Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie
Encyclopedia
Count Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie (15 October 1622 – 26 April 1686) was a Swedish
statesman and military man. He became a member of the Swedish Privy Council
in 1647 and came to be the holder of three of the five offices counted as the Great Officers of the Realm
, namely Lord High Treasurer
, Lord High Chancellor
and Lord High Steward
. He also served as Governor-General in the Swedish dominion of Livonia
.
Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie
was born on 15 October, 1622. The place of his birth was Reval (present-day Tallinn
), Estonia
, which at the time was a Swedish dominion where Magnus Gabriel's father Jacob De la Gardie
served as governor
. Jacob De la Gardie, Count of Läckö
, was a prominent military commander who served as Lord High Constable of Sweden
from 1620 until his death in 1652. Father of Jacob, and grandfather of Magnus Gabriel, was Baron Pontus De la Gardie
, a French mercenary who had been in Danish service but made a career in Sweden after having been captured by Swedish troops in 1565. Pontus married Sofia Gyllenhielm, the daughter of King John III of Sweden
, in 1580.
Magnus Gabriel's mother was Ebba Brahe
, daughter of Lord High Steward Magnus Brahe
and Brita Leijonhufvud. Ebba had a relationship with young King Gustavus Adolphus, probably during the years 1613-1615. Gustavus's mother, queen dowager Christina
, ruined her son's wish to marry Ebba Brahe, who in 1618 instead married Jacob De la Gardie. Ebba and Jacob got 14 children, of whom seven lived to maturity. These seven were Magnus Gabriel, Maria Sofia
, Jacob Casimir, Pontus Frederick, Christina Catharina, Axel Julius
and Ebba Margaretha.
, thanks to his ancestry. The next year, he travelled abroad to complete his training. Much of this period was spent in France
and the Netherlands
. When the Torstenson War between Sweden and Denmark broke out in 1643, De la Gardie returned to his native Sweden, and learned about warfare under the command of Field Marshal Gustav Horn.
(1644-1654) De la Gardie became the queen's favourite. Being, reportedly, both well-mannered and good looking might have helped De la Gardie to gain the queen's favour. His knowledge concerning culture, politics and representation might also have impressed the queen just as his talent for organizing festivities and surrounding himself with extravagance and magnificence. His skill and interest in the mentioned areas was in demand during a time when the power should not only be well-learned, resolute and rooted in history, but have a sense of details and possess splendour as well.
In 1645 he was promoted to colonel of the Life Guards
(livgardet). In 1646, De la Gardie was head of a diplomatic mission to France in order to find Queen Christina musicians for her Swedish court. The mission was a success for De la Gardie, who upon his return to Sweden received distinctions of an unparalleled amount. Furthermore, the queen arranged a wedding for him and the queen's cousin Maria Eufrosyne of Zweibrücken
at the Royal Palace. After the wedding, De la Gardie was made a Privy Councillor
. On April 17, 1648, he was promoted to general and served as such under the future king, and his own brother-in-law, Charles Gustav during the conquest of Prague
that took place in the final months of the Thirty Years' War
. Despite making only a slight contribution in the war, De la Gardie was eventually rewarded 22,500 riksdaler, more than any other general. The same year, he was created count of Arensburg (Kuressaare
).
De la Gardie began his first of two terms as Governor-General of the Swedish dominion of Livonia
in 1649. At the coronation of Queen Christina, in 1650, he was entrusted with carrying the royal banner. A year later, in 1651, he ended his first term in Livonia and was appointed Marshal of the Realm
(riksmarskalk). In 1652, he became Lord High Treasurer
(riksskattmästare), which was one of five Great Officers of the Realm
and, as such, one of the most prominent and powerful members of the Privy Council as well as head of the Chambers (kammarkollegium). Also in 1652, De la Gardie was appointed lawspeaker
(lagman) of Västergötland
and Dalsland
. When his father Jacob died that year, Magnus Gabriel inherited Läckö Castle
and became Count of Läckö.
In 1653, De la Gardie fell out of favour with the queen. He and his family had to leave the court and for the rest of Christina's reign, De la Gardie lived on his manors in some kind of an exile. However, Queen Christina abdicated soon and was replaced on the throne by Charles Gustav, the brother of De la Gardie's wife Maria Eufrosyne.
and in December that year he was made chancellor of Uppsala University
. In 1655, he was for the second time chosen for the office of General-Governor of Livonia. He also became Lieutenant General of the Swedish troops in Ingria
, Estonia and Livonia, which meant that he commanded troops in the wars against Poland and Russia
. It appears that De la Gardie was anything but a splendid military commander, as he received much more complaints than praise from the king for his actions in that area. During negotiations with Poland, De la Gardie was the prime Swedish representative. He took part in the deliberations leading to the Swedish-Polish Treaty of Oliva
in 1660.
King Charles X Gustav died in early 1660. In accordance to his will, De la Gardie was appointed Lord High Chancellor
and, as such, member of the regency that ruled Sweden during the minority of Charles XI
(1660-1672).
