Sigbrit Willoms

Sigbrit (center) and her daughter as Eilif Peterssen imagined them in 1876.

Sigbrit Villoms (also spelled Villums),[1] (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.[2]

Biography

Sigbrit Willoms was born into a merchant family from Amsterdam, 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.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Christian 2. 1481-1559". danmarkshistorien.dk. Aarhus Universitet. 2015. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  2. ↑ "Danmarks historie fra 1319 til 1536". archive.org. University of Toronto. 2015. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
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