Abraham Angermannus
Encyclopedia
Abraham Andersson, usually known under the Latin form of his name, Abrahamus Andreæ Angermannus or just Abraham Angermannus (died in October 1607) was the fourth Lutheran Archbishop of Uppsala
in the Church of Sweden
from 1593 to 1599. He was described as bold and outspoken.
, Sweden, whence his name is derived.
In 1576 he was appointed school principal at a school in Stockholm
. But because of his criticism towards the liturgy
of King John III of Sweden
, John tried to get him to move somewhere else. After turning down the offer of becoming professor at Uppsala University
, Angermannus was forced to become vicar in the remote city Öregrund
. Still polemizing, the king then moved him again to an even remoter area, to Saltvik
on the island Åland.
This did not silence him. In his preachings he spoke sharply against papism and liturgy until eventually John sent some men to arrest him and he was taken to the prison in Åbo
, Finland. With some help he managed to escape, and got on a boat back to Stockholm to the king's brother Duke Charles
with whom he thought himself secure. But he was nonetheless prosecuted in Stockholm. With help from Duke Charles, he in 1582 escaped on a boat to Charles sister Elisabeth
in Mecklenburg
, Germany, to avoid the trial.
In Germany he lived for eleven years. He visited the universities of Wittenberg, Leipzig
and Frankfurt. All the time he spoke heavily against liturgy and papism and Duke Charles was supporting him from Sweden as much as he could. In Germany he had published books such as Proposition about our Swedish Church Doctrines and Rites in Swedish 1587 and Historia Liturgica in 1588. It led to him being considered a martyr and a strongman for the true Lutheran faith. For these reasons the chapter of Uppsala elected him archbishop in 1593, although neither the Duke Charles nor the present king Sigismund
were in favor of it.
He was the person in charge of the Uppsala Synod
in 1593, where the main doctrines of the Swedish Lutheran Church and the privileges for the Uppsala University
were decided.
In 1596 he undertook an inspection through his diocese
. During the travel he was so harshly changing the remainders of the Catholic Church rituals he did not approve of that he was almost attacked by the peasants. His intent was to purge the country from everything which did not answer to the Lutheran doctrine, including everything from old Catholic and Pagan customs to sex outside of marriage; it also caused the first wave of witch trials
in Sweden, though they did not lead to any death sentences. The Duke Charles, who had by now been crowned as Charles IX, got upset by the agitations from the archbishop. After the archbishop had undertaken some other actions that the king did not approve of, the king put him on trial for not doing his duty in 1599. In spite of the bishops' refusal to admit him guilty, the king decided that he was indeed so, and had him imprisoned. Eventually he was transferred to Gripsholm prison where he remained until his death in October 1607.
Archbishop of Uppsala
The Archbishop of Uppsala has been the primate in Sweden in an unbroken succession since 1164, first during the Catholic era, and from the 1530s and onward under the Lutheran church.- Historical overview :...
in the Church of Sweden
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...
from 1593 to 1599. He was described as bold and outspoken.
Biography
Angermannus was born around 1540 in the province of ÅngermanlandÅngermanland
' is a historical province or landskap in the north of Sweden. It borders to Medelpad, Jämtland, Lapland, Västerbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia. The name "Ångermanland" comes from the Old Norse "anger", which means "deep fjord" and refers to the deep mouth of the river Ångermanälven...
, Sweden, whence his name is derived.
In 1576 he was appointed school principal at a school in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. But because of his criticism towards the liturgy
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
of King John III of Sweden
John III of Sweden
-Family:John married his first wife, Catherine Jagellonica of Poland , house of Jagiello, in Vilnius on 4 October 1562. In Sweden, she is known as Katarina Jagellonica. She was the sister of king Sigismund II Augustus of Poland...
, John tried to get him to move somewhere else. After turning down the offer of becoming professor at Uppsala University
Uppsala University
Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...
, Angermannus was forced to become vicar in the remote city Öregrund
Öregrund
Öregrund is a locality situated in Östhammar Municipality, Uppsala County, Sweden with 1,555 inhabitants in 2010. It is located by the coast of the Baltic Sea. Öregrund is, despite its small population, for historical reasons often still referred to as a city.- History :The town was granted a royal...
. Still polemizing, the king then moved him again to an even remoter area, to Saltvik
Saltvik
Saltvik is a municipality of Åland, an autonomous territory of Finland. The total area is 1 161,8 km², of which 150,7 km² is land, 4,7 km² lakes and 1006,4 km² sea....
on the island Åland.
This did not silence him. In his preachings he spoke sharply against papism and liturgy until eventually John sent some men to arrest him and he was taken to the prison in Åbo
Abo
Abo may refer to:* ABO blood group system, a human blood type and blood group system** ABO , enzyme encoded by the ABO gene that determines the ABO blood group of an individual* Abo of Tiflis , an Arab East Orthodox Catholic saint...
, Finland. With some help he managed to escape, and got on a boat back to Stockholm to the king's brother Duke Charles
Charles IX of Sweden
Charles IX of Sweden also Carl, was King of Sweden from 1604 until his death. He was the youngest son of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife, Margaret Leijonhufvud, brother of Eric XIV and John III of Sweden, and uncle of Sigismund III Vasa king of both Sweden and Poland...
with whom he thought himself secure. But he was nonetheless prosecuted in Stockholm. With help from Duke Charles, he in 1582 escaped on a boat to Charles sister Elisabeth
Princess Elizabeth of Sweden
Princess Elizabeth of Sweden, , was a Swedish princess and a duchess consort of Mecklenburg-Gadebusch...
in Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
, Germany, to avoid the trial.
In Germany he lived for eleven years. He visited the universities of Wittenberg, Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
and Frankfurt. All the time he spoke heavily against liturgy and papism and Duke Charles was supporting him from Sweden as much as he could. In Germany he had published books such as Proposition about our Swedish Church Doctrines and Rites in Swedish 1587 and Historia Liturgica in 1588. It led to him being considered a martyr and a strongman for the true Lutheran faith. For these reasons the chapter of Uppsala elected him archbishop in 1593, although neither the Duke Charles nor the present king Sigismund
Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, a monarch of the united Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1587 to 1632, and King of Sweden from 1592 until he was deposed in 1599...
were in favor of it.
He was the person in charge of the Uppsala Synod
Uppsala Synod
The Uppsala Synod in 1593 was the most important synod of the Lutheran Church of Sweden. Sweden had gone through its Protestant Reformation and broken with Roman Catholicism in the 1520s, but an official confession of faith had never been declared....
in 1593, where the main doctrines of the Swedish Lutheran Church and the privileges for the Uppsala University
Uppsala University
Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...
were decided.
In 1596 he undertook an inspection through his diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
. During the travel he was so harshly changing the remainders of the Catholic Church rituals he did not approve of that he was almost attacked by the peasants. His intent was to purge the country from everything which did not answer to the Lutheran doctrine, including everything from old Catholic and Pagan customs to sex outside of marriage; it also caused the first wave of witch trials
Witch-hunt
A witch-hunt is a search for witches or evidence of witchcraft, often involving moral panic, mass hysteria and lynching, but in historical instances also legally sanctioned and involving official witchcraft trials...
in Sweden, though they did not lead to any death sentences. The Duke Charles, who had by now been crowned as Charles IX, got upset by the agitations from the archbishop. After the archbishop had undertaken some other actions that the king did not approve of, the king put him on trial for not doing his duty in 1599. In spite of the bishops' refusal to admit him guilty, the king decided that he was indeed so, and had him imprisoned. Eventually he was transferred to Gripsholm prison where he remained until his death in October 1607.