![Wisborg Castle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Wisborg_Castle.jpg)
Visborg (
Wisborg) refers to a fortress in the town of
Visby
Visby () is an urban area in Sweden and the seat of Gotland Municipality in Gotland County on the island of Gotland with 24,330 inhabitants . Visby is also the episcopal see for the Diocese of Visby. The Hanseatic city of Visby is arguably th ...
on the
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
island of
Gotland. Successive fortresses were built in Visby (''borg'' means fortress or castle), though Visborg is usually in reference to the castle built here by King
Eric of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
History
Duke
Eric
The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization).
The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...
(son of King
Magnus III of Sweden
Magnus III ( 1240 – 18 December 1290), also called Magnus Ladulås, was King of Sweden from 1275 until his death in 1290.
Name
He was the ''first Magnus'' to rule Sweden for any length of time, not generally regarded as a usurper or ...
) appears to be the first to construct a fortress in the southwest corner of Visby in 1310 as part of a struggle between his brothers for control over the kingdoms of Sweden and
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
as well as
Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...
claims on Gotland; this brings Gotland under Norwegian control. King
Magnus IV, son of Duke Eric, then ruled Norway and Sweden. In 1356, King Magnus gave control of Norway to his son, King
Haakon VI Magnusson, though Magnus still remains as King of Sweden.
In July 1361, Danish forces under King
Valdemar Atterdag
Valdemar IV Atterdag (the epithet meaning "Return of the Day"), or Waldemar (132024 October 1375) was King of Denmark from 1340 to 1375. He is mostly known for his reunion of Denmark after the bankruptcy and mortgaging of the country to finance ...
landed in Gotland. On 27 July, Visby was seized and at least 2,000 peasants were killed.
In 1362, Swedish nobles led a revolt and declared Haakon as King of Sweden.
The following year is defining for the future of
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...
. In 1363 l, Haakon and Magnus reconcile and Haakon marries Margaret (Queen
Margaret I of Denmark), the daughter of Valdemar; father and son agree to share the throne of Sweden. The nobles again rise up and offer the crown to Magnus's nephew Duke
Albert of Mecklenburg.
In 1375, King Valdemar of Denmark dies and Margaret ensures that her and Haakon's infant son, Olaf (Olav) is named heir to the throne. Only five years later, in 1380 her husband Haakon, King of Norway, dies making Olaf heir apparent to both thrones of Norway and Denmark upon his becoming of age; until that time his mother acts as Queen Regent to both nations. However, in 1387
Olaf dies, and Margaret becomes ruler of Denmark and Norway.
In 1388, King Albert is driven from Sweden for Margaret to assume the throne. After a failed counter-assault by Albert in 1389, Albert and his son are taken prisoner. Margaret is named ruler of Sweden which angers the
Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg (; nds, label= Low German, Mękel(n)borg ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schweri ...
Dukes. This marks the formation of the
Kalmar Union that unifies the three crowns.
In an attempt to destabilize Denmark, the Mecklenburg's hired the
Victual Brothers
, native_name_lang =
, named_after = french: vitailleurs (provisioners, Hundred Years' War)
, image = Vitalienbrueder, Wandmalerei in d, Kirche zu Bunge auf Gotland, gemalt ca. 1405.JPG
, image_size = 250px ...
, pirates, to disrupt trade in 1392. They used Visby on Gotland as their fortress from which they were a costly menace to all members of the
Hanseatic League. In 1395, after a treaty with the Mecklenburg's, Albert is released with the understanding that he will turn
Stockholm over to Margaret in three years.
Margaret and Albert give Gotland to the
Teutonic Order
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
, with the pledge that the order will remove the Victual Brothers and their fortress in Visby.
Konrad von Jungingen
Konrad V von Jungingen (c. 1355 – 30 March 1407) was a grand master of the Teutonic Order in 1393-1407. Under his administration the Teutonic Order would reach their greatest extent.
Konrad von Jungingen came from the Swabian League. He join ...
, the Grand Master of the Order, takes the Island in 1398 and destroys Visby.
