House of Sverker

Template:Short description Template:More citations needed Template:House of Sverker

The House of Sverker were a powerful political force in medieval Sweden, contesting for royal power.<ref name=":0">Template:Citation</ref> Their origins were in Östergötland.<ref name=":0"/> After the extinction of the House of Stenkil and the ascension of Sverker I of Sweden in 1130, a civil war commenced. In the beginning, there were several pretenders, of whom Sverker I emerged as victorious, for a time. The antagonists in the long run were finally the House of Sverker in Östergötland and the House of Eric in Västergötland and Uppland (Saint Eric was killed and buried in the latter province, others in the dynasty were buried in Varnhem Abbey in the former province as later also Birger Jarl was, a relative to the dynasty), which alternated on the throne for several generations, until in the 1220s the Eric dynasty got the upper hand, and the Sverker dynasty became extinct (at least in the male line).

As usual in medieval succession rivalries, the outcome combined the blood of rival lines, as in 1250 Valdemar of the Folkungs (then a minor, his father Birger Jarl acting as regent) ascended the throne, having inherited the Eric dynasty claim from Valdemar's mother (who was sister of Eric XI of Sweden, the last Eric-dynast) and some of the Sverker dynasty claim from Birger's mother (who was daughter of a younger son of Sverker I). Template:CLEAR

Kings of the house of Sverker


Portrait	Name	Reign	Succession	Marriage(s)	Life details
Non-contemporary depiction	Sverker I "the Elder" Sverker den äldre	c. 1130Template:Sfn – 25 December 1156Template:Sfn (c. 26 years)	Either no previous royal connectionTemplate:Sfn or grandson of Blot-Sweyn.Template:Sfn Elected in opposition to Magnus I.Template:Sfn	Ulvhild Håkansdotter (at least 4 children) Richeza of Poland (1 child?)	Died 25 December 1156 Assassinated, allegedly by the pretender Magnus II.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn
File:Karl-sverkersson.jpg	Charles (VII) Karl Sverkersson	c. 1157 – 12 April 1167Template:Sfn (c. 10 years; ruled all of Sweden from 1161 onwards)	Son of Sverker I. Initially ruled in Västergötland in opposition to Eric IX; later overthrew Magnus II.	Christina Hvide (at least 1 child)	1130 – 12 April 1167 (aged 37) Murdered by Canute I, who succeeded him as king.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn
	Kol (status disputed)	1170s (several years)	Sons (?) of Sverker I. Ruled together in Östergötland, in opposition to Canute I.	Nothing recorded	Few life details knownTemplate:Sfn
	Boleslaw Burislev (status disputed)	1170s (several years)		Nothing recorded	Few life details knownTemplate:Sfn
File:Coin of Sweartgar II of Sweden c. 1200.jpg	Sverker II "the Younger" Sverker (den yngre) Karlsson	1196 – 1208 (12 years)	Son of Charles VII	Benedicta Hvide (at least 1 child)	c. 1164 – 17 July 1210 (aged c. 46) Deposed after the Battle of Lena. Killed at the Battle of Gestilren while trying to retake the throne.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn Template:Sfn
File:Coin of Sweartgar II of Sweden c. 1200.jpg	Sverker II "the Younger" Sverker (den yngre) Karlsson	1196 – 1208 (12 years)	Son of Charles VII	Ingegerd Birgersdotter (at least 1 child)
File:Coin of John I of Sweden c. 1220.jpg	John I Johan Sverkersson	10 April 1216 – 10 March 1222 (Template:Age in years, months and days)	Son of Sverker II	Unmarried and childless	1201 – 10 March 1222 (aged c. 21) Died of illness as the last male-line member of Sverker's dynasty.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn