Axel Oxenstierna palace [SEP] architect
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Axel Oxenstierna


place at Fiholm Castle, owned by the Oxenstierna family. They had 13 children, of which five survived their childhoods: Axel Oxenstierna's wife Anna died in 1649. Oxenstierna was in possession of large estates and many mansions. During his life he owned palaces in, among others, Estonian Otepää, in Latvian Burtnieki, Ropaži and Valmiera, in Finnish Nousiainen (Nousis) and in Stockholm (Oxenstiernska Palace). The foremost of the mansions was Tidö Castle in Västmanland. Axel Oxenstierna is perhaps most remembered for the establishment of
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Tyresö Palace


, nephew of Swedish Regent and Lord High Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna. Both she and her husband's family were extremely wealthy. Maria Sofia resided in Tyresö Palace, from where she managed her estates around the Baltic Sea, until 1694. Between 1699 and 1737, the writer Maria Gustava Gyllenstierna lived at the palace. During the 1770s the palace was modernized and the first English garden in Sweden was created. Planned by the garden architect Fredrik Magnus Piper, it is a mixture of an English park, a Swedish floral meadow and images
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Axel Oxenstierna


1654. He was interred in Storkyrkan, Stockholm on 18 March 1655. His body was then moved to Jäder Church close to the Oxenstierna estate at Fiholm, in present-day Eskilstuna Municipality, where a vault had been built in accordance with his wishes. In the vault, "Oxenstiernska gravvalvet", several members of the Oxenstierna family have been buried, including Axel and his spouse Anna. On 5 June 1608 Axel Oxenstierna married Anna Åkesdotter Bååt, the daughter of nobleman Åke Johansson Bååt and Christina Trolle. The wedding took
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Axel Oxenstierna


of the modern central administrative structure of the State, including the creation of counties (). Oxenstierna was born on 16 June 1583, at Fånö in Uppland, the son of Gustaf Gabrielsson Oxenstierna (1551–1597) and Barbro Axelsdotter Bielke (1556–1624), as the oldest of nine siblings. His parents belonged to the ancient and influential high noble families of Oxenstierna and Bielke, both of which had held high offices in the state and the church for generations. After the death of her husband Gustaf, Axel's mother Barbro decided
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Stockholm Palace


making it partially enclosed by buildings. Of interest are Tessin 's additions in pencil on that map, probably made at the end of the 17th century. There is an early sketch for the northern facade's west wing and the two curved wings enclosing the outer courtyard (both executed). Tessin also made plans for the city area west of the palace with large stairs in false perspective where the Axel Oxenstierna palace, among other buildings, are and joining the Västerlånggatan in addition to a wide street to the present Mynttorget, straight
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Högvaktsterrassen


in the present name suggested by the linguist Adolf Noreen (1854–1925). Designed by Jean de la Vallée (1620–1696), the palace of the mighty chancellor Axel Oxenstierna was started in 1653 shortly before the death of the proprietor. The present building, merely a wing of the huge palace originally intended for the site, introduced the Roman palace architecture acting by means of elaborately decorated windows on a plain plastered wall. The interplay with the urban setting is underlined by the projecting parts of the southern façade being aligned to the street
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Axel Oxenstierna


the proper age to be considered adult enough to rule as king. However, the estates agreed to disregard those rules. In return, the young king agreed to ensure the nobles further privileges and appoint Axel Oxenstierna Lord High Chancellor. On 6 January 1612 Oxenstierna became Lord High Chancellor ("Rikskansler") of the Privy Council. His controlling, organizing hand soon became apparent in every branch of the administration. Sweden was at the time troubled by three wars against Denmark (Kalmar War), Poland-Lithuania (Polish-
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Rosersberg Palace


style of the time started in 1634 and was completed in 1638. In the late 17th century, the Renaissance style was out of fashion and Oxenstierna's son, Bengt Oxenstierna, had it radically modernised in the then current Rococo style under the architect Nicodemus Tessin the Younger. The gables of the main building were demolished and the building was given a new roof. New wings and colonnaded gallery were added. In 1747, Rosersberg was acquired by Baron Erland Carlsson Broman, and was again modernized with the assistance of the architect Jean
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Margareta Brahe


create an alliance between himself and Margareta's brother Per Brahe and his fraction, which caused political conflicts. This accusation was fueled by the fact that Axel Oxenstierna engaged his younger son Erik Oxenstierna to Margareta's niece Elsa Elisabeth Brahe, which made it possible for the marriage to take place without disturbing the power balance among the noble fractions. In reality, however, Axel Oxenstierna was strongly against the marriage: his son had no children, and had proposed to a woman who had no children from her first marriage and was soon
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Axel Oxenstierna


Axel Gustafsson Oxenstierna af Södermöre (; 1583–1654), Count of Södermöre, was a Swedish statesman. He became a member of the Swedish Privy Council in 1609 and served as Lord High Chancellor of Sweden from 1612 until his death. He was a confidant of first Gustavus Adolphus and then Queen Christina. Oxenstierna is widely considered one of the most influential people in Swedish history. He played an important role during the Thirty Years' War and was appointed Governor-General of occupied Prussia; he is also credited for having laid the foundations
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Axel Oxenstierna


to be implemented in reality. When it came to entering the Thirty Years' War, Oxenstierna was not as enthusiastic as the king, but since the king's will was decisive, Oxenstierna accommodated himself to Gustavus's wish. At times, Oxenstierna stepped in to ease tense relations that the harsh behaviour of the king had caused. He regularly received the highest praise for his work from the king and there was almost no area in which King Gustavus did not consult his Lord High Chancellor Oxenstierna. The Chancellor made large contributions to
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Nicodemus Tessin the Elder


Nicodemus Tessin the Elder () (7 December 1615 in Stralsund – 24 May 1681 in Stockholm) was an important Swedish architect. Nicodemus Tessin was born in Stralsund in Pomerania and came to Sweden as a young man. There he met and worked with the architect Simon de la Vallée. He worked for the Swedish Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna before he travelled for further studies to Germany, Italy, France and in the Netherlands, where he got to know the new Baroque style in architecture. Back in Sweden he rebuilt Borgholm Castle,
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Gabriel Bengtsson Oxenstierna


in 1634. However, the Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna and Steward Gabriel Gustafsson Oxenstierna thought him less suited for the post, as he was inexperienced on state economics and unable to stop the embezzlement of state funds during the regency. In 1645, the Oxenstierna administration was removed by Queen Christina upon reaching maturity. The Queen appointed Oxenstierna Governor-General of Swedish Livonia in 1645, a post which he resigned from in 1647. He was created 1st Count of Korsholma and Vaasa by the Queen in 1651, one of the largest fiefdoms in
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Gabriel Gustafsson Oxenstierna