Being experienced and having built many good, important relations, he was a prominent member of a regency that lived to much in the past and the traditions from the Thirty Years' War and lacked the vision to handle the demands of a new time. The regency was divided into parties. De la Gardie was the main representative of the party in favour of warlike adventures and a close relationship to France. The opponents, represented by Lord High Treasurer Gustaf Bonde
, Lord High Steward Per Brahe the Younger and Johan Gyllenstierna, were advocates of a more peaceful and economical way. The opinions of De la Gardie's side most often won out and, therefore, Sweden was nearly drawn into wars against Russia and Poland during the regency period. Early on in the period, in 1661, Sweden and France signed a treaty where a secret paragraph ensured that Sweden would support the French candidate on the first vacancy of the Polish throne, in exchange for a large sum of money. In April 1672, the two allies signed a new treaty in Stockholm
. According to this treaty, Sweden would keep an army of 16,000 men in its German dominions to make sure the German states would not interfere in a war between France and its enemies the Netherlands
and Spain
. In return, Sweden would receive 400,000 riksdaler annually in peacetime. In wartime, the amount would be increased to 600,000 riksdaler. In a Sweden with great financial problems, this politics of subsidies was to Count De la Gardie a more attractive way to improve the state's finances than a reduction, which would mean that lands granted the nobility would be reclaimed by the Crown.
De la Gardie himself was responsible for parts of the financial troubles Sweden faced at the time, created by Johan Palmstruch
and his paper money. He made several donations from the Crown to himself and used national resources for private matters. Meanwhile, since they did not receive the funds necessary, the navy went into decay because of insufficient maintenance, and soldiers died or ran away from the army since they did not receive their pay.
came to age. Despite what people might have anticipated, De la Gardie now became mightier than ever before. The young and inexperienced king seems to have been glad to take the advice of his Lord High Chancellor De la Gardie, who tried to increase the king's power in order to increase his own. However, from 1675, his influence decreased. That year, bound by the treaty with France, Sweden entered the Franco-Dutch War
by invading Brandenburg
. Although being numerically superior, the Swedish forces lost at Fehrbellin
, which led to Denmark being encouraged to attack Sweden. Thus, the Scanian War
was initiated. In connection with King Charles's coronation the same year, De la Gardie was accused of high treason
, an accusation that soon was judged as unjustified.
During the Scanian War, De la Gardie commanded troops that fought against the Norwegian army in Bohuslän
. With this war operation, like earlier operations, De la Gardie lacked success, and suffered a considerable setback at Uddevalla
in 1677.
The harsh conditions in the latter half of the 1670's, with the war as the main cause, could be attributed to the treaty with France, for which De la Gardie had been a spokesman. The hard times came to lead to the upheavals in 1680. The financial crisis in Sweden, made King Charles XI assemble the Riksdag of the Estates
in October 1680. Here, the king finally pushed through the reduction
ordeal, something that had been discussed in the Riksdag since 1650. It meant that any land or object previously owned by the crown and lent or given away — including counties, baronies and lordships - could be recovered. In principal, the entire Swedish elite of nobles was demolished.
Another important decision made during the assembly was that concerning the Privy Council
. Since 1634, it had been mandatory for the king to take the advice from this council. During the Scanian War, the members of the council had internal feuds, and the king more or less ruled without listening to their advice. At the 1680 assembly, he asked the estates whether he was still bound to the council, to which the estates gave him his desired reply: "he was not bound by anyone other than himself", and thereby the absolute monarchy was formally established in Sweden. De la Gardie had tried to rally the members of the Privy Council to withstand the development leading to absolutism, but in vain.
Prior to the Riksdag, De la Gardie had been removed from the Lord High Chancellor office and instead been made Lord High Steward
. Thus, De la Gardie lost influence in general and on the country's foreign policy in particular.
Perhaps no other man was as negatively affected by the reduction as De la Gardie. He was judged owing the state a huge sum (352,159 daler silvermynt) and lost his whole fortune through the recoveries made by the Crown. For example, his Läckö estate was recovered in one and a half day. The only estates he could keep was Venngarn and Höjentorp. In 1675 a special commission was appointed to inquire into the doings of De la Gardie and his high aristocratic colleagues, and on May 27, 1682 it decided that the regents and the senate were solely responsible for dilapidations of the realm, the compensation due by them to the crown being assessed at 4,000,000 riksdaler. De la Gardie was treated with relative leniency, but he "received permission to retire to his estates for the rest of his life". Spending his final days on Venngarn, he could not understand what crimes he had committed. Desperately, he concluded that "what I have acquired during 38 years, and my father and ancestors during 40 years, is gone". Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie died at Venngarn on April 26, 1686.
De la Gardie had been partly responsible for the treaty with France and had worked hard to increase the young King Charles's power. It might seem ironic that the treaty helped moving Sweden into a deep crisis financially, which, together with the level of power Charles had attained, in turn led to the reduction. Thus, De la Gardie contributions came to be a large factor behind his own fall from power and richness.
