The Middle Ages Historical murders and executions in Stockholm

1 middle ages

1.1 murder , manslaughter among populace
1.2 käpplinge murders
1.3 medieval legislation
1.4 fights , honor
1.5 political murders
1.6 stockholm bloodbath

the middle ages
murder , manslaughter among populace

one of stockholms tänkeböcker, logs of court cases in stockholm city court.



a section of country law of magnus eriksson begins illustration depicting hanging.

according stockholm tänkeböcker, fair assume violence deadly outcome hundred times more common during middle ages compared today. usually, cases of manslaughter involved 2 intoxicated men fighting each other, resulting in either party s death. if surviving party report event , turn himself in, punishment less grave. murder more serious crime, if perpetrator attempt hide fact.

the käpplinge murders

hostility between german merchants , populace of stockholm led so-called käpplinge murders. on 14 june 1389, german hättebröder, soldiers , merchants marched towards stortorget , gathered near kåkbrinken. germans read aloud list of names of 76 swedish traitors taken custody. number of them locked inside tre kronor castle, , others taken gråmunkeholmen (riddarholmen). captives tortured saws. on 17 june prisoners inside tre kronor castle ferried on käpplingeholmen (blasieholmen) locked inside building set on fire. smallest amount of victims of käpplinge murders noted 15, highest 76.

medieval legislation

a quite harsh legislation composed of magnus erikssons stadslag , magnus erikssons landslag, made death penalty legal thieves still did not manage deter criminals. 140 persons executed between 1474 , 1492 in stockholm. 50 persons had been convicted of violent crimes such manslaughter, murder , assault. 90 thieves , robbers. chapter addressing thievery in magnus erikssons landslag introduced picture depicting hanging. text promotes corporal punishment against children in order prevent them turning criminals. human life not worth during middle ages. if sweden exercise death penalty @ same level today, around 1 560 persons executed yearly, or 4 people daily.

fights , honor

the common incidents fights between 2 men intoxicated. common murder weapon knife, every man carried one. less common weapons included wooden logs, stein (beer mugs), axes, hammers , furniture. insulting ones honor justification deadly violence. third of cases of murder , manslaughter during 1500s involved honor-related conflicts. minor conflicts triggered murder. on 9 june 1589, knight known anders accused of murder of farmhand bengt persson. had been shooting darts , when anders missed target, bengt mocked him whistling. enough anders draw knife , stab bengt in head. court ruled murder such minor reason not right , therefore sentenced anders death penalty.

some of courts sentences today difficult comprehend. persons committed murder or manslaughter not sentenced death, example when flayer known henrik charged manslaughter on 18 june 1492 killing servant. henrik later freed charges since turned out servant envious of henrik, considered sinful. on 17 december 1498, klas larsson utsunda village accused of murder. sentenced death, because jury stated see in eyes guilty.

political murders

besides murder , manslaughter among general population, political murders not uncommon occurrences in stockholm. common cases politicians desired rid of competitors or punish critics. oldest documented cases of category goes 1280, when king magnus ladulås ordered execution of 3 members of privy council, had been accused of several traitorous acts against throne .

another notable case execution of torkel knutsson on 10 february 1306. after being sentenced death, killed decapitation on pelarbacken (götgatsbacken) , buried in grey friar s abbey. capture , subsequent execution of torkel result of agreement between king birger magnusson , brothers in order stop torkels dominance of government.

karin månsdotter, erik xiv , jöran persson, painted georg von rosen in 1871.

magnus birgersson, son of birger magnusson, did not die natural death either. prince , capable of threatening throne. on 21 october 1320 sentenced death , executed week later @ helgeandsholmen. received honorable funeral @ riddarholm church.

the knight broder svensson tjurhuvud forced pay life in 1436 after had publicly expressed dismay against king. had insulted king charles viii harsh words, when had not received castle fief. arrested , executed on brunkebergstorg.

betrayal against king not acceptable either , punishable death. måns bryntesson lilliehöök, 1 of sweden s eminent men in 1520s, suffered death penalty in 1529 when participated in westrogothian rebellion against king gustav vasa. rebellion failed, , king offered lilliehöök mercy. but, in belief evidence incriminating him had been destroyed, lilliehöök declined , demanded trial held. authorities did have evidence, , in 1529, riksdag @ strängnäs sentenced him death. lilliehöök attempted escape custody, fell , broke femur. after crawling way out of city, found hiding in field. on 7 september 1529, lilliehöök executed decapitation on södermalmstorg. head impaled on spear , body buried @ riddarholm church.

in cases, kings have murdered people. in 1568, king eric xiv beat secretary martin olai helsingius death stove poker. martin had allegedly advised king against pardoning former secretary jöran persson, trusted advisor , friend of king, whom swedish people despised. persson had been accused of causing looting of svartsjö palace in 1567 , sture murders same year. received verdict on 28 september 1568 , punished honorless, faithless , perjurous traitor, rogue , villain . martins punishment cruel. both of ears nailed against gallows, along patent of nobility. later hinged onto gallows, before death brought down again. , subjected breaking wheel torture @ brunkebergstorg. beheaded , body nailed stake, body observed in public. regular practice during middle ages in sweden, until outlawed in 1841.

stockholm bloodbath


two scenes blodbadstavlan. left, 2 bishops beheaded; right, grave of sten sture younger s being dug up.

the largest group of political murder cases in stockholm undeniably stockholm bloodbath, revolves around looting , followed executions between 7 november och 9 november 1520. events took place 3 days following coronation of christian ii king of sweden. when coronation party guests called meeting @ tre kronor castle. archbishop gustav trolles demands of economic compensation demolishing of castle led question if previous regent sten sture younger , followers should found guilty of heresy or not. supported canon law, approximately 82 persons executed during following days. executions performed on stortorget , commenced in afternoon of 8 november beheadings of bishops mattias och vincent. 15 members of nobility thereafter beheaded sword, thereafter mayor of stockholm along advisors killed hanging. on 9 november, servants belonging executed parts of nobility executed. bonfires lit on södermalm in same area katarina graveyard laid out on 10 november. grave of sten sture younger in black friars monastery dug , thrown in bonfire on pelarbacken. events immortalized in 1524 on blodbadstavlan (literally bloodbath painting ) contains 1 of oldest known depictions of city of stockholm.