Baron Gabriel Gustafsson Oxenstierna (15 June 1587 – 27 November 1640) was a Swedish statesman. Born either in Tyresö, Sweden, or in Reval (modern Tallinn, Estonia), he was the son of Privy Councillor Gustaf Gabrielsson Oxenstierna and Barbro Axelsdotter Bielke. As such he was brother of, among others, Lord High Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna. Oxenstierna began studying in Uppsala. He continued to study abroad, in German towns Rostock, Wittenberg and Jena. After his return to Sweden, he was in the service of King
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Oxenstierna


of earlier members of the family, the name has been retroactively applied by historians. Several members of the family, notably the influential Lord High Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna, rose to prominence, high political office and titles during the age of the Swedish Empire in the 17th century. The only male-line branch still in existence today is "Oxenstierna af Korsholm och Wasa", the comital branch descended from Gabriel Bengtsson Oxenstierna, 1st Count of Korsholm and Vasa (1586–1656). Other branches of the family, such as "Oxenstierna
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Axel Oxenstierna


Oxenstierna was personally involved in the negotiations leading to the Treaty of Brömsebro, with which Sweden gained Gotland, Saaremaa (Ösel), Jämtland, Härjedalen and for thirty years Halland. Shortly after the peace treaty, Oxenstierna was created Count of Södermöre. When Christina came of age, she tried to push Oxenstierna, her old mentor, aside. The relations between the two were not good and Oxenstierna always attributed the exiguousness of Sweden's gains under the Peace of Westphalia − Sweden gained only Pomerania, Usedom, Wollin, Wismar and
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Ebba Ryning


" ('Court Mistress'), but now, Beata Oxenstierna was additionally given the newly invented title of "Överhovmästarinna" ('Chief Court Mistress'), and from the reign of Christina onward, there were to be one or two "Hovmästarinna" and one "Överhovmästarinna" at the Swedish Royal Court. Ebba Leijonhufvud was the mother-in-law to the son of the Regent of the Guardian Government, Axel Oxenstierna, and Beata Oxenstierna and Ebba Ryning was also connected to the Oxenstierna Party, which is
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Bengt Gabrielsson Oxenstierna


Count Bengt Gabrielsson Oxenstierna (1623–1702) was a Swedish statesman. He was the son of Axel Oxenstierna’s half brother, Gabriel Bengtsson Oxenstierna (1586–1656). After a careful education and a long residence abroad, he began his diplomatic career at the great peace congress of Osnabrück. During his stay in Germany he made the acquaintance of the count palatine, Charles Gustavus, afterwards Charles X of Sweden, whose confidence he completely won. Two years after the king's accession in 1654, Oxenstierna was sent to represent Sweden at the
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Axel Oxenstierna


Swedish War) and Russia (Ingrian War). Oxenstierna's first big task as Chancellor was to achieve peace in some of the wars. The war against Denmark was considered the most dangerous of the three as the enemy-controlled parts of Sweden itself. Negotiations began in Knäred and Oxenstierna was first Swedish plenipotentiary. The negotiations led to the Treaty of Knäred in 1613. For his efforts regarding these negotiations, Oxenstierna received the title of district judge in the hundred of Snävringe and, eventually, the barony of Kimito. During
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Axel Oxenstierna


the frequent absences of Gustavus in Livonia and in Finland (1614–1616) Oxenstierna acted as his viceroy. One assignment Oxenstierna received while the king was in Livonia, was the task to finalize the negotiations regarding the marriage of John Casimir and the king's sister, Princess Catharina. At the coronation of Gustavus Adolphus, in October 1617, Oxenstierna was knighted. In 1620 he headed the embassy dispatched to Berlin to arrange the nuptial contract between Gustavus and Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg. During the king's Russian and Polish wars he had the
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Axel Oxenstierna


and philosopher Hugo Grotius considered Oxenstierna "the greatest man of the century". French Cardinal Richelieu called him "an inexhaustible source of fine advice", while Richelieu's successor, Cardinal Mazarin, said that if all ministers of Europe were on the same ship, the helm would be handed to Oxenstierna. Pope Urban VIII claimed that Oxenstierna was one of the most excellent men the world had seen. "Do you not know, my son, with how little wisdom the world is governed?" (in a letter to
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Axel Oxenstierna


was an active playwright. In August Strindberg's 1901 play "Kristina", Oxenstierna is portrayed as a cold realist criticising Christina's extravagant lifestyle and her gifts to favourites. The part of Oxenstierna was first performed by Giovanni Carlo Casanova in Jacopo Foroni's 1849 opera "Cristina, regina di Svezia". Oxenstierna figures prominently in the "Ring of Fire" hypernovel by Eric Flint "et al." until the fifth main sequence novel "" in which he attempts to organize a counter-revolution to restore the supremacy of
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Gabriel Gustafsson Oxenstierna


Charles IX from 1604. From 1612 he was chancellor and chief adviser of Duke John, son of former King John III. Also in 1612, Oxenstierna was appointed governor of Estonia. In 1617 he became a Privy Councillor and a marshal of the court of King Gustavus Adolphus. Being a close confidant of older brother Axel Oxenstierna (Lord High Chancellor 1612-1654) as well as of the king, Gabriel Oxenstierna was used as a diplomatic representative on numerous occasions. He was sent as a legate to Denmark both in 1622
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Axel Oxenstierna


to let Axel and his brothers Christer and Gustaf finish their studies abroad. Thus, the brothers received their education at the universities of Rostock, Wittenberg and Jena. On returning home in 1603 he took up an appointment as valet de chambre "(kammarjunkare)" to King Charles IX of Sweden. One of Oxenstierna's more unusual intellectual qualifications was his knowledge of the Scots language, reflecting the importance of the Scottish expatriate community in Sweden at that time. As Chancellor, he would regularly receive correspondence in Scots from his agent
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Beata Oxenstierna


the Regent of the Guardian Government, Axel Oxenstierna, and Beata Oxenstierna and Ebba Ryning was also connected to the Oxenstierna Party, which is believed to have played a part in their appointments. The Royal Council's method of giving queen Christina several foster mothers to avoid her forming an attachment to a single person seems to have been effective: Christina dies not mention her foster mothers directly in her memoirs and does not seem to have formed any attachment to either of them, nor do they seem to have played any part at court
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Axel Oxenstierna


he governed the Swedish parts of Prussia, became a major Swedish centre of power, second only to Stockholm. When Sweden entered the Thirty Years' War in the summer of 1630, tolls from Oxenstierna-controlled Prussia, as well as food supplies acquired by Oxenstierna, were pivotal assets. He had also obtained credits from foreign businessmen, ensuring large sums of money making it possible to hire mercenary soldiers to the army used in Germany. After the Battle of Breitenfeld on 7 September 1631, Oxenstierna received a summons to assist the
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Axel Oxenstierna