, De la Gardie married Maria Eufrosyne of Zweibrücken
. Maria Eufrosyne was a cousin of Queen Christina and a sister of the future king Charles X Gustav. Sources describe her as a "poor princess" that "benefited greatly by her wedding with the richest of the Swedish magnates". The queen, who had mediated to make the marriage possible, arranged the wedding.
The marriage of Magnus Gabriel and Maria Eufrosyne is reported as having been happy. Maria Eufrosyne gave birth to eleven children, of whom only three survived their own parents. These three were Privy Councillor Gustaf Adolf (1647-95), Catharina Charlotta (1655-97, wife of Field Marshal Otto Wilhelm Königsmarck
) and Hedvig Ebba (c.1659-1700, wife of Count Carl Gustaf Eriksson Oxenstierna).
During his life, De la Gardie succeeded in adding large numbers of estates and castles to his possession. In his prime, he owned estates and castles in the provinces of Uppland
, Närke
, Västmanland
and Västergötland. Among these were Karlberg
, Drottningholm
, Jakobsdal (now: Ulriksdal
), Venngarn, Ekholmen, Kägleholm, Läckö, Traneberg, Mariedal
, Katrineberg and Höjentorp. Moreover, De la Gardie owned large properties in Livonia
, Finland
, Pomerania
and Mecklenburg
, at the time all parts of Sweden.
Every nobleman needed a well-suited place to live in the capital Stockholm. Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie's father, Jacob, built a grand palace close to the royal palace. It was called the De la Gardie Palace, or Makalös Palace
. When Jacob died in 1652, it was inherited by Magnus Gabriel. The palace was the foremost among the private residences in Stockholm, and contained movable property
more magnificent than what the royal palace did.
De la Gardie is known as being an eager constructor and the amount of different building projects he was running was huge. In 1674, the Italian diplomat Lorenzo Magalotti estimated that De la Gardie had at least 50 on-going projects in Sweden and its provinces, excluding the 37 churches he was constructing or repairing at the time. One of the churches De la Gardie restored was the abbey church of Varnhem
, in which he established a family mausoleum
where Magnus Gabriel himself, his wife Maria Eufrosyne, their son Gustav Adolf and daughter-in-law Elisabet Oxenstierna are buried.
At Läckö, De la Gardie ordered considerable extensions, starting in 1654. For example, a fourth floor was added on the keep, as were a castle chapel. The staff of the castle increased from 83 employees to 222 between 1662 and 1678, a sign of the development of the nobility's estates into own societies which was not uncommon at that time.
and Nicodemus Tessin the Elder
were among the architects that De la Gardie engaged to fulfill his building ambitions.
In 1666, De la Gardie made sure Sweden got an organized heritage conservation, the first of its kind in Europe.
The Codex Argenteus
, also known as the "Silver Bible", is a 6th century manuscript that was bought and brought to Uppsala University
, where it still remains, by De la Gardie. It was brought to Sweden the first time in 1648, but Isaac Vossius
, a Dutch librarian of Queen Christina took it to his home town. In 1662, De la Gardie bought the codex and in 1669, he donated it to the university, after first having it bound in a chased silver binding.
A silver throne donated by De la Gardie holds a central position in Rikssalen in Stockholm Palace
. The throne was a gift from De la Gardie to Queen Christina for her coronation in 1650. De la Gardie engaged Abraham Drentwett of Augsburg
to produce it.
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....
statesman and military man. He became a member of the Swedish Privy Council
Privy Council of Sweden
The High Council of Sweden or Council of the Realm consisted originally of those men of noble, common and clergical background, that the king saw fit for advisory service...
in 1647 and came to be the holder of three of the five offices counted as the Great Officers of the Realm
Great Officers of The Realm
The Great Officers of the Realm were the five leading members of the Swedish Privy Council from the later parts of the 16th century to around 1680. With the constitution of 1634, the five officers became heads of five different branches of government...
, namely Lord High Treasurer
Lord High Treasurer of Sweden
The Lord High Treasurer was a highly prominent member of the Swedish Privy Council between 1602 and 1684, excluding periods when the office was out of use...
, Lord High Chancellor
Lord High Chancellor of Sweden
The Lord High Chancellor was a prominent and influential office in Sweden, from 1561 until 1680, excluding periods when the office was out of use. The office holder was a member of the Privy Council of Sweden...
and Lord High Steward
Lord High Steward of Sweden
The Lord High Steward or Lord High Justiciar was a highly prominent member of the Swedish Privy Council from the 13th century until 1809, excluding periods when the office was out of use....
. He also served as Governor-General in the Swedish dominion of Livonia
Swedish Livonia
- Swedish infantry and cavalry regiments:Infantry regiments:* Garnisonsregementet i Riga * Guvenörsregementet i Riga * Livländsk infanteribataljon I...
.
