Sigbrit Willoms
Encyclopedia
Sigbrit Willoms (possible date of death 1532), was a Danish politician, mother to the mistress of King Christian II of Denmark
, Dyveke Sigbritsdatter
, and advisor and de facto
minister of finance for the king between 1519 and 1523.
, but moved to Bergen
, Norway, in 1507. She was the mother of Dyveke Sigbritsdatter, who met the future Danish King Christian II
in Bergen. Mother and daughter moved with the king to Copenhagen
in 1513.
Her influence over the king became greater after the death of her daughter in 1517, and from 1519 to 1523, she was accounted the most politically influential person in Denmark. Sigbrit was in charge of the court of Prince Hans and of customs and the treasury, and the house keeper of the court of the queen. She was given the title Mother Sigbrit and had the de facto position of minister of finance. Being a bourgeoise
, she was known for forwarding the interests of the middle classes. She was unpopular with the nobility, and was seen by some as the person behind the Stockholm Bloodbath
in 1520. Her enemies spread rumors that she was a witch because of her herbal knowledge.
In 1522, she instigated a new law about hygiene in the city, where people were told to have their houses cleaned every week. When King Christian was driven out of Denmark in 1523, Sigbrit followed him to the Netherlands, where Christian asked for aid from his brother-in-law, the emperor. The emperor made the condition that Christian was to get rid of Sigbrit, which Christian agreed to.
The date and circumstances of her death are unconfirmed. In 1532, a woman was detained in a prison in the Netherlands, who is believed to have been Sigbrit. The emperor wished to have this prisoner executed for witchcraft. It is not known if she was.
Christian II of Denmark
Christian II was King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden , during the Kalmar Union.-Background:...
, Dyveke Sigbritsdatter
Dyveke Sigbritsdatter
Dyveke Sigbritsdatter or Dyveke Willomsdatter, , in Denmark normally known as "Dyveke" ; in modern Dutch "duifje" means "little dove"), was known as the mistress to Christian II of Denmark....
, and advisor and de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
minister of finance for the king between 1519 and 1523.
Biography
Sigrbit Willoms was born into a merchant family from AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, but moved to Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, Norway, in 1507. She was the mother of Dyveke Sigbritsdatter, who met the future Danish King Christian II
Christian II of Denmark
Christian II was King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden , during the Kalmar Union.-Background:...
in Bergen. Mother and daughter moved with the king to Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
in 1513.
Her influence over the king became greater after the death of her daughter in 1517, and from 1519 to 1523, she was accounted the most politically influential person in Denmark. Sigbrit was in charge of the court of Prince Hans and of customs and the treasury, and the house keeper of the court of the queen. She was given the title Mother Sigbrit and had the de facto position of minister of finance. Being a bourgeoise
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
, she was known for forwarding the interests of the middle classes. She was unpopular with the nobility, and was seen by some as the person behind the Stockholm Bloodbath
Stockholm Bloodbath
The Stockholm Bloodbath, or the Stockholm Massacre , took place as the result of a successful invasion of Sweden by Danish forces under the command of King Christian II...
in 1520. Her enemies spread rumors that she was a witch because of her herbal knowledge.
In 1522, she instigated a new law about hygiene in the city, where people were told to have their houses cleaned every week. When King Christian was driven out of Denmark in 1523, Sigbrit followed him to the Netherlands, where Christian asked for aid from his brother-in-law, the emperor. The emperor made the condition that Christian was to get rid of Sigbrit, which Christian agreed to.
The date and circumstances of her death are unconfirmed. In 1532, a woman was detained in a prison in the Netherlands, who is believed to have been Sigbrit. The emperor wished to have this prisoner executed for witchcraft. It is not known if she was.