Bremen-Verden − following the conference in Osnabrück to Christina's undue interference. When the queen, a few years later, wanted to abdicate, Oxenstierna at first opposed this because he feared mischief to Sweden from the unruly and adventurous disposition of her preferred successor, Charles X Gustav. The chancellor changed his mind about Charles Gustav, however, and gave Christina the help she needed to go through with her abdication. Oxenstierna died a couple of months after the ascension of the new king. Oxenstierna died in Stockholm on 28 August
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Axel Oxenstierna


17th century. Oxenstierna would not have had such an impact unless he had won the king's trust. From 1612, when Oxenstierna was appointed Lord High Chancellor, until 1632, when King Gustavus Adolphus died, the two men struck a long and successful partnership. They seem to have complemented each other. With Oxenstierna's own words, his "cool" balanced the king's "heat". More than once, the chancellor had to realize plans of the king, plans that sometimes were highly spontaneous and far from ready
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Gabriel Gustafsson Oxenstierna


Lord High Constable Jacob De la Gardie. Oxenstierna's two last marriages were both childless. Gabriel Gustafsson Oxenstierna died in Von der Linderska Palace, Stockholm on 27 November 1640. Oxenstierna has been described as "reasonable, honest, jovial and outspoken, loved by high and low". Because of his service and loyalty to his home country, his children and grandchildren were created counts, under the name Oxenstierna of Croneberg. After inheriting Tyresö in the 1620s, Oxenstierna ordered a reconstruction of Tyresö Palace as well as the building Tyresö
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Högvaktsterrassen


- shoemakers, saddlers, blacksmiths, bakers, etcetera. On a 16th-century map, the area is taken up by a slope leaning north with a block occupying the location for the present street, a block not present on a map dated 1626, instead suggesting the royal gardens were located here. In 1653, the Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna (1583–1654) started to build his palace still present on the south-western corner of the street, while both his old residence and that of Herman Wrangel (1587–1643) were demolished
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Gabriel Bengtsson Oxenstierna


contemporary members of the influential Oxenstierna family, he was educated abroad and entered the service of King Charles IX upon his return in 1606. He retained royal favour during the rule of King Gustavus Adolphus and was made Governor-General of Reval and Swedish Estonia in 1611, subsequently being appointed Privy Councillor and Master of the Ordnance in 1617. Alongside his more famous cousins, Lord Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna and Gabriel Gustafsson Oxenstierna, he was made responsible for arming the Swedish army during the Polish–Swedish War and was part of the governing
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Johan Gabriel Oxenstierna


or diplomat. As mentioned before, he showed a distinct lack of interest already during his first diplomatic mission in Vienna. The king often kept him uninformed and took care of business himself. Gustav III simply liked having an Oxenstierna by his side, because of the family's notability in matters of state since the days of Axel Oxenstierna. Oxenstierna often got distracted from his work, his mind wandering to more interesting matters, to the extent that he sometimes wrote public documents in verse. His contemporaries described him as "unsuitable for
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House of Nobility (Sweden)


the corporation in Stockholm old town. The French-born architect Simon De la Vallée started the planning of the building, but was killed by a Swedish nobleman in 1642. The plans were eventually finished by his son, Jean De la Vallée, in 1660. The south end of the building carries the Latin inscription , "after the clear example of the forefathers", and holds a statue of Gustav Vasa. North of the building is a park in which is a statue of Axel Oxenstierna. The architecture of the old
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Swedish nobility


for introduction into this chamber became either birth into an "ancient" noble family or ennoblement by the sovereign. Consequently, genealogy flourished. The Lord High Chancellor, Axel Oxenstierna, was the architect of the Instrument of Government of 1634, which laid the foundation of modern Sweden. It guaranteed that all government appointments were to be filled by candidates from the nobility, a move which helped mobilize support for, rather than opposition to, a centralized national government. Due to the many wars fought by Sweden, the crown needed some
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Stockholm during the Swedish Empire


context, Stockholm was of central importance. In a letter in 1636, Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna (1583–1654), the main architect behind the Swedish central government, wrote that evolving the Swedish capital was a prerequisite for the nation's "power and strength" ("rijksens machtt och styrke"); that all efforts should be made to ensure "Stockholm arose and that it became populated" ("Stockholm kommer opp och den bliffver populerat"); and that this would "certainly bring all the other cities on their feet
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Axel Oxenstierna


the Standing orders of the House of Knights ("riddarhusordning") of 1626. After the death of Gustavus Adolphus, Oxenstierna was the mind behind the Instrument of Government of 1634, in which, for example, the organization of the five Great Officers of the Realm was clarified. Five governmental branches, of which the Great Officers became heads, were established. Oxenstierna pushed through the Instrument of Government, but not without opposition. He claimed that the new form of government reflected the will of the late King Gustavus, making
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Christina, Queen of Sweden


it regularly, patting it and taking no notice of the putrefaction. Eventually, the embarrassed Chancellor, Axel Oxenstierna, saw no other solution than to have a guard posted at the room to prevent further episodes. As a result, he was not buried until 22 June 1634, more than eighteen months later. In 1634, the Instrument of Government (1634), a new constitution, was introduced by Oxenstierna. The constitution stipulated that the "King" must have a Privy Council, which was headed by Oxenstierna himself.
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Axel Oxenstierna


