Are you an EPFL student looking for a semester project?
Work with us on data science and visualisation projects, and deploy your project as an app on top of GraphSearch.
Concept
Birger Jarl
Summary
Birger Jarl, also known as Birger Magnusson (1210 - 21 October 1266), was a Swedish statesman, jarl, and a member of the House of Bjelbo, who played a pivotal role in the consolidation of Sweden. His first marriage was to Princess Ingeborg of Sweden, which created his base of power. Birger led the Second Swedish Crusade, which established Swedish rule in Finland. Additionally, he is traditionally attributed to have founded the Swedish capital, Stockholm, around 1250. Birger used the Latin title of Dux Sweorum ("Duke of Sweden"), and the design of his coronet combined those used by continental European and English dukes.
Birger grew up and spent his adolescence in Bjälbo, Östergötland, but the exact date of his birth remains uncertain and available historical sources are contradictory. Examinations of his mortal remains indicate that he was probably about 50 upon his death in 1266, which would indicate a birth around 1216. However, his father Magnus Minnesköld is assumed to have died no later than 1210, which would lead to an assumed birth a few years earlier. In any case, he was the son of Ingrid Ylva, who according to Olaus Petri was a daughter of Sune Sik and granddaughter of King Sverker I of Sweden, which would make Birger descended from the House of Sverker. His brothers or half-brothers — Eskil, Karl, and Bengt — were all born long before 1200, and it can therefore be assumed that they had another mother. He was also a nephew of the jarl Birger Brosa from the House of Bjelbo. The combination of this background proved to be of vital importance.
Birger, thus most likely born at the time of the Battle of Gestilren in 1210 and named after his uncle Birger Brosa (one of the most potent men of the era, who died in 1202), started his career in the mid-1230s by marrying Ingeborg Eriksdotter, the sister of King Eric XI of Sweden according to the Eric Chronicles (Erikskrönikan), following fierce rivalry with other suitors.
During the following 15 years Birger consolidated his position and was probably one of the most influential men years before being formally given the title jarl in 1248 by King Eric XI.
Official source
About this result
This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.