Event

Stockholm Bloodbath

1520 · 16th century

The Stockholm Bloodbath was the mass execution of some eighty Swedish nobles, clergy and burghers in Stockholm in November 1520, ordered by Christian II of Denmark after his conquest of Sweden. Accused of heresy for opposing the archbishop, they were beheaded in the main square. The killings provoked a rebellion led by Gustav Vasa, who became king of Sweden in 1523, ending the Kalmar Union.

Stockholm Bloodbath
Image: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Kalmar Union

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Stockholm Bloodbath. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/stockholm-bloodbath
MLA
“Stockholm Bloodbath.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/stockholm-bloodbath. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Stockholm Bloodbath.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/stockholm-bloodbath.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Stockholm Bloodbath’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/stockholm-bloodbath (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