In 1397, Margaret passes rule of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark to her grandnephew
Eric of Pomerania
Eric of Pomerania (1381 or 1382 – 24 September 1459) was the ruler of the Kalmar Union from 1396 until 1439, succeeding his grandaunt, Queen Margaret I. He is known as Eric III as King of Norway (1389–1442), Eric VII as King of Denmark (1 ...
. In 1408 the Teutonic Knights sell Visby to Erik. Three years later he begins construction of Visborg Castle, the most famous of the Visborg fortresses.
In 1430, the
Kalmar Union begins to fall apart. King Eric initiates a number of policies that upset nobles in all three of his kingdoms. Hostilities between the king and the nobles escalate until 1439 when Eric is deposed by
Karl Knutsson Bonde
Charles VIII ( sv, Karl; 1408–1470), contemporaneously known as Charles II and called Charles I in Norwegian context, was king of Sweden (1448–1457, 1464–1465 and 1467–1470) and king of Norway (1449–1450).
Regnal name
Charles was the ...
(later king
Charles VIII of Sweden
Charles VIII ( sv, Karl; 1408–1470), contemporaneously known as Charles II and called Charles I in Norwegian context, was king of Sweden (1448–1457, 1464–1465 and 1467–1470) and king of Norway (1449–1450).
Regnal name
Charles was the ...
) in Sweden and by King
Christopher III
Christopher of Bavaria (26 February 1416 – 5/6 January 1448) was King of Denmark (1440–48, as Christopher III), Sweden (1441–48) and Norway (1442–48) during the era of the Kalmar Union.
Biography
Coming to power
He was the son of Jo ...
, Erik's nephew, in Denmark; Eric was offered the throne of Norway alone, but declined. In response he took up permanent residence in Visborg Castle, but he never relinquished his claim to the throne. Though by 1440, he had no power outside of Gotland.
Christopher reigned as sole monarch of the Kalmar Union until he died in 1448 without an heir. Swedish nobles took the opportunity to crown Karl Knuttsson as King of Sweden and Norway; and
Christian I
Christian I (February 1426 – 21 May 1481) was a Scandinavian monarch under the Kalmar Union. He was king of Denmark (1448–1481), Norway (1450–1481) and Sweden (1457–1464). From 1460 to 1481, he was also duke of Schleswig (within ...
became King of Denmark. This began a long period of warfare between the kings of Denmark and Sweden over who would once again rule over the three kingdoms of the Kalmar Union. With tensions rising, Gotland became an immediate point of conflict. In 1448, Charles launched an invasion of the island and was able to secure all but Visby because of the fortifications at Visborg, still inhabited by the deposed King Eric. Eric made a deal with Christian I in 1448, because they were family, in which he agreed to cede Gotland to the Danes and renounce his claims to the throne in return for safe passage to
Pomerania
Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze; german: Pommern; Kashubian: ''Pòmòrskô''; sv, Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to ...
. Christian agreed and in 1449, a Danish army reinforced the defenses of Visborg by sneaking in under cover of darkness. As the Danes moved in the Swedes evacuated the island. As promised Eric was given safe passage to Pomerania where he ruled the
Duchy of Stolp as Eric I until his death in 1459.
Despite numerous challenges, Denmark retained continuous rule of the island until a
peace treaty
A peace treaty is an agreement between two or more hostile parties, usually countries or governments, which formally ends a state of war between the parties. It is different from an armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring ...
signed in 1645 granted it to Sweden for 30 years. Denmark gained it back in 1676, but three years later Denmark signed another
peace treaty
A peace treaty is an agreement between two or more hostile parties, usually countries or governments, which formally ends a state of war between the parties. It is different from an armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring ...
with Sweden in which they agreed to return Gotland. As the Danish soldiers were leaving Visby that year, they blew up the fortress of Visborg. Some fragments of its structure still can be seen overlooking the harbor of Visby.