Birth and ancestry
De la Gardie
De la Gardie, occasionally de la Gardie , is a Swedish noble family of French origin. The family's social status in France before the migration to Sweden is uncertain, they were possibly of lower gentry or bourgeoisie...
was born on 15 October, 1622. The place of his birth was Reval (present-day Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
), Estonia
Swedish Estonia
The Duchy of Estonia , also known as Swedish Estonia, was a dominion of the Swedish Empire from 1561 until 1721, when it was ceded to Russia in the Treaty of Nystad, following its capitulation in the Great Northern War. The dominion arose when the northern parts of present-day Estonia were united...
, which at the time was a Swedish dominion where Magnus Gabriel's father Jacob De la Gardie
Jacob De la Gardie
Field Marshal and Count Jacob Pontusson De la Gardie was a statesman and a soldier of the Swedish Empire....
served as governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
. Jacob De la Gardie, Count of Läckö
Läckö Castle
Läckö Castle is a medieval castle in Sweden. Läckö Castle is best known as Magnus de la Gardie's magnificent castle on the shores of Lake Vänern, the largest lake in Sweden....
, was a prominent military commander who served as Lord High Constable of Sweden
Lord High Constable of Sweden
The Lord High Constable was a prominent and influential office in Sweden, from the 13th century until 1676, excluding periods when the office was out of use. The office holder was a member of the Swedish Privy Council and, from 1630 and on, the head of the Swedish Council of War...
from 1620 until his death in 1652. Father of Jacob, and grandfather of Magnus Gabriel, was Baron Pontus De la Gardie
Pontus De la Gardie
Pontus De la Gardie was a French nobleman and general in the service of Denmark and Sweden.He was born Ponce De La Gardie in Russol , Languedoc, as a son of Jacques De la Gardie and Catherine de Sainte-Colombe. As a youngster, he wanted to become a priest and was educated in a monastery...
, a French mercenary who had been in Danish service but made a career in Sweden after having been captured by Swedish troops in 1565. Pontus married Sofia Gyllenhielm, the daughter 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...
, in 1580.
Ebba Brahe
Ebba Magnusdotter Brahe was a lady-in-waiting in the Swedish court, countess, and the mistress of king Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden...
, daughter of Lord High Steward Magnus Brahe
Magnus Brahe
Count Magnus Brahe was a Swedish noble. Being both Lord High Constable and Lord High Steward of Sweden, he was a notable figure in the 17th century Sweden....
and Brita Leijonhufvud. Ebba had a relationship with young King Gustavus Adolphus, probably during the years 1613-1615. Gustavus's mother, queen dowager Christina
Christina of Holstein-Gottorp
Christina of Holstein-Gottorp was a Queen Consort of Sweden as consort of king Charles IX of Sweden, mother of king Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, and a Regent of Sweden.-Biography:...
, ruined her son's wish to marry Ebba Brahe, who in 1618 instead married Jacob De la Gardie. Ebba and Jacob got 14 children, of whom seven lived to maturity. These seven were Magnus Gabriel, Maria Sofia
Maria Sofia De la Gardie
Maria Sofia De la Gardie, as married Oxenstierna of Croneborg , was a Swedish noble and entrepreneur. She has been called the first female grand entrepreneur of her country.-Biography:...
, Jacob Casimir, Pontus Frederick, Christina Catharina, Axel Julius
Axel Julius De la Gardie
Axel Julius de la Gardie was a Swedish Field Marshal and was appointed Governor-General over Estonia.Axel Julius was the son of military commander Jacob De la Gardie and Ebba Brahe. He became colonel of an infantry regiment and a cavalry regiment and in 1684 he attained the rank of major general...
and Ebba Margaretha.
Career
Being a member of a wealthy family of the highest esteem, De la Gardie was predestined for an eminent career. He received a thorough education from his teacher Mattias Björnklou and was in 1639 elected rector illustris at Uppsala UniversityUppsala 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...
, thanks to his ancestry. The next year, he travelled abroad to complete his training. Much of this period was spent in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. When the Torstenson War between Sweden and Denmark broke out in 1643, De la Gardie returned to his native Sweden, and learned about warfare under the command of Field Marshal Gustav Horn.
1644-1654: Under Queen Christina
Early on during the reign of Queen ChristinaChristina of Sweden
Christina , later adopted the name Christina Alexandra, was Queen regnant of Swedes, Goths and Vandals, Grand Princess of Finland, and Duchess of Ingria, Estonia, Livonia and Karelia, from 1633 to 1654. She was the only surviving legitimate child of King Gustav II Adolph and his wife Maria Eleonora...
(1644-1654) De la Gardie became the queen's favourite. Being, reportedly, both well-mannered and good looking might have helped De la Gardie to gain the queen's favour. His knowledge concerning culture, politics and representation might also have impressed the queen just as his talent for organizing festivities and surrounding himself with extravagance and magnificence. His skill and interest in the mentioned areas was in demand during a time when the power should not only be well-learned, resolute and rooted in history, but have a sense of details and possess splendour as well.
Life Guards (Swedish Army)
The Life Guards is a combined cavalry/infantry regiment of the Swedish Army, with responsibility for training. The infantry battalion trains ordinary infantry soldiers in both the mechanized and rifle roles, as well as training clerical soldiers. The Guards Battalion consists of three companies,...
