Gustav I of Sweden

Gustav Vasa, originally Gustav Eriksson Vasa (May 12, 1496–September 29, 1560) was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death. He was elected regent in 1521 after leading the rebellion against Christian II of Denmark, who controlled most of Sweden. During his reign Protestantism was introduced in Sweden (Sweden-Finland).

Heritage

Gustav's heritage has been disputed. In 19th century Swedish history, a folklore developed wherein Gustav was to have experienced all kinds of adventures when he liberated Sweden from the Danes. The memory of Gustav has been honored greatly, resulting in embroidered history books, memory coins, and the annual ski event Vasaloppet (the largest ski event in the world with 10,000 participants).

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However, today most of these stories are regarded to have no other foundation than legend, and a skillful propaganda by Gustav himself during his time.

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Gustav has by some been regarded as a power-hungry man who wished to control everything: the Church, the economy, the army and all foreign affairs. But in doing this, he also did manage to unite Sweden, a country that had previously not had a standardized language, and where individual provinces held a strong regional power.

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