Anna Leuhusen
Encyclopedia
Anna Rheinholdsdotter Leuhusen (fl.
1554), was the an Abbess
of St. Clare's Priory
in Stockholm
. She became known for her involvement in the Swedish War of Liberation
between Sweden and Denmark in the 1520s.
, was involved in various warfare which eventually led to the Swedish War of Liberation. In 1520, the city of Stockholm was sieged and taken by the Danes after the defeat of Christina Gyllenstierna
. Soon after, however, the rest of Sweden rose in rebellion and in 1522, the city was besieged by the Swedes under Gustav Vasa. During the siege, the St. Clare's Priory was used as an escape channel by people who wished to join the Swedes outside the city, both merchants and courtiers. Leuhusen was a Danish loyalist and, according to the legend, responsible for betraying several of these people. During the day, she signaled by hanging a white cloth out of the window and, during the night, a lamp to the part of the convent facing the city, as a sign to the Danes that there were refugees in the building. When they left the convent on their way outside the city, they were taken by the Danes and executed for treason. This was performed in collaboration with her brother-in-law, the Danish loyalist mayor of Stockholm.
in 1527. This has been contributed to the acts of Anna Leuhusen during the war, for which the King felt vengeful. Former Abbess Anna Leuhusen and the rest of the nun
s was allowed to settle in the dissolved Grey Friar Abbey in Stockholm, which had been left empty by the monks, where they worked as nurses the rest of their lives. Anna Leuhusen is known to have kept one of the convent most treasured possessions. When the abbey was founded in 1288, Princess Richenza of Sweden had entered it, and became its abbess in 1335. Richenza possessed a golden chain, which was consequently used by the abbesses of the abbey for centuries. Anna Leuhusen kept this chain when the abbey was dissolved and gave it to her family. Anna Leuhusen was still alive in 1550. She is believed to have died around 1554.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1554), was the an Abbess
Abbess
An abbess is the female superior, or mother superior, of a community of nuns, often an abbey....
of St. Clare's Priory
St. Clare's Priory, Stockholm
St. Clare's Priory, Stockholm, was a Roman Catholic nunnery of the order of Saint Clare in Stockholm in Sweden, active 1289 until the reformation in 1527.- History :...
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...
. She became known for her involvement in the Swedish War of Liberation
Swedish War of Liberation
The Swedish War of Liberation , , was a civil war in which the Swedish nobleman Gustav Vasa successfully deposed the Danish king Christian II as regent of the Kalmar Union in Sweden. The war started in January 1521 when Gustav Vasa was appointed "hövitsman" over Dalarna. After Gustav Vasa sacked...
between Sweden and Denmark in the 1520s.
Background
Anna Leuhusen was born the child of Reinhold Leuhusen, merchant in Stockholm, and the sister of Martin Leuhusen, who is listed as a member of the city council of 1521; Martin Leuhusen was a fervent Catholic who did not convert until 1536. Her sister was married to the Danish colonel Gregorius Holst. The year of her birth is unknown. Anna Lehusen entered the Clara Abbey as a member of the order of Saint Clare of Assisi. She was appointed abbess sometime prior to 1508. This year, she is confirmed as such, when she appealed to the city for economic assistance in her capacity of abbess.Act during the war
During this period, Sweden and Denmark, formally united through the Kalmar UnionKalmar Union
The Kalmar Union is a historiographical term meaning a series of personal unions that united the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway , and Sweden under a single monarch, though intermittently and with a population...
, was involved in various warfare which eventually led to the Swedish War of Liberation. In 1520, the city of Stockholm was sieged and taken by the Danes after the defeat of Christina Gyllenstierna
Christina Gyllenstierna
Christina Nilsdotter of Fogelvik, Heiress of Tullgarn , was the wife of the Swedish regent Sten Sture the Younger, and after his death, leader of resistance to Christian II of Denmark...
. Soon after, however, the rest of Sweden rose in rebellion and in 1522, the city was besieged by the Swedes under Gustav Vasa. During the siege, the St. Clare's Priory was used as an escape channel by people who wished to join the Swedes outside the city, both merchants and courtiers. Leuhusen was a Danish loyalist and, according to the legend, responsible for betraying several of these people. During the day, she signaled by hanging a white cloth out of the window and, during the night, a lamp to the part of the convent facing the city, as a sign to the Danes that there were refugees in the building. When they left the convent on their way outside the city, they were taken by the Danes and executed for treason. This was performed in collaboration with her brother-in-law, the Danish loyalist mayor of Stockholm.
Later life
In June 1523, Stockholm was retaken by the Swedes and made capital of the independent Kingdom of Sweden. In 1525, Elin Thomasdotter is noted to have replaced Anna Leuhusen as abbess. The St. Clare's Priory was to be one of the very first convents to be dissolved during the Swedish ReformationSwedish Reformation
The Protestant reformation in Sweden was introduced beginning in 1527 during the reign of king Gustav I of Sweden. The Swedish reformation ment the break with the Roman Catholic Church and the foundation of the Swedish Church. It is considered the ending point of the Swedish Middle Ages. The...
in 1527. This has been contributed to the acts of Anna Leuhusen during the war, for which the King felt vengeful. Former Abbess Anna Leuhusen and the rest of the nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s was allowed to settle in the dissolved Grey Friar Abbey in Stockholm, which had been left empty by the monks, where they worked as nurses the rest of their lives. Anna Leuhusen is known to have kept one of the convent most treasured possessions. When the abbey was founded in 1288, Princess Richenza of Sweden had entered it, and became its abbess in 1335. Richenza possessed a golden chain, which was consequently used by the abbesses of the abbey for centuries. Anna Leuhusen kept this chain when the abbey was dissolved and gave it to her family. Anna Leuhusen was still alive in 1550. She is believed to have died around 1554.