(livgardet). In 1646, De la Gardie was head of a diplomatic mission to France in order to find Queen Christina musicians for her Swedish court. The mission was a success for De la Gardie, who upon his return to Sweden received distinctions of an unparalleled amount. Furthermore, the queen arranged a wedding for him and the queen's cousin Maria Eufrosyne of Zweibrücken
Palatinate-Zweibrücken
Palatinate-Zweibrücken is a former state of the Holy Roman Empire. Its capital was Zweibrücken.-Overview:→ History before 1394 see main article County of Zweibrücken→ History before 1444 see main article County of Veldenz...
at the Royal Palace. After the wedding, De la Gardie was made a Privy Councillor
Privy Council of Sweden
The High Council of Sweden or Council of the Realm consisted originally of those men of noble, common and clergical background, that the king saw fit for advisory service...
. On April 17, 1648, he was promoted to general and served as such under the future king, and his own brother-in-law, Charles Gustav during the conquest of Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
that took place in the final months of the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
. Despite making only a slight contribution in the war, De la Gardie was eventually rewarded 22,500 riksdaler, more than any other general. The same year, he was created count of Arensburg (Kuressaare
Kuressaare
Kuressaare is a town and a municipality on Saaremaa island in Estonia. It is the capital of Saare County. The current population is about 14,706 Kuressaare is a town and a municipality on Saaremaa island in Estonia. It is the capital of Saare County. The current population is about 14,706...
).
De la Gardie began his first of two terms as Governor-General of the Swedish dominion of Livonia
Swedish Livonia
- Swedish infantry and cavalry regiments:Infantry regiments:* Garnisonsregementet i Riga * Guvenörsregementet i Riga * Livländsk infanteribataljon I...
in 1649. At the coronation of Queen Christina, in 1650, he was entrusted with carrying the royal banner. A year later, in 1651, he ended his first term in Livonia and was appointed Marshal of the Realm
Royal Court of Sweden
The Royal Court of Sweden is the official name for the organisation that supports the Monarch of Sweden, and the Royal House...
(riksmarskalk). In 1652, he became Lord High Treasurer
Lord High Treasurer of Sweden
The Lord High Treasurer was a highly prominent member of the Swedish Privy Council between 1602 and 1684, excluding periods when the office was out of use...
(riksskattmästare), which was one of five Great Officers of the Realm
Great Officers of The Realm
The Great Officers of the Realm were the five leading members of the Swedish Privy Council from the later parts of the 16th century to around 1680. With the constitution of 1634, the five officers became heads of five different branches of government...
and, as such, one of the most prominent and powerful members of the Privy Council as well as head of the Chambers (kammarkollegium). Also in 1652, De la Gardie was appointed lawspeaker
Lawspeaker
A lawspeaker is a unique Scandinavian legal office. It has its basis in a common Germanic oral tradition, where wise men were asked to recite the law, but it was only in Scandinavia that the function evolved into an office...
(lagman) of Västergötland
Västergötland
', English exonym: West Gothland, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden , situated in the southwest of Sweden. In older English literature one may also encounter the Latinized version Westrogothia....
and Dalsland
Dalsland
Dalsland is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Götaland in southern Sweden. Lying to the west of Lake Vänern, it is bordered by Värmland to the north, Västergötland to the southeast, Bohuslän to the west, and Norway to the northwest....
. When his father Jacob died that year, Magnus Gabriel inherited Läckö Castle
Läckö Castle
Läckö Castle is a medieval castle in Sweden. Läckö Castle is best known as Magnus de la Gardie's magnificent castle on the shores of Lake Vänern, the largest lake in Sweden....
and became Count of Läckö.
Falling out of favour
In 1653, De la Gardie fell out of favour with the queen. He and his family had to leave the court and for the rest of Christina's reign, De la Gardie lived on his manors in some kind of an exile. However, Queen Christina abdicated soon and was replaced on the throne by Charles Gustav, the brother of De la Gardie's wife Maria Eufrosyne.
1654-1660: Under Charles X Gustav
When Charles Gustav, De la Gardie's brother-in-law, ascended to the throne, it meant a return to the public for De la Gardie. In August 1654, he became governor of Västergötland, Dalsland and HallandHalland
' is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden , on the western coast of Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Scania and the sea of Kattegat.-Administration:...
and in December that year he was made chancellor of 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...
. In 1655, he was for the second time chosen for the office of General-Governor of Livonia. He also became Lieutenant General of the Swedish troops in Ingria
Ingria
Ingria is a historical region in the eastern Baltic, now part of Russia, comprising the southern bank of the river Neva, between the Gulf of Finland, the Narva River, Lake Peipus in the west, and Lake Ladoga and the western bank of the Volkhov river in the east...
, Estonia and Livonia, which meant that he commanded troops in the wars against Poland and Russia
Second Northern War
The Second Northern War was fought between Sweden and its adversaries the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth , Russia , Brandenburg-Prussia , the Habsburg Monarchy and Denmark–Norway...