and the Estonian knighthood. Together with other councillors, Oxenstierna tried to warn the king of Denmark and the intentions of Danish King Christian IV. In 1610, Oxenstierna travelled to Copenhagen with the aim of preventing war with the neighbours, but unsuccessfully. The following year, Danish forces crossed the border, initiating the Kalmar War. In the fall of 1611, King Charles died. Around New Year 1611–12, the parliament had to deal with the situation. According to the rules, the 17-year-old Gustavus Adolphus had not reached
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Axel Oxenstierna


led to the truce with Poland in 1623, he succeeded in averting a threatened rupture with Denmark in 1624. The Polish-Swedish War was reinitiated in 1626, and on 7 October that year, Oxenstierna became Governor-General in the newly acquired Swedish possession of Prussia. In 1629 he concluded the advantageous Truce of Altmark with Poland-Lithuania. Prior to this, in September 1628, he arranged a joint occupation of Stralsund with Denmark in order to prevent that important fortress from falling into the hands of the Imperialists. Oxenstierna
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Axel Oxenstierna


young noblemen to staff governmental positions, he worked to make it easier for boys outside the noble families to gain higher education, and gave them the possibility, eventually, to be raised to the nobility themselves. He could therefore be considered the father of Swedish meritocracy. Oxenstierna was also a supporter of mercantilism and a believer in immigration and free enterprise. In Germany, Oxenstierna became a fear-evoking character in a derived version of the popular German lullaby , in which he is referred to as "Ochsenstern". Dutch jurist
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Fiholm Castle


Fiholm Manor is a Landed Estate located approximately 20 km West of Eskilstuna in Eskilstuna Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden. It is privately owned. The Landed Estate of Fiholm was commissioned by the Swedish statesman Axel Oxenstierna in 1640 to the plans of the French architect Simon de Vallée. The two standing buildings (wings) were drawn up in a French-Dutch Renaissance style and completed in 1642, representing some of the finest kept examples of fine Swedish architecture of that period. Construction works at Fiholm were overseen by the elder Nikodemus
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Finnish nobility


wealthy Swedish noble families and even for magnate families. This was one of reasons why many Swedish family of high nobility got also one or more Finnish foremothers (a phenomenon very rare in medieval centuries when already geography was a sort of obstacle). Finnish nobles very often moved to other parts of the realm, to have an office in military or in government. Count Axel Oxenstierna, 1st Count of Södermöre, the Lord High Chancellor of Sweden, was the architect of the Instrument of Government of 1634, which laid the foundation
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Axel Oxenstierna


Sir James Spens, and he ventured into the language himself for an official letter to his Scottish counterpart, the Earl of Loudoun. In 1606 he undertook his first diplomatic mission, to Mecklenburg and other German royal courts. While on diplomatic duty abroad, Oxenstierna gained appointment to the Privy Council ("Riksrådet"). Henceforth, Oxenstierna became one of the king's most trusted servants. In 1609 he travelled to Reval (present day Tallinn), on King Charles's behalf, to receive tributes from the city of Reval
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Axel Oxenstierna


on 6 November 1632, Gustavus Adolphus died. This meant that Oxenstierna became supreme commander of the Swedish troops in Germany, although he let his subordinate generals be responsible for the military operations on a lower level. He moved his headquarters to Mainz, which in practice became the new Swedish capital. Oxenstierna was now absolute ruler of the significant area that the Swedish army had conquered in Germany. He was offered the position as prince-elector of Mainz, but, after serious considerations, the offer was turned down. When King
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Axel Oxenstierna


Gustavus died in November 1632, his only legitimate and surviving child, Christina, was almost six years old. Until her declaration of majority at 18, a regency council ruled Sweden. This council was headed by Lord High Chancellor Oxenstierna, who wrote Instrument of Government (1634), a new constitution. During the years after the king's death, it became apparent that differences of opinion existed within the council. Some of Oxenstierna's colleagues recommended that Sweden should seek peace and withdraw from the war in Germany, not least
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Axel Oxenstierna


's teacher in statesmanship. His presence at home dominated all opposition, and such was the general confidence for Oxenstierna, that for the next nine years his voice, especially as regarding foreign affairs, remained omnipotent in the Privy Council. In May 1643, the Swedish Privy Council decided to attack Denmark. The Torstenson War was at large parts the work of Oxenstierna. The purpose was to gain territories from Denmark and be released from the Danish Sound Dues. Other factors might have been a will to revenge the tough peace treaty of
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Ebba Leijonhufvud


son of the Regent of the Guardian Government, Axel Oxenstierna, by that very same daughter, and Beata Oxenstierna and Ebba Ryning was also connected to the Oxenstierna Party, which is believed to have played a part in their appointments. Christina Natt och Dag for her part had good connections at court, her paternal grandmother Karin Gyllenstierna having been the chief lady-in-waiting to queen Catherine Jagiellon and princess Anna Vasa of Sweden. The Royal Council's method of giving queen Christina several foster mothers to avoid her forming an attachment
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Johan Oxenstierna


Johan Axelsson Oxenstierna af Södermöre (24 June 1611 – 5 December 1657) was a Count and a Swedish statesman. The son of Axel Oxenstierna, he was born in Stockholm. He completed his studies at Uppsala in 1631, and was sent by his father on a grand tour through France, the Netherlands and Great Britain. He served under his brother-in-law Count Gustav Horn af Björneborg in the Thirty Years' War from 1632, and was subsequently employed by his father in various diplomatic missions, though his instructions
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Axel Oxenstierna


principal duty of supplying the armies and the fleets with everything necessary, including men and money. Oxenstierna's ways of carrying out his assignments apparently gained King Gustavus's appreciation, since the king, in 1622, asked Oxenstierna to accompany him to Livonia and appointed him Governor-General and commandant of Riga, a strategically important town during the ongoing war against Poland. His services in Livonia gained him the reward of four castles (among others Burtnieki and Valmiera) and the whole bishopric of Wenden. Entrusted with the peace negotiations which
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Axel Oxenstierna


