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, also known as ''Birger Magnusson'' (c. 1210 – October 21, 1266) was a Swedish statesman, a member of the House of Bjelbo, who played a pivotal role in the consolidation of Sweden while a jarl from 1248 until his death.^[1] In addition, he is traditionally attributed to have founded the Swedish capital, Stockholm, around 1250, and several historical structures there are still named after him — including the street Birger Jarlsgatan (on Norrmalm); the tower Birger Jarls Torn and the square Birger Jarls Torg (both on Riddarholmen).

Contents

Biography

Early life

Career

Late life

Children

Mother unknown

From marriage with Ingeborg Eriksdotter of Sweden

With Mechtild (doubtful)

Notes

References

Biography

Early life

It is known Birger grew up and spent his adolescence in Bjälbo, Östergötland but the exact date for his birth remain uncertain and available historical sources contradictory. Examinations of his mortal remains indicate he was probably about 50 upon his death in 1266 which would indicate a birth around 1216. However, his father Magnus Minnesköld is assumed to have died no later than 1210, which would lead to an assumed birth a few years earlier. Under any circumstance, he was the son of Ingrid Ylva, mentioned as the daughter of Sune Sik, the son of Sverker the Elder, which made Birger a member of the House of Sverker. His brothers or half-brothers — Eskil, Karl, and Bengt — were all born long before 1200, and therefore it can be assumed they had another mother. He was also nephew to the jarl Birger Brosa from the House of Bjelbo. The combination of this background was to prove of vital importance.^[2][3]
Birger, thus most likely born at the time for the Battle of Gestilren in 1210 and named after Birger Brosa, one of the most potent men of the era who died in 1202, started his career in the mid 1230s by marrying the king's sister Ingeborg Eriksdotter, according to the Eric's Chronicle in fierce rivalry with other suitors.³
During the 15 years to follow, Birger then consolidated his position and probably was one of the most influential men years before being formally given the title jarl in 1248 by King Eric XI. Birger was later claimed to have been responsible for the military campaign against the Novgorod Republic that ended in a defeat by Alexander Nevsky during the Neva Battle in 1240. While Swedish sources have no information on the battle at all, the 16th century Russian legend knows to tell that the Swedish "king" was wounded in the face while dueling against Prince Alexander Nevsky himself. It can be freely speculated, whether traces of a sword blow in Birger's cranium originated from the said battle or any of the many other.^[4] However, the original 14th century Russian version of the battle had no information on this at all.^[5]

Career

When the papal diplomat William of Modena visited present Sweden around 1248, he urged the Swedish kings to fulfil the rules of the Catholic Church, an exhortation which Birger seem to have taken as a chance to strengthen is position by simply taking the side of the church against other members of his family (alternatively possible to interpret as a manifestation of his pious side). This was a choice of historical importance as it was to make Birger a jarl powerful enough to ultimately wind up the office, thus making him the last Swedish jarl ever and, one historian calls him the "first truly Swedish king". As this happened during an era when the inherited concept Folkung became more of a political party, it also meant Swedish magnates lost most of their influence which paved the way for a consolidated Swedish kingdom supported by the Pope.Lindström, p 195-198
In 1249, Birger succeeded in ending a decades-long period of hostilities with Norway. As a part of the Treaty of Lödöse, he also managed to marry off his daughter Rikissa, then only 11-years old, to the eldest son of the King of Norway. Presumably later that year, Birger led an expedition to Finland, later dubbed as the Second Swedish Crusade, which permanently established the Swedish rule in Finland. On King Eric's death in 1250, Birger's son Valdemar was elected as the new king while Birger acted as regent, holding the true power in Sweden until his death.^[6]
In 1252, a year after the victory over the folkungs at the Battle of Herrevadsbro, Birger wrote two carefully dated letters, the first mentioning of Stockholm interpreted as the foundation of the city or at least some sort of special interest in the location. Neither of the letters give a description of the location, however, and while archaeological traces of older defensive structures have been found there, what did exist on the premises before the mid 13th century remains debated. It has been suggested Birger choose the location for several reasons: Partly to curb domestic magnates by isolating them with a "lock of Lake Mälaren", offering a defence to the lands around Mälaren from invading enemies in the process; and to create a commercial bridgehead to attract German merchants. While Birger's direct involvement in the foundation of the city remains speculative, it probably was no accident it was founded on the location at this time, as there was alternative passages into Mälaren during the preceding Viking Era; as Crusades, a kind of Viking raids in a Christian disguise, had proven increasingly unsuccessful; and as taking control over the location, traditionally where men supposedly gathered before the ledung, meant old offensive military traditions could be replaced by more "modern" commercial efforts directed towards Lübeck. Birger thus combined financial support from Germany with papal political support to consolidate his own position.^[7]

Late life

Ingeborg died in 1254 and in 1261 Birger married the widow of King Abel of Denmark, the queen dowager Mechtild of Holstein. Birger died on October 21, 1266, at Jälbolung in Västergötland. His grave at the Church of Varnhem was opened in May 2002.
There is a statue of the great earl in the Riddarholm Church in Stockholm, erected by Fogelberg at the expense of the Over-Governor of Stockholm in 1884, and there is a cenotaph for him at the base of the tower of Stockholm City Hall (it was originally intended to move his remains there, but this was never done). He is also the central figure of Fr. Hedberg's drama ''Bröllopet på Ulfåsa'' (1865).

Children

Mother unknown

# Gregers Birgersson

From marriage with Ingeborg Eriksdotter of Sweden

The marriage was contracted relatively near the time when Ingeborg's brother the once-deposed Eric XI returned from exile in Denmark in 1234.
# Rikissa Birgersdotter, born 1238, married firstly 1251 Haakon Haakonson, co-king of Norway, and secondly, Henry I, Prince of Werle
# Valdemar Birgersson, born c 1238, king of Sweden 1250–1275, lord of parts of Gothenland until 1278
# Christina Birgersdotter, married presumably several times, one of her husbands was lord Sigge Guttormsson
# Magnus Birgersson, born 1240, Duke (of Södermanland), then king of Sweden 1275
# probably: Catherine of Sweden, born 1245, married Siegfried, Count of Anhalt
# Eric Birgersson, born 1250, Duke (of Småland)
# probably: Ingeborg of Sweden, born ca. 1254, died 1302, married John I of Saxony, Duke of Lauenburg
# Benedict, Duke of Finland, born 1254, bishop of Linköping

With Mechtild (doubtful)

# Christine Birgersdotter

Notes

1. Lindström, p 267
2. Upon examination of his bones in 2002, Birger was found out to have been just around 50 at the time of his death, about 10 years younger than traditionally believed. See Kari, Risto. ''Suomalaisten keskiaika''. WSOY 2004. ISBN 951-0-28321-5. See page 119.
3. Lindström, p 191-193.
4. Lindström, p 193-195. See also "Battle on the Neva", 16th century version of the battle, provided by the Slavic Interest Group of the Society for Creative Anachronism. In English.
5. Description of the battle in the First Novgorod Chronicle. Hosted by the National Archive of Finland. in Swedish. See also original text; in Russian.
6. Kari, p. 149.
7. Lindström, p 201-206

References

★ Svitjods undergång och Sveriges födelse, Lindström, Henrik; Lindström, Fredrik, , , Albert Bonniers förlag, , ISBN 91-0-010789-1