. It appears that De la Gardie was anything but a splendid military commander, as he received much more complaints than praise from the king for his actions in that area. During negotiations with Poland, De la Gardie was the prime Swedish representative. He took part in the deliberations leading to the Swedish-Polish Treaty of Oliva
Treaty of Oliva
The Treaty or Peace of Oliva of 23 April /3 May 1660 was one of the peace treaties ending the Second Northern War...
in 1660.
King Charles X Gustav died in early 1660. In accordance to his will, De la Gardie was appointed Lord High Chancellor
Lord High Chancellor of Sweden
The Lord High Chancellor was a prominent and influential office in Sweden, from 1561 until 1680, excluding periods when the office was out of use. The office holder was a member of the Privy Council of Sweden...
and, as such, member of the regency that ruled Sweden during the minority of Charles XI
Charles XI of Sweden
Charles XI also Carl, was King of Sweden from 1660 until his death, in a period in Swedish history known as the Swedish empire ....
(1660-1672).
1660-1672: In the regency
De la Gardie was the most renowned and influential among the regency members, although he was never unchallenged. This might have been due to the facts that he was, reportedly, unable to work enduring enough and his will to often leave the centre of power and instead spend significant time on his different estates, a disadvantage for both the government and De la Gardie's own position of power.Gustaf Bonde
Baron Gustaf Bonde was a Swedish statesman. He was a persistent advocate of a pacifist policy at a time when war on the slightest provocation was the watchword of every Swedish politician....
, Lord High Steward Per Brahe the Younger and Johan Gyllenstierna, were advocates of a more peaceful and economical way. The opinions of De la Gardie's side most often won out and, therefore, Sweden was nearly drawn into wars against Russia and Poland during the regency period. Early on in the period, in 1661, Sweden and France signed a treaty where a secret paragraph ensured that Sweden would support the French candidate on the first vacancy of the Polish throne, in exchange for a large sum of money. In April 1672, the two allies signed a new treaty 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...
. According to this treaty, Sweden would keep an army of 16,000 men in its German dominions to make sure the German states would not interfere in a war between France and its enemies the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. In return, Sweden would receive 400,000 riksdaler annually in peacetime. In wartime, the amount would be increased to 600,000 riksdaler. In a Sweden with great financial problems, this politics of subsidies was to Count De la Gardie a more attractive way to improve the state's finances than a reduction, which would mean that lands granted the nobility would be reclaimed by the Crown.
De la Gardie himself was responsible for parts of the financial troubles Sweden faced at the time, created by Johan Palmstruch
Johan Palmstruch
Johan Palmstruch was a Dutch merchant credited with the introduction of paper money to Europe. He became a commissioner in the National Board of Trade after his arrival in Sweden in 1647 and began submitting proposals for banking institutions to King Charles X Gustav in the 1650s...
and his paper money. He made several donations from the Crown to himself and used national resources for private matters. Meanwhile, since they did not receive the funds necessary, the navy went into decay because of insufficient maintenance, and soldiers died or ran away from the army since they did not receive their pay.
1672-1686: Under Charles XI
In December 1672, King Charles XICharles XI of Sweden
Charles XI also Carl, was King of Sweden from 1660 until his death, in a period in Swedish history known as the Swedish empire ....
came to age. Despite what people might have anticipated, De la Gardie now became mightier than ever before. The young and inexperienced king seems to have been glad to take the advice of his Lord High Chancellor De la Gardie, who tried to increase the king's power in order to increase his own. However, from 1675, his influence decreased. That year, bound by the treaty with France, Sweden entered the Franco-Dutch War
Franco-Dutch War
The Franco-Dutch War, often called simply the Dutch War was a war fought by France, Sweden, the Bishopric of Münster, the Archbishopric of Cologne and England against the United Netherlands, which were later joined by the Austrian Habsburg lands, Brandenburg and Spain to form a quadruple alliance...
by invading Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
. Although being numerically superior, the Swedish forces lost at Fehrbellin
Battle of Fehrbellin
The Battle of Fehrbellin was fought on June 18, 1675 between Swedish and Brandenburg-Prussian troops. The Swedes, under Count Waldemar von Wrangel , had invaded and occupied parts of Brandenburg from their possessions in Pomerania, but were repelled by the forces of Frederick William, the Great...
, which led to Denmark being encouraged to attack Sweden. Thus, the Scanian War
Scanian War
The Scanian War was a part of the Northern Wars involving the union of Denmark-Norway, Brandenburg and Sweden. It was fought mainly on Scanian soil, in the former Danish provinces along the border with Sweden and in Northern Germany...
was initiated. In connection with King Charles's coronation the same year, De la Gardie was accused of high treason
High treason
High treason is criminal disloyalty to one's government. Participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps...
, an accusation that soon was judged as unjustified.
During the Scanian War, De la Gardie commanded troops that fought against the Norwegian army in Bohuslän
Bohuslän
' is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Götaland on the northernmost part of the country's west coast. It is bordered by Dalsland to the northeast, Västergötland to the southeast, the Skagerrak arm of the North Sea to the west, and the county of Østfold in Norway to the north...
