture the Younger, and was a trusted political advisor to him throughout his leadership, until his death. After his death, Christina emerged as a fearless defender and put all her effort into protecting Stockholm from Christian II of Denmark. Despite her effort, Stockholm fell. Christina was captured and sent to Copenhagen as a prisoner of war with other Swedish women and children. There she stayed until Frederick I of Denmark agreed to release them. After her release, Christina began a power struggle with King Gustav of Sweden, trying to reclaim the throne for her son. Unfortunately, she did not succeed and was married off to Gustav's uncle in order for him to get her out of the way.
Christina's contributions were extremely important in the defense of her country. She became a symbol for Swedes of nationality and courage. She was able to delay the attack of the Danish long enough that Swedish forces were able to regroup and fight back, even though Stockholm still eventually fell. Her story was also used by Gustav in order to rally the Swedish people, so she was very much a symbol to the Swedes. She was also a woman in leadership, which was very uncommon for her time. What she was able to accomplish for her country provide us with an example of what women can do and challenge society's views of women in politics. Her legacy is one of Swedish empowerment and national unity.
In my opinion, Christina Gyllenstierna has been commemorated well throughout Sweden. Her statue was built right outside the palace, which shows her as the defender of Stockholm that she was. I think that this is wonderful because it is in a central place where there is a lot of foot traffic, and it really signifies her role in history. There are also many other sculptures and depictions of her throughout Stockholm and other parts of Sweden. The Swedes also love her and respect her which I think is so cool! It is not often that we have seen women in power get the recognition that they deserve from the people of their country.
Photo creds to Valerie! ;)
And thanks to Dr Oscarson for all of the cool background info!
Great post Lilly! She had a lot of pushback in her attempt to reclaim the throne for her son. Got taken out of the country and fought for power twice on two fronts. Today, women still face a lot of adversity in high positions like she did. We learn from her story that this has gone on for generations. The time is now to change it.
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ReplyDeleteShe encountered significant resistance in her efforts to reclaim the throne for her sons. She was facing exile and fighting two battles for power. Today, women continue to confront similar challenges in attaining positions of authority, echoing the adversity she endured. Her story underscores the enduring struggle women have faced across generations, emphasizing the urgency for change in our time.
Hey Lilly nice post! One thing I was thinking about in relation to commemoration is that there are so many women in Sweden named Christina which I learned while I was working on Swedish’s immigrant census records. I think this is a form of commemoration because it shows that she was important enough to mothers and fathers to name their kids in her honor. I think commemoration can be more than just statues!
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