Conference of Compiègne in 1635 to bind his hands in the future for the sake of some slight present relief. In 1636, nevertheless, he concluded a fresh subsidy-treaty with France at Wismar. Swedish troops remained in Germany all the way until 1648 and the Thirty Years' War's end. Oxenstierna, however, left Germany and returned to Stockholm in 1636, after ten years duty as premier Swedish representative in Prussia and Germany. Oxenstierna more directly claimed his place within the regency of Queen Christina and became the young queen
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Axel Oxenstierna


himself the interpreter of the king's thoughts and wishes, and leaving the opposition no possibility to control the truth in this. Oxenstierna is regarded as a brilliant pragmatist, willing to reconsider his positions. There are examples of discussions within the Privy Council when Oxenstierna rejected laws he himself had earlier introduced, admitting that he knew better now. His way of examining, reconsidering, testing, and sometimes rejecting his earlier opinions constitutes his legacy more than his ideas on particular points of policy. When he discovered that there were too few
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Bengt Bengtsson Oxenstierna


brother Gabriel Bengtsson, Lord High Treasurer of Sweden, and his cousins, Axel Gustafsson, Lord High Chancellor, and Gabriel Gustafsson, Lord High Steward. Oxenstierna married Margareta Brahe in 1633, in her first marriage, which remained childless at the time of his death in 1643. His widow commissioned his final resting place, the Brahe burial chapel of Jäder Church east of Eskilstuna. According to contemporary sources, Oxenstierna was able to talk, read and write in Swedish, Latin, French, German, Italian and Spanish and also
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Jacob De la Gardie


during Queen Christina's minority (1632–44). His pacifist and pro-French and pro-Polish attitudes often put him at odds with Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna, who led Sweden's war effort in the Thirty Years' War after the death of Gustavus Adolphus in 1632. As De la Gardie supported many of Oxenstierna's other policies, eventually the two leaders reconciled after Oxenstierna's return to Sweden in 1636. Although the Marshal's Office came under criticism that year, De la Gardie continued to operate effectively, making large profits from
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Per Gustafsson Banér


from 1627. His estate included Ekenäs Castle, which he rebuilt into a Renaissance style castle between 1630 and 1644. Banér served under Axel Oxenstierna and acted as Oxenstierna's deputy when the latter assisted Gustavus Adolphus in Germany during the . Oxenstierna was however not entirely satisfied with Banér, who was often ill and suffered from bouts of melancholia, and did not act with sufficient force to please his superiors. On 20 June 1644, Banér was suddenly taken ill with a fever, and he died three weeks later, on 13 July
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Simon de la Vallée


to Paris in 1633, he was charged by Prince Frederick Henry of Orange to undertake work on the Honselaarsdijk Palace in the Netherlands. In 1637, he was invited to Stockholm by Field Marshal Åke Tott (1598-1640) on behalf of Queen Christina of Sweden where he first worked on Ekolsund Castle. In 1639, he was given the title of Royal Architect. His commissions included the castles of Tidö and Hässelby as well as several palaces in Stockholm. He designed the exquisite Riddarhuset but was killed by the nobleman Erik Oxenstierna
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Rosersberg Palace


Rosersberg Palace () is one of the Royal Palaces of Sweden. Situated on the shores of Lake Mälaren, on the outskirts of Stockholm, it was built in the 1630s by the Oxenstierna family and became a royal palace in 1762, when the state gave it to Duke Karl (later Karl XIII), the younger brother of Gustav III of Sweden. Gabriel Bengtsson Oxenstierna named the palace after his mother who came from the prestigious Tre Rosor ("Three Roses") family. Construction of the building in the typical Renaissance
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Tyresö Palace


Tyresö Palace (Swedish:"Tyresö slott") is a 17th century palace in Tyresö, Stockholm County, Sweden, about 25 km south-east of central Stockholm. The construction of the palace began in the 1620s and completed in 1636 by the Lord High Steward (Swedish: "riksdrots") Gabriel Oxenstierna. He also constructed the nearby Tyresö Church (Swedish:"Tyresö kyrka"), which was inaugurated with his own burial in 1641. The palace was inherited in 1648 by Maria Sofia De la Gardie, who had married Gustaf Gabrielsson Oxenstierna
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Agneta Horn


Agneta Horn (August 18, 1629 – March 18, 1672) was a Swedish writer born to noble parents and a military father. She traveled a great deal throughout Europe in her lifetime as a result of living in a military family and later marrying another soldier. She is most known for writing her autobiography, "Agneta Horns leverne" (also spelled "lefverne"). Agneta Horn was the daughter of Gustav Horn, Count of Björneborg and Kristina Oxenstierna, and the granddaughter of Axel Oxenstierna. She was born in
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Gabriel Gustafsson Oxenstierna


and 1625, and during the latter year he also visited Lübeck, Hamburg, Mecklenburg, Brandenburg, Pomerania, the Netherlands and England. After the death of Gustavus Adolphus in 1632, Oxenstierna travelled to Germany to meet his brother Axel. Gabriel then became responsible to transport the body of the king back to Sweden. In 1634, he became Lord High Steward ("riksdrots"), making him head of Svea Court of Appeal ("Svea Hovrätt") and as such supervisor of justice in Sweden. In 1611,
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Axel Oxenstierna


was not only highly successful within the diplomacy. During these years, he was entrusted with various important assignments in which he succeeded, such as gathering money and troops for the attack in Prussia in 1626. He played the leading organizational and administrational role in Prussia, as he had done earlier in Livonia. He was in charge of, for example, tolls, fortifications and the entire state grain trade. During the latter part of the 1620s, Elbląg (German: "Elbing"), where Oxenstierna resided and from where
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Axel Oxenstierna


after the defeat at Nördlingen in 1634. However, Oxenstierna's opinion, that Sweden should remain in the war to ensure compensation for the sacrifices made, prevailed. The, for the Swedish side, disastrous outcome at Nördlingen brought him, for an instant, to the verge of ruin and compelled him for the first time so far to depart from his policy of independence as to solicit direct assistance from France. But, well aware that Richelieu needed the Swedish armies as much as he himself needed money, he refused at the
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Axel Oxenstierna


a uniform administrative system. He was ever-present during the vast reforms of the 1610s and 1620s, when the Swedish government was hugely modernized and made more effective. This was necessary for the war policies that would build the Swedish Empire. Among the areas reformed were army and navy organization and recruiting, trade and industrial policies, regional and local administration, the system of higher education, and the judicial system. The boundaries of the administrative counties of Sweden still to a large extent follow the boundaries established by Oxenstierna in the
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Axel Oxenstierna


several times, mainly due to his role as mentor and guardian to the enigmatic Queen Christina. He was played by Lewis Stone in Rouben Mamoulian's 1933 Hollywood movie "Queen Christina", with Greta Garbo as the female lead role, by Cyril Cusack in Anthony Harvey's "The Abdication" (1974) and by Michael Nyqvist in Mika Kaurismäki's "The Girl King" (2015). Samuel Ahlgren (1764–1816) played Oxenstierna in "Drottning Kristina" (1790), by the King Gustav III of Sweden who
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Beata Oxenstierna