. With this war operation, like earlier operations, De la Gardie lacked success, and suffered a considerable setback at Uddevalla
Uddevalla
Uddevalla is a city and the seat of Uddevalla Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 30,513 inhabitants in 2005.It is located at the bay Byfjorden, of the south-eastern part of the sea known as Skagerrak...
in 1677.
Reduction and absolutism: The fall of De la Gardie
The harsh conditions in the latter half of the 1670's, with the war as the main cause, could be attributed to the treaty with France, for which De la Gardie had been a spokesman. The hard times came to lead to the upheavals in 1680. The financial crisis in Sweden, made King Charles XI assemble the Riksdag of the Estates
Riksdag of the Estates
The Riksdag of the Estates , was the name used for the Estates of the Swedish realm when they were assembled. Until its dissolution in 1866, the institution was the highest authority in Sweden next to the King...
in October 1680. Here, the king finally pushed through the reduction
Reduction (Sweden)
In the reductions in Sweden, fiefs that had been granted to the Swedish nobility were returned to the Crown.The first reduction under Charles X Gustav of Sweden in 1655 restored a quarter of "donations" made after 1632. In the Great Reduction of 1680 under Charles XI of Sweden the Crown...
ordeal, something that had been discussed in the Riksdag since 1650. It meant that any land or object previously owned by the crown and lent or given away — including counties, baronies and lordships - could be recovered. In principal, the entire Swedish elite of nobles was demolished.
Another important decision made during the assembly was that concerning the Privy Council
Privy Council of Sweden
The High Council of Sweden or Council of the Realm consisted originally of those men of noble, common and clergical background, that the king saw fit for advisory service...
. Since 1634, it had been mandatory for the king to take the advice from this council. During the Scanian War, the members of the council had internal feuds, and the king more or less ruled without listening to their advice. At the 1680 assembly, he asked the estates whether he was still bound to the council, to which the estates gave him his desired reply: "he was not bound by anyone other than himself", and thereby the absolute monarchy was formally established in Sweden. De la Gardie had tried to rally the members of the Privy Council to withstand the development leading to absolutism, but in vain.
Prior to the Riksdag, De la Gardie had been removed from the Lord High Chancellor office and instead been made Lord High Steward
Lord High Steward of Sweden
The Lord High Steward or Lord High Justiciar was a highly prominent member of the Swedish Privy Council from the 13th century until 1809, excluding periods when the office was out of use....
. Thus, De la Gardie lost influence in general and on the country's foreign policy in particular.
De la Gardie had been partly responsible for the treaty with France and had worked hard to increase the young King Charles's power. It might seem ironic that the treaty helped moving Sweden into a deep crisis financially, which, together with the level of power Charles had attained, in turn led to the reduction. Thus, De la Gardie contributions came to be a large factor behind his own fall from power and richness.
Wife and children
On 7 March 1647, in the chapel at the Royal Palace Tre KronorTre kronor (castle)
Tre Kronor or Three Crowns was a castle located in Stockholm, Sweden, on the site where Stockholm Palace is today. It is believed to have been a citadel that Birger Jarl built into a royal castle in the middle of the 13th century...
, De la Gardie married Maria Eufrosyne of Zweibrücken
Palatinate-Zweibrücken
Palatinate-Zweibrücken is a former state of the Holy Roman Empire. Its capital was Zweibrücken.-Overview:→ History before 1394 see main article County of Zweibrücken→ History before 1444 see main article County of Veldenz...
. Maria Eufrosyne was a cousin of Queen Christina and a sister of the future king Charles X Gustav. Sources describe her as a "poor princess" that "benefited greatly by her wedding with the richest of the Swedish magnates". The queen, who had mediated to make the marriage possible, arranged the wedding.
The marriage of Magnus Gabriel and Maria Eufrosyne is reported as having been happy. Maria Eufrosyne gave birth to eleven children, of whom only three survived their own parents. These three were Privy Councillor Gustaf Adolf (1647-95), Catharina Charlotta (1655-97, wife of Field Marshal Otto Wilhelm Königsmarck
Otto Wilhelm Königsmarck
Count Otto Wilhelm Königsmarck was a Swedish military officer from Minden. He attained the rank of field marshal in 1676, commanded the Battle of Stralsund , and became Governor General for Swedish Pomerania in 1679. He was the son of Hans Christoff Königsmarck and the brother of Conrad Christoff...
) and Hedvig Ebba (c.1659-1700, wife of Count Carl Gustaf Eriksson Oxenstierna).
Property owner and constructor
Uppland
Uppland is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital. It borders Södermanland, Västmanland and Gästrikland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea...
, Närke
Närke
' is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Svealand in south central Sweden. It is bordered by Västmanland to the north, Södermanland to the east, Östergötland to the southeast, Västergötland to the southwest, and Värmland to the northwest...
