Jacob Johan Anckarström
Encyclopedia
Jacob Johan Anckarström (11 May 1762 – 27 April 1792) was a Swedish
military officer who was convicted and executed for regicide
. He was the son of Jacob Johan Anckarström the Elder
. He served as a captain in King Gustav III
's regiment between 1778 and 1783. During travels to Gotland
, he was accused of slandering the king and fled to Stockholm
, where he spent the winter, but was subsequently arrested, brought back and tried in Gotland. Although he was acquitted due to lack of evidence, he later maintained in his confession that this incident sparked his fire of hatred towards the king, fuelled by the contemporary revolutionary movement
in Europe
.
On 16 March 1792, Gustav III had returned to Stockholm, after spending the day at Haga Palace
outside the city, to dine and visit a masquerade ball
at the Royal Opera
. During dinner, he received an anonymous letter that contained a threat to his life, but as the king had received numerous threatening letters in the past, he chose to ignore the warning.
After dining, he left his rooms to take part in the masquerade. Soon after entering, he was surrounded by Anckarström and his co-conspirators, Claes Horn and Adolf Ribbing, who wore black masks and greeted him in French
with the words "Bonjour, beau masque" ("Good-day, fine mask"). Anckarström moved in behind the king and fired a pistol-shot into the left side of his back. The murder weapon was loaded with two balls, five shot and six bent nails. The King jumped aside, crying in French "Ah! Je suis blessé, tirez-moi d'ici et arrêtez-le" ("Ah! I am wounded, take me away from here and stop him!"). The king was immediately carried back to his quarters, and the exits of the Opera were sealed. Anckarström was arrested the following morning and immediately confessed to the murder, although he denied a conspiracy until he was informed that Horn and Ribbing had been arrested and confessed in full.
Anckarström was jailed in a prison not far from the Royal Palace
in Stockholm. Today the former prison is an underground restaurant named after the viceroy Sten Sture
.
Curiously, the murder had been predicted to the king four years earlier, when he paid an anonymous visit to the celebrated medium
of the Gustavian era, Ulrica Arfvidsson
. She was often employed by his brother, Duke Charles, and was said to have a large net of informers all over town; she was never suspected to be involved, but she was questioned about the murder.
Gustav III died of his wounds on 29 March, and on 16 April Anckarström was sentenced. He was stripped of his estates and nobility privileges. He was sentenced to be cast in irons for three days and flogged
, and his right hand was to be cut off before he was decapitated. The execution took place on 27 April 1792.
In the same year, the Anckarström family changed its surname to Löwenström and donated funds for a hospital as a gift of appeasement. This resulted in the Löwenström Hospital, or Löwenströmska sjukhuset. Living descendants of Anckarström include Ulf Adelsohn
and the American actress Alexandra Neil
.
's opera
Gustave III and Giuseppe Verdi
's Un ballo in maschera
(A Masked Ball). In the operas, his motivation is changed to jealousy over his wife Amelia, with whom Gustav is portrayed as being in love. He is actually portrayed as being Gustav's close friend before he switches allegiances. Gustav pardons him with his last breath. In the censored version of the Verdi libretto, set in Colonial-era Boston
, he is called Renato (Rene).
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
military officer who was convicted and executed for regicide
Regicide
The broad definition of regicide is the deliberate killing of a monarch, or the person responsible for the killing of a monarch. In a narrower sense, in the British tradition, it refers to the judicial execution of a king after a trial...
. He was the son of Jacob Johan Anckarström the Elder
Jacob Johan Anckarström the Elder
Jacob Johan Anckarström the Elder was a Swedish nobleman and colonel of the Anckarström family...
. He served as a captain in King Gustav III
Gustav III of Sweden
Gustav III was King of Sweden from 1771 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Adolph Frederick and Queen Louise Ulrica of Sweden, she a sister of Frederick the Great of Prussia....
's regiment between 1778 and 1783. During travels to Gotland
Gotland
Gotland is a county, province, municipality and diocese of Sweden; it is Sweden's largest island and the largest island in the Baltic Sea. At 3,140 square kilometers in area, the region makes up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area...
, he was accused of slandering the king and fled to 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...
, where he spent the winter, but was subsequently arrested, brought back and tried in Gotland. Although he was acquitted due to lack of evidence, he later maintained in his confession that this incident sparked his fire of hatred towards the king, fuelled by the contemporary revolutionary movement
Revolutionary movement
Revolutionary movement is a specific type of social movement dedicated to carrying out a revolution. Charles Tilly defines it as a social movement advancing exclusive competing claims to control of the state, or some segment of it. An example of a revolutionary movement is the Armenian...