After the fortress
Prince Oscar of Sweden, Duke of
Gotland and second in line to the Swedish throne, married without his father's permission, thereby relinquishing his right to succession and royal titles. On 2 February 1892 he was made the first
Count of Wisborg
Count of Wisborg (french: Comte de Wisborg; ; german: Graf von Wisborg) is a title granted by the monarchs of Luxembourg to some men formerly titled as princes of Sweden and their descendants.
Since 1892, the title has been borne by the male-lin ...
by his mother's (
Sophia of Nassau
Sophia of Nassau (Sophia Wilhelmine Marianne Henriette; 9 July 1836 – 30 December 1913) was Queen of Sweden and Norway as the wife of King Oscar II. She was Queen of Sweden for 35 years, longer than anyone before her, and the longest-servin ...
) brother
Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Adolphe (Adolf Wilhelm August Karl Friedrich; 24 July 1817 – 17 November 1905) was Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 23 November 1890 to his death on 17 November 1905. The first grand duke from the House of Nassau-Weilburg, he succeeded King Willia ...
with reference to the old fortress of his former dukedom. Including Oscar there have been four such counts created, three of them Oscar's grandnephews in the 20th century, all former Swedish princes heirs who lost their Swedish titles for marrying without the King of Sweden's consent.
Trivia
Some versions of
F. W. Murnau
Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (born Friedrich Wilhelm Plumpe; December 28, 1888March 11, 1931) was a German film director, producer and screenwriter.
He was greatly influenced by Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Shakespeare and Ibsen plays he had seen at th ...
's 1922 classic horror film ''
Nosferatu
''Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror'' (German: ''Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens'') is a 1922 silent German Expressionist horror film directed by F. W. Murnau and starring Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who preys on the wife ...
'' take place in
Bremen, Germany. In fact the original work of Murnau was supposed to be set in Wisborg (the better restorations of the film use Wisborg, some of the worst use Bremen and
Bram Stoker's names for the characters). The discrepancy results from the work being pieced together from various versions after translation in various countries. The work was filmed in
Delft, the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
and
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
, so it isn't clear why Bremen was chosen by the later
inter-title
In films, an intertitle, also known as a title card, is a piece of filmed, printed text edited into the midst of (i.e., ''inter-'') the photographed action at various points. Intertitles used to convey character dialogue are referred to as "dialo ...
makers – Bremen doesn't have a beach to explain some of the scenes in ''Nosferatu''. That being said, Murnau's selection of Wisborg is unexplained as well. It is unclear whether he was using Wisborg since no city actually exists with the name or if he understood the relation to Visborg and the town name holds a deeper significance.
See also
*
Count of Wisborg
Count of Wisborg (french: Comte de Wisborg; ; german: Graf von Wisborg) is a title granted by the monarchs of Luxembourg to some men formerly titled as princes of Sweden and their descendants.
Since 1892, the title has been borne by the male-lin ...
*
Eric of Pomerania
Eric of Pomerania (1381 or 1382 – 24 September 1459) was the ruler of the Kalmar Union from 1396 until 1439, succeeding his grandaunt, Queen Margaret I. He is known as Eric III as King of Norway (1389–1442), Eric VII as King of Denmark (1 ...
*
Gotland
*
Magnus IV of Sweden
Magnus IV (April or May 1316 – 1 December 1374; Swedish ''Magnus Eriksson'') was King of Sweden from 1319 to 1364, King of Norway as Magnus VII (including Iceland and Greenland) from 1319 to 1355, and ruler of Scania from 1332 to 1360. By ...
*
Margaret I of Denmark
*
Visby
Visby () is an urban area in Sweden and the seat of Gotland Municipality in Gotland County on the island of Gotland with 24,330 inhabitants . Visby is also the episcopal see for the Diocese of Visby. The Hanseatic city of Visby is arguably th ...
External links
Chronology of Swedish History 1300–1399, 1400–1499, 1500–1599, 1600–1699 by Ken Polsson
by Alexander Ganse
by Alexander Ganse
{{coord, 57.63543, 18.28611, display=inline,title, type:landmark
Ruined castles in Sweden
Visby
Buildings and structures in Gotland County