Kalmar Union | Map, History, & Facts

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They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Kalmar-Union/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="qf-title font-weight-bold font-14 mb-10 text-center"> Quick Facts</div> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Date: </dt> <dd>1397 - 1523</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Key People: </dt> <dd><a href="/biography/Margaret-I" topicid="364575">Margaret I</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Erik-VII" topicid="191491">Erik VII</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Related Places: </dt> <dd><a href="/place/Sweden" topicid="576478">Sweden</a></dd> <dd><a href="/place/Norway" topicid="420178">Norway</a></dd> <dd><a href="/place/Denmark" topicid="157748">Denmark</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/Kalmar-Union"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref240756"></span>Kalmar Union</strong>, Scandinavian union formed at Kalmar, Sweden, in June 1397 that brought the kingdoms of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Norway" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Norway</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Sweden" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sweden</a>, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Denmark" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Denmark</a> together under a single monarch until 1523.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">When <span id="ref240757"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Margaret-I" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Margaret I</a> became ruler of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (1387–88), it was understood that she should, at the first convenient opportunity, provide the three kingdoms with a king who was to be her nearest kinsman; in 1389 she proclaimed her sister’s grandson, <span id="ref240758"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Erik-VII" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Erik of Pomerania</a>, king of Norway. In 1396 <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="homage" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/homage" data-type="EB">homage</a> was also rendered to him in Denmark and Sweden, Margaret reserving to herself the office of regent during his minority. To weld the three kingdoms still more closely together, Margaret summoned a congress of the three councils of state (the Rigsraads) and other magnates to Kalmar in June 1397; on <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Feast-of-the-Holy-Trinity" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Trinity Sunday</a>, June 17, the joint coronation of Erik united the kingdoms.</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The proposed act of union divided the three Rigsraads, but according to modern scholarly opinion the document embodying the terms of the union never got beyond the stage of an unratified draft. Margaret objected to the clauses that insisted that each country should retain <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="exclusive" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exclusive" data-type="MW">exclusive</a> possession of its own laws and customs and be administered by its own dignitaries, for she believed that such policies would tend to prevent the complete amalgamation of Scandinavia. She avoided every appearance of an open rupture, however, and succeeding monarchs also avoided stirring up the issue.</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-read-more-module" href="/place/Sweden/Code-of-law#ref403716" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/30/4530-050-0A5FA881/Flag-Sweden.jpg" alt="Sweden" class="rounded-sm mr-15" width="70" /> <div class="line-clamp clamp-5"> <div class="module-title bg-navy-dark">More From Britannica</div> <div class="font-weight-semi-bold mt-5">Sweden: The Kalmar Union</div> </div> </a><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The Kalmar Union lasted until Sweden rebelled and became independent in 1523, under King <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gustav-I-Vasa" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Gustav I Vasa</a>. At the same time, Norway sank to the status of a Danish province (1536).</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="md-signature"><a href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</a></span> <span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":1,"pageId":310279,"pageLength":264,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"D","adLeg":"D","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"MEDIUM","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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