John, Duke of Östergötland
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(1589 – 1618)
John, in Swedish Johan, in Finnish Juhana, (18 April 1589 at Uppsala Castle – 5 March 1618 at Bråborg Castle in Östergötland) was a Swedish royal dynast. He was 1590-1606 titular Duke of Finland and 1606-18 reigning Duke of Östergötland.
His father was John III of Sweden (1537-92) and mother his second wife Gunilla Bielke (1568-97) [1].
John's half-brother was Sigismund III of Poland and Sweden (1566-1632, reigned Sweden 1592-99, Poland-Lithuania 1587-1632), his uncle was Charles IX of Sweden (ruled 1599-1611) and his first cousin was Gustav II Adolf of Sweden (lived 1594-1632).
At the age of one the baby John was created Duke of Finland, count of Åland and count of Bråborg. He was tutored together with his first cousin, the five-years-younger hereditary prince, Gustav Adolf of Södermanland, the future king. John's uncle Duke Charles, then king, treated him like his own son.
After the Battle of Stångebro, Duke John's catholic half-brother Sigismund was declared deposed in 1599 from the Swedish throne after a Swedish civil war. The 10-year-old John would have been the next king according to the line of succession. Their uncle Charles, Duke of Södermanland (1550-1611), the closest adult in the line of succession, took up the regency, and until 1604, no king was proclaimed.
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In 1604, Norrköping's succession pact was made and the then 15-year-old Duke John formally renounced his succession rights. Instead, he received promises of several duchies to him, including northern and western Östergötland, Kinda and Ydre districts in Småland, the county of Läckö, as well as the entire small province of Dalsland.
After John's renunciation, the next heir, the elderly regent Duke Charles was proclaimed King Charles IX and became crowned.
In 1605 when King Charles was warring in Livonia, Duke John was together with Queen Christina and kingdom's councillors a member of the government that ruled on behalf of the absent king.
In 1606 his duchies were exchanged, from Finland to Östergötland. Then, in 1609 Läckö and Dalsland were exchanged to the much closer province of Stegeborg.
After King Charles' death in 1611 Duke John participated in the government. At the parliament of Nyköping the same year, Gustav II Adolf was recognized as the king, and duke John renewed his renunciation. Several districts of Västergötland were added to his duchy.
On 29 November 1612 Duke John married at Tre Kronor Castle in Stockholm his first cousin Princess Maria Elizabeth of Sweden (born 10 March 1596 at Örebro Castle, died 7 August 1618 at Bråborg castle), daughter of Charles IX and his second wife Christina of Holstein-Gottorp. The marriage remained childless and was also very unhappy.
Duke John had a remarkable role in development of the town of Norrköping. For example, he draw guidelines for the new Saltängen area of the town, and founded Holmens Bruk where arms manufacturing started. He also commenced the building of Johannisborg castle, but died during the construction period.
Duke John died in 1618 and left immense debts. He was a true wastrel, and the Johannisborg construction next to ruined the economy of his duchy.
He had one illegitimate child, Hans Johansson, by his mistress, a Kerstin Månsdotter. The son died unmarried in Germany.
Duke John's marriage was childless. His elder half-brother King Sigismund of Poland and half-sister Anna of Finland survived him and were his closest relatives.
Duke John is buried in Linköping Cathedral.