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
On 16 March 1792, Gustav III had returned to Stockholm, after spending the day at Haga Palace
Haga Palace
Haga Palace , formerly known as the Queen's Pavilion , is located in Hagaparken, Solna Municipality in Metropolitan Stockholm, Sweden. The palace, built in 1802 1805, was modelled after ballet-master Gallodiers Italian villa in Drottningholm by architect Carl Christoffer Gjörwell on appointment by...
outside the city, to dine and visit a masquerade ball
Masquerade ball
A masquerade ball is an event which the participants attend in costume wearing a mask. - History :...
at the Royal Opera
Royal Swedish Opera
Kungliga Operan is Sweden's national stage for opera and ballet.-Location and Environment:...
. During dinner, he received an anonymous letter that contained a threat to his life, but as the king had received numerous threatening letters in the past, he chose to ignore the warning.
After dining, he left his rooms to take part in the masquerade. Soon after entering, he was surrounded by Anckarström and his co-conspirators, Claes Horn and Adolf Ribbing, who wore black masks and greeted him in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
with the words "Bonjour, beau masque" ("Good-day, fine mask"). Anckarström moved in behind the king and fired a pistol-shot into the left side of his back. The murder weapon was loaded with two balls, five shot and six bent nails. The King jumped aside, crying in French "Ah! Je suis blessé, tirez-moi d'ici et arrêtez-le" ("Ah! I am wounded, take me away from here and stop him!"). The king was immediately carried back to his quarters, and the exits of the Opera were sealed. Anckarström was arrested the following morning and immediately confessed to the murder, although he denied a conspiracy until he was informed that Horn and Ribbing had been arrested and confessed in full.
Anckarström was jailed in a prison not far from the Royal Palace
Stockholm Palace
The Stockholm Palace is the official residence and major royal palace of the Swedish monarch. . Stockholm Palace is located on Stadsholmen , in Gamla Stan in the capital, Stockholm...
in Stockholm. Today the former prison is an underground restaurant named after the viceroy Sten Sture
Sten Sture the Elder
Sten Sture the Elder was a Swedish statesman and regent of Sweden from .-Background:...
.
Curiously, the murder had been predicted to the king four years earlier, when he paid an anonymous visit to the celebrated medium
Mediumship
Mediumship is described as a form of communication with spirits. It is a practice in religious beliefs such as Spiritualism, Spiritism, Espiritismo, Candomblé, Voodoo and Umbanda.- Concept :...
of the Gustavian era, Ulrica Arfvidsson
Ulrica Arfvidsson
Anna Ulrica Arfvidsson was a professional Swedish fortune-teller during the reign of Gustav III of Sweden. She was commonly known as Mamsell Arfvidsson.-Biography:...
. She was often employed by his brother, Duke Charles, and was said to have a large net of informers all over town; she was never suspected to be involved, but she was questioned about the murder.
Gustav III died of his wounds on 29 March, and on 16 April Anckarström was sentenced. He was stripped of his estates and nobility privileges. He was sentenced to be cast in irons for three days and flogged
Flagellation
Flagellation or flogging is the act of methodically beating or whipping the human body. Specialised implements for it include rods, switches, the cat o' nine tails and the sjambok...
, and his right hand was to be cut off before he was decapitated. The execution took place on 27 April 1792.
In the same year, the Anckarström family changed its surname to Löwenström and donated funds for a hospital as a gift of appeasement. This resulted in the Löwenström Hospital, or Löwenströmska sjukhuset. Living descendants of Anckarström include Ulf Adelsohn
Ulf Adelsohn
Ulf Adelsohn is a Swedish politician, leader of the Moderate Party from 1981 to 1986 and landshövding of Stockholm County in 1992-2001...
and the American actress Alexandra Neil
Alexandra Neil
Alexandra Neil is an American actress.Neil has portrayed a number of characters on numerous soap operas such as Texas, Ryan's Hope, Another World, Guiding Light, and As the World Turns and "One Life to Live"...
.
Operas
Anckarström is a character in Daniel AuberDaniel Auber
Daniel François Esprit Auber was a French composer.-Biography:The son of a Paris print-seller, Auber was born in Caen in Normandy. Though his father expected him to continue in the print-selling business, he also allowed his son to learn how to play several musical instruments...
's opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
Gustave III and Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
's Un ballo in maschera
Un ballo in maschera
Un ballo in maschera , is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi with text by Antonio Somma. The libretto is loosely based on an 1833 play, Gustave III, by French playwright Eugène Scribe who wrote about the historical assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden...
(A Masked Ball). In the operas, his motivation is changed to jealousy over his wife Amelia, with whom Gustav is portrayed as being in love. He is actually portrayed as being Gustav's close friend before he switches allegiances. Gustav pardons him with his last breath. In the censored version of the Verdi libretto, set in Colonial-era Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, he is called Renato (Rene).