1449-1513 1559-1624






Norway 1513-1559



Administration and Political History . King Hans died in 1513 and was succeeded by his son Christian II., who since 1506 had been Viceroy of Norway. Christian II. implemented a policy alienating the Hanseatic League by cancelling their privileges, and in the Bloodbath of Stockholm retook control of Sweden by force (1520); the opposition regrouped, and in 1523 Sweden, once and for all, established independence. Jutland rose in rebellion in the same year; Christian II. fled Denmark, where Duke Frederick of Holstein was crowned king (1523).
While Christian had alienated the political circles in Sweden and Denmark, opinion of him in Norway was considerably more favourable. By marriage an in-law of Emperor Charles V., Christian continued to claim the thrones of Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
The Diet of Norway (herredag) in 1524 acclaimed Frederick I. as King of Norway. In Norway Archbishop Olav Engelbrektsson of Nidaros Trondhjem) emerged as the strongman. When Akershus Fortress burnt down after a lightning strike, King Frederick appointed loyal followers as commanders of the fortresses of Akershus and Bohus, thus establishing control of southern Norway. In 1531 King Christian II. landed in Norway with a small force and attempted to restore control. Unable to take Akershus and Bohus, he surrendered in 1532, and, in violation of the conditions granted by King Frederick, was imprisoned for the remainder of his days. King Frederick died in 1533 and was succeeded by his son, King Christian III. (1533-1559).

The Reformation in Norway . Danish King Christian III. ordered the introduction of the Lutheran reformation in Norway in 1536; the Danish Church Ordinnance introduced in 1537. A Norwegian church council officially adopted the Lutheran reformation in 1539. Monasteries were dissolved, much church property confiscated by the state, the Catholic bishops replaced by Lutheran superintendents (who often were referred to as bishops). The bishops still adhering to Catholicism were deposed, Archbishop Olav of Nidaros (Trondhjem) had fled the country in 1537, Bishop of Hamar Mogens Lauridsen died in prison (1542). In remote Norwegian communities, Catholic practices were continued for decades. The Church of Norway was treated as an extension of the Church of Denmark.
The strong Danish influence had a strong influence on the development of the Norwegian language. In Norway, the Danish bible translation was used, as were Danish catechisms and hymns.

Society and Economy . King Christian III. (inclined to favour the Hollanders) in 1513 cancelled the privileges the merchants of Rostock enjoyed in Oslo. Instead he extended the privileges of the merchants of Oslo and Tönsberg. Foreigners willing to trade here had to take up residence in the respective city and marry into a local family. While Christian II. did not manage to hold on to his throne, the Hanseatic League never managed to regain her former position in Norway.
Mining began in Norway in 1524, with a privilege given to the bishop of Hamar. The introduction of water-powered sawmills c. 1520 resulted in the drastic increase of the production of planks, for which there was great demand in the Netherlands, later in England.
The Reformation had an economic aspect, as church property was confiscated, and a number of church buildings were torn down, monasteries were closed. The cathedral schools were turned into Latin schools. Norway had no university of her own; the Norwegian clergy received her education at the University of København (Copenhagen); Norway was to get her first university in 1813.







EXTERNAL
FILES 		The Union with Denmark, in : History of Norway, by Tor Dagre, from Norway Info, scroll down
Articles Christian II. of Denmark, Frederick I. of Denmark, Akershus Fortress, Christian III. of Denmark, from Wikipedia
DOCUMENTS Kings of Norway, from World Statesmen, by Ben Cahoon
REFERENCE Svend Gissel (ed.)., Desertion and Land Colonisation in Nordic Countries 1300-1600, Prometheus 1985 [G]
Frank Noel Stagg, East Norway and its Frontier, A History of Oslo and its Uplands, London : George Allen & Unwin 1956 [G]


This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted on August 11th 2007

Click here to go Home
Click here to go to Information about KMLA, WHKMLA, the author and webmaster
Click here to go to Statistics