) to queen Christina. After the death of the queen's foster mother and aunt Catherine of Sweden, Countess Palatine of Kleeburg, the Royal Regency Council under Axel Oxenstierna saw a need to appoint a new foster mother to the underage monarch (her mother being exiled), which resulted in a reorganization of the queen's household. In order to avoid the young queen from being dependent upon a single individual and favorite mother figure, the Royal Council decided to split the office of head lady-in-waiting (responsible for
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Margareta Brahe


his regiment, and grant scholarships to students. In 1648, the queen's cousin Countess Palatine Eleonora Catherine of Zweibrücken referred to her as her "Dearest Protection", likely because Margareta Brahe had defended her when she gave birth to an illegitimate child. At this point in life, she was apparently an attractive woman, and described as "the very lovely lady Brahe". In 1647, she received a proposal from the state official count Johan Oxenstierna, eldest son and heir of the all powerful chancellor count Axel Oxenstierna.
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Axel Oxenstierna


Knäred in 1613. Whatever the reason, Oxenstierna considered the time was right to finally settle the score with Denmark. Swedish troops led by Field Marshal Lennart Torstensson attacked Danish Jutland from Germany, while Field Marshal Gustav Horn was in charge of the troops that attacked Scania. The outcome of the war was decided in the naval battle of Fehmarn Belt in 1644 where the Royal Swedish Navy decisively defeated the Danish Navy. The defeat of the Danish Navy left the Danish isles open to a Swedish invasion, and Denmark sued for peace.
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Axel Oxenstierna


his son Johan written in 1648, in the original Latin "An nescis, mi fili, quantilla prudentia mundus regatur"?). Although attributed to Cardinal Richelieu as well, this is probably the most famous Swedish quotation in the English-speaking world. The words were intended to encourage his son, a delegate to the negotiations that would lead to the Peace of Westphalia, who worried about his ability to hold his own amidst experienced and eminent statesmen and diplomats. Oxenstierna has been portrayed on the stage and on the screen
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Elsa Elisabeth Brahe


Elsa Elisabeth Brahe (29 January 1632 – 24 February 1689), was a Swedish countess and duchess, married to Adolph John I, Count Palatine of Kleeburg, Duke of Stegeborg, the brother of king Charles X of Sweden. She was the daughter of count Nils Brahe and Anna Margareta Bielke (1603-1643). She married firstly to Count Erik Axelsson Oxenstierna, Lord High Chancellor of Sweden in 1654-1656, and the son of Axel Oxenstierna. The marriage took place in 1648. This marriage was said to
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Cēsis Castle


and it is likely that human remains recovered by archaeologists belonged to those who were trying to avoid the explosion. After the Polish-Swedish War Cēsis Castle came under the rule of Sweden and it was handed over to Lord High Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna. The castle was the property of the Oxenstiernas until 1681 when it came under the direct ownership of the King of Sweden. Soon after Cēsis became a crown property, soldiers of a mounted unit were stationed there. They are reported to have demolished the castle so badly that it “
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1636: The Saxon Uprising


and the Committees of Correspondence hold the real power there. They enter into an informal alliance with Saxon rebel forces in Vogtland in order to protect as many people as possible from Banér's butchery. Rebecca Stearns and the opposition Fourth of July Party coordinate with the CoC to act in a restrained manner and undermine the legitimacy of Axel Oxenstierna and the Crown Loyalists gathered in Berlin. Meanwhile, Princess Christina and Prince Ulric travel to the capital at Magdeburg, symbolically aligning themselves with Oxenstierna's opponents and further undermining the Swedish Chancellor. Mike
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Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven


Scotsman, Lieutenant-General James King, a fact related by Banér himself in his report of the battle to Axel Oxenstierna and the other contemporary reports of the battle. Leslie was furious with Banér and in his own account of the battle infers there had been a dispute about the tactics for the day. As it was, Leslie was forced to sacrifice many of his veteran troops in the process of saving Banér's men from being routed. Leslie intimated to Oxenstierna that he would stand down from Swedish service but was persuaded to
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Bengt Bengtsson Oxenstierna


Venice in 1619 and returned to Sweden in 1620. On his return he entered royal service and was sent on a diplomatic mission to the Venetian Republic in 1621. During the 1620s, he followed King Gustavus Adolphus in the field, served under his cousin Governor-General Axel Oxenstierna in the Swedish administration in Prussia, e.g. as Governor of Elbląg in 1626, or was sent on diplomatic missions. He was named Crown Equerry in 1627 and was appointed Governor of Swedish occupied Augsburg in 1632-33. In 1631, he headed
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Christiana Oxenstierna


wife of the Swedish Field Marshal Johan Banér– in her first marriage) and sister of Count Gustaf Adolf Oxenstierna. As an orphan, she was taken care of by her paternal aunt, Countess Anna af Dohna. The vicar (since 1687) of the French Lutheran church in Stockholm, Nikolaus Bergius, was lodged in the palace of Dohna. Bergius suffered from severe depression and Dohna asked her niece to comfort him. Oxenstierna and Bergius fell in love and Bergius proposed, but Oxenstierna declined, as she knew she would be
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Ebba Brahe


and attending to his career. She was proud over his position as favourite to Queen Christina of Sweden, and supported his marriage to the queen cousin Maria Eufrosyne of Pfalz. When Magnus Gabriel lost his position as favorite with the queen in 1653, Ebba Brahe fell upon her knees before the queen to ask him to forgive him, and she also sought the help of Axel Oxenstierna to reinstate him in favor, though she privately blamed the Oxenstierna party for having caused the fall of Magnus Gabriel. During the minor regency of Charles
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Isaacus Rothovius


Isaacus Rothovius (1 November 1572 – 10 February 1652) was the Bishop of Turku from 1627 till 1652. Rothovius was born in Småland in southern Sweden in 1572, the son of a farmer Börje Larsson. Rothovius' grandfather was a German immigrant captain named Lorentz Roth. Rothovius' twin brother, Jonas Rothovius, was the Superintendent of Kalmar from 1618 till 1626. Rothovius at several upper secondary schools and in 1595 went to Uppsala, where in 1597 he became a teacher to the brothers Axel Oxenstierna, Krister Oxenstierna and Gabriel
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Margareta Brahe