, Västmanland
Västmanland
' is a historical Swedish province, or landskap, in middle Sweden. It borders Södermanland, Närke, Värmland, Dalarna and Uppland.The name comes from "West men", referring to the people west of Uppland, the core province of early Sweden.- Administration :...
and Västergötland. Among these were Karlberg
Karlberg Palace
Karlberg Palace is a palace by the Karlberg Canal on the border of Stockholm in Solna. The palace, built in 1630 and the oldest in Solna municipality, today houses the Military Academy Karlberg....
, Drottningholm
Drottningholm Palace
The Drottningholm Palace is the private residence of the Swedish royal family. It is located in Drottningholm. It is built on the island Lovön , and is one of Sweden's Royal Palaces. It was originally built in the late 16th century. It served as a residence of the Swedish royal court for most of...
, Jakobsdal (now: Ulriksdal
Ulriksdal Palace
Ulriksdal Palace is a royal palace situated on the banks of the Edsviken in the National City Park in Solna, 6 km north of Stockholm. It was originally called Jakobsdal after its owner Jacob De la Gardie, who had it built by architect Hans Jacob Kristler in 1643-1645 as a country retreat...
), Venngarn, Ekholmen, Kägleholm, Läckö, Traneberg, Mariedal
Mariedal Castle
Mariedal Castle is a castle in Sweden.Written accounts and the weather vane indicate the castle was built in 1666. The splendid interior of the castle provides stucco ceiling and wainscoting. A magnificent portrait collection of the Sparrerska family is displayed there.This manor was called Sörbo...
, Katrineberg and Höjentorp. Moreover, De la Gardie owned large properties in Livonia
Livonia
Livonia is a historic region along the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It was once the land of the Finnic Livonians inhabiting the principal ancient Livonian County Metsepole with its center at Turaida...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
and Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
, at the time all parts of Sweden.
Makalös
Makalös was the colloquial name for the grand mansion, or palace, of the Swedish noble family de la Gardie...
. When Jacob died in 1652, it was inherited by Magnus Gabriel. The palace was the foremost among the private residences in Stockholm, and contained movable property
Personal property
Personal property, roughly speaking, is private property that is moveable, as opposed to real property or real estate. In the common law systems personal property may also be called chattels or personalty. In the civil law systems personal property is often called movable property or movables - any...
more magnificent than what the royal palace did.
Varnhem Abbey
Varnhem Abbey in Varnhem, Västergötland, Sweden was founded around 1150 by monks of the Cistercian Order from Alvastra Abbey in Östergötland.The Cistercian Order used the same floor plan for all its abbeys, which makes it possible to easily locate the different rooms and halls regardless of the...
, in which he established a family mausoleum
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
where Magnus Gabriel himself, his wife Maria Eufrosyne, their son Gustav Adolf and daughter-in-law Elisabet Oxenstierna are buried.
At Läckö, De la Gardie ordered considerable extensions, starting in 1654. For example, a fourth floor was added on the keep, as were a castle chapel. The staff of the castle increased from 83 employees to 222 between 1662 and 1678, a sign of the development of the nobility's estates into own societies which was not uncommon at that time.
Cultural contributions
De la Gardie is considered one of the biggest patrons of science and art in Swedish history. Architects, sculptors and painters were brought to Sweden, to make contributions to De la Gardie's constructions and restorations. Jean de la ValléeJean De la Vallée
Jean de la Vallée was a French-born architect, who lived and worked in Sweden. He was the son of Simon de la Vallée, who was killed by a Swedish nobleman in 1642. The father had started the planning of the House of Knights in Stockholm, and in 1660 his son finished his father's work...
and Nicodemus Tessin the Elder
Nicodemus Tessin the Elder
Nicodemus Tessin the Elder was an important Swedish architect.-Biography:Nicodemus Tessin was born in Stralsund in Pomerania and came to Sweden as a young man. There he met and worked with the architect Simon de la Vallée...
were among the architects that De la Gardie engaged to fulfill his building ambitions.
In 1666, De la Gardie made sure Sweden got an organized heritage conservation, the first of its kind in Europe.
Codex Argenteus
The Codex Argenteus
Codex Argenteus
The Codex Argenteus, "Silver Book", is a 6th century manuscript, originally containing bishop Ulfilas's 4th century translation of the Bible into the Gothic language. Of the original 336 folios, 188—including the Speyer fragment discovered in 1970—have been preserved, containing the...
, also known as the "Silver Bible", is a 6th century manuscript that was bought and brought to 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...
, where it still remains, by De la Gardie. It was brought to Sweden the first time in 1648, but Isaac Vossius
Isaac Vossius
Isaak Vossius, sometimes anglicised Isaac Voss was a Dutch scholar and manuscript collector.-Life:...
, a Dutch librarian of Queen Christina took it to his home town. In 1662, De la Gardie bought the codex and in 1669, he donated it to the university, after first having it bound in a chased silver binding.
Silver throne
A silver throne donated by De la Gardie holds a central position in Rikssalen in Stockholm 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...
. The throne was a gift from De la Gardie to Queen Christina for her coronation in 1650. De la Gardie engaged Abraham Drentwett of Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
to produce it.