Her suitor was eight years her junior and had been in love with her since before his marriage to Anna Sture (d. 1646), and when he became a widower, her proposed. The proposal and marriage caused a scandal and political difficulty at court. During this epoch, marriage within the nobility were political contracts made to create balance between the political noble fractions at court, where the monarch had to balance between the powerful Brahe and Oxenstierna parties. Consequently, a party pamphlet accused Axel Oxenstierna for having arranged the marriage to
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Maria Sofia De la Gardie


and the sister-in-law of Princess Countess Palatine Maria Eufrosyne of Zweibrücken, the cousin of the queen. She was born and raised in Swedish Estonia, where her father was governor of Reval. In 1643, she married baron Gustaf Gabrielsson Oxenstierna (1613–1648), nephew of regent Axel Oxenstierna (1583–1654) who succeeded her father as governor of Estonia. As was the custom in 17th century Swedish nobility, she kept her own name also after marriage. Both her own family and the family of her spouse was extremely
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Wendela Gustafva Sparre


Wendela Gustafva Sparre af Rossvik (December 14, 1772 – May 7, 1855) was a Swedish textile artist. She was a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts. Born at Långdunker manor in Hyltinge parish in Södermanland to the noble Gabriel Sparre af Rossvik, captain of the royal regiment of Prince Frederick Adolf of Sweden, and Maria Vendela Ulfsparre af Broxvik. On 15 October 1801, she married the nobleman and royal equerry Axel Oxenstierna (1743-1816), with whom she had a son, Carl Gabriel Oxenstierna
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Steninge Palace


influenced the premises: those of Carl Gyllenstierna (1649–1735) and Axel von Fersen. Today the palace is privately owned by a company which keeps it accessible for visitors: Steninge Palace Cultural Centre. In the end of 1200 the first known settlement was established at Steninge. In 1667 Carl Gyllenstierna inherited the Steninge Estate. 1680-81 the well known Swedish architect Nicodemus Tessin was commissioned to design the palace and the two wings. In 1705 Steninge Palace was completed. In 1706 Carl Gyllenstierna married and gave Steninge Palace as a wedding
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Steninge Palace


gift to his bride, Anna Soop. In 1735 the Fersen family bought Steninge. In 1747 Steninge was made a trust. In 1810 Axel von Fersen was murdered. A monument of Fersen was erected at Steninge in 1813. In 1873 Baron von Otter bought Steninge and a stone barn was built west of the palace. In 1970 G.B.A. Holm bought Steninge and employs the architect I.G. Clason to carry out a restoration work. In 1923 Hanna Lindmark bought Steninge Palace. In 1932 Steninge Palace was bought by Wolfgang Thomas, son of
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Sep Ruf


building. 1956–1957 he built the royal picture palace am Goetheplatz in Munich, in those days one of the two picture palaces in Europe, playing Todd-AO, and Michael Todd came to the opening and they showed the German first broadcast of the musical Oklahoma!. In Berlin he was part of the historic International Building Exhibition, the Interbau 1957 in Berlin. On the area of the Hansaviertel 53 architects from 13 countries made 35 drafts, that were realized by Alvar Aalto, Paul Baumgarten, Egon Eiermann, Walter Gropius,
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Axel Berg (architect)


establishment of the Architects Association Support Fund, to which he devoted much time and effort, also supporting it financially. He participated in exhibitions at Charlottenborg Palace in 1885, 1905 and 1910; a commemorative exhibition was held in 1930. Berg also participated in the Nordic Exhibition of 1888, and the Copenhagen City Hall Exhibition in 1901. He exhibited in Berlin in 1910 and 1911. He was of the last generation of historicist architects who freely imitated or worked various historical styles. But he was not a supporter of a single style
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Axel Berg (architect)


, he designed a number of banks and office buildings, including Privatbanken's headquarters in various styles (1911). Berg was chairman of the Architects' Association of Denmark in 1902-04 and again in 1907-09, becoming an honorary member in 1924. He was a member of the Competition Committee for Christiansborg Palace in 1904, a consultant to the Danish Ministry of Culture in matters relating to church heating 1894-1923, and was a member of the Royal Academy's plenary session in 1911. Berg was behind the
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Marienborg Manor


and on his death it was sold in 1821 to the master of the royal hunt, Peter Adolph Tutein, who also bought Kostervig. In 1853-1855, he built a new building with a tower in the style of an Italian palace to a design by architect Vilhelm Theodor Walther; in 1888, the estate was bought by Hemming Moltke, who in 1893 demolished the old main building from Casper Moltke's time and built instead a new building with a tower designed by architect Axel Berg. A fire destroyed several of the
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Van der Nootska Palace


of Jahnsson's collections from Van der Nootska, which mainly consisted of the Stockholmiana Collection, were donated in 1942 to the Stockholm City Museum of Axel Wenner-Gren, who in February 1938, had bought the Van der Nootska Palace. The Stockholmiana Collection consisted of about 5000 images and about 3000 books and pamphlets. From 1940 the building was used by Sweden's Lotta unions who used it as a headquarters. In 1943, the building was renovated by architect Rolf Engstrom. Since 1988, the building has been used primarily for
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Uppsala University Hospital


, but was moved out of the town in 1811. The university hospital as such was founded in 1708 as the first clinic with the specific intention of facilitating the practical education of medical students. Known as the Nosocomium Academicum, it was located in the Oxenstierna Palace at Riddartorget, beside the cathedral (see illustration). The building (the former residence of the President of the Royal Chancellery Bengt Gabrielsson Oxenstierna) today houses the Uppsala University Faculty of Law. The present "Akademiska sjukhuset" was established in 1850 as an organizational
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Uppsala University


the specific intention to facilitate the practical education of medical students was the "Nosocomium Academicum", founded in 1708 and located to the Oxenstierna Palace at Riddartorget beside the cathedral (see illustration above). The building (the former residence of the President of the Royal Chancellery Bengt Gabrielsson Oxenstierna) today houses the Faculty of Law. The present "Akademiska sjukhuset" was founded in 1850 as an organizational merger of the county hospital and the university clinic, and a new building was inaugurated in 1867 on the hill below Uppsala Castle to
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Culture in Stockholm


of Gamla Stan are the large German Church ("Tyska kyrkan") and several mansions and palaces: the "Riddarhuset" (the House of Nobles), the Bonde Palace, the Tessin Palace and the Oxenstierna Palace. The oldest building in Stockholm is the Riddarholmskyrkan from the late 13th century. After a fire in 1697 when the original medieval castle was destroyed, Stockholm Palace was erected in a baroque style. Storkyrkan Cathedral, the episcopal seat of the Bishop of Stockholm, stands next to the castle. It was founded
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Governor of Stockholm


The Governor of Stockholm () was the head of the Office of the Governor of Stockholm (, ÖÄ), and as such he was the highest Swedish State official overseeing the affairs in the City of Stockholm between 1634 and 1967. The Governor was the equivalent in Stockholm of a county governor elsewhere in Sweden. The Governor was appointed by and reported to the King in Council. The Office of the Governor of Stockholm was instituted by the Instrument of Government of 1634, written by Lord High Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna, which uniformly
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Tyresö Church


Tyresö church ("Tyresö kyrka") is a 17th-century church in Tyresö, Sweden, belonging to the Tyresö parish. The church is located near Tyresö Palace, which was built during the same era. The church has a brick exterior and built in a style of a mixture of gothic and renaissance with the tower facing west. It was built during 1638–1640 by riksdrots Gabriel Oxenstierna, who also built Tyresö castle. The church was inaugurated March 9, 1641 with Gabriel Oxenstierna's own burial. In 1790 the tower
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Stockholm


city's earliest settlements and still featuring the medieval street layout. Some notable buildings of Gamla Stan are the large German Church ("Tyska kyrkan") and several mansions and palaces: the "Riddarhuset" (the House of Nobility), the Bonde Palace, the Tessin Palace and the Oxenstierna Palace. The oldest building in Stockholm is the Riddarholmskyrkan from the late 13th century. After a fire in 1697 when the original medieval castle was destroyed, Stockholm Palace was erected in a baroque style. Storkyrkan Cathedral, the episcopal seat
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Arvfurstens palats


Conference Room") was originally divided into three separate rooms during Torstensson, but these were united into a single space in the mid-18th century and are since then used for official dinners and conferences. On the walls hang the portraits of past Minister for Foreign Affairs and a large portrait of Axel Oxenstierna. "Stora salongen" ("Great Salon") or "Blå salongen" ("Blue Salon") is a salon designed by the Louis Masreliez in a style called Late Gustavian. This, the central and largest room
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Jean Hoeufft


Thirty Year's War, arms dealing was a highly lucrative business in Europe. Hoeufft, described by a contemporary as “‘a man capable of speaking and acting’ as well as ‘[having] money to distribute to people should there be need,’” was well-suited to the job. Hoeufft delt with Axel Oxenstierna, Johan Adler Salvius, Hugo Grotius, Abraham de Wicquefort and Adriaen Pauw on the French support for the Swedish army; the money had to be allocated to the Amsterdam Wisselbank. In finance
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Sep Ruf


of Germany), the Allied High Commission at the palace Deichmannsaue in Bad-Godesberg/Bonn together with the architects Otto Apel, Rudolf Letocha, Rohrer and Herdt. The tower-building of the HICOG went to be the Embassy of the United States in Bonn from 1955 until 1999. After the Embassy moved to Berlin the two parts became two ministries. They also built the residential estates of Plittersdorf, Tannenbusch and Muffendorf, where the German and American staff lived. Every estate had about 400 houses, wide streets and an
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Christina Natt och Dag


the Swedish Royal Court. The choice of Ebba Leijonhufvud and Christina Natt och Dag to the office of foster mother was officially motivated by their mutually reputed qualities of "honesty and virtue, seriousness and steadfastness", and in the case of Leijonhufvud in particular, her ideally educated daughter Anna Margareta was noted as an example of the great ability of her mother in raising a child. In reality, however, Ebba Leijonhufvud was the mother-in-law to the son of the Regent of the Guardian Government, Axel Oxenstierna,
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National Archives of Sweden


Axel Oxenstierna, the Lord High Chancellor ("Rikskansler") of the Privy Council, issued a Chancellor's Order to appoint a special secretary, along with two writers, to be responsible for the archive, thus creating the National Archives as an institution. Over time, the archive became less important for the activities of the Chancellor, and more valuable for historical researchers. However, it wasn't until 1878 that the National Archives was established as an independent authority. In 1697 a fire at the Tre Kronor castle in Stockholm
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Johan Christoffer Boklund


, "Gustaf II Adolf och Axel Oxenstierna i öfverläggning om tyska kriget" (1859), "Ordonnans från trettioåriga kriget" (1855), "Tekla mottager underrättelsen om Max Piccolominis död" (1860), "Porträtt af drottning Lovisa" (1861), "Kristus i örtagården" (1861), "Meranerskyttar efter en målskjutning" (1861), "Klostergård i Tyrolen" (1863), "En lärd" (1863), "Utkik från förskansningarna" (1874), and "Marodör förföljer
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History of Stockholm


, Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna (1583–1654) wrote that evolving the Swedish capital was a prerequisite for the nation's power and strength and that this would bring all the other cities on their feet. Increased state intervention on city level was not unique to Sweden at this time, but it was probably more prominent in the case of Stockholm than anywhere else in Europe. To this end, the government of the city was reformed and the former volunteered magistrates gradually replaced by professionals with a theoretical education. The process of reshaping Stockholm was initiated
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Bengt Skytte


at Dorpat. In 1631, he visited the Tsardom of Russia. After that, he had two periods of study with Gerardus Vossius, to 1634. Skytte was appointed chamberlain to Christina, Queen of Sweden in 1633. In 1634–5, he was attached to Axel Oxenstierna in Magdeburg, on a mission to Cardinal Richelieu in Paris, and in southern Italy. In 1651, he visited Comenius in Hungary; in that year, he was implicated by Arnold Johan Messenius in his confession before his execution. In 1651–2, he travelled
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Finland under Swedish rule


. In practice, the realm was ruled by a caretaker government led by Axel Oxenstierna. In the Peace of Westphalia that had ended the Thirty Years' War in 1648, Sweden secured its position as a superpower. However, the Thirty Years' War and other conflicts in the superpower age drained Sweden's and Finland's resources badly. A significant part of the peasants had to serve in the army and the navy, and many of them died in service. During Christina's reign from 1632 to 1654, a large amount
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