An Early Attempt at Unifying the (Swedish) Baltic: Johan Skytte’s Governorship, 1629-1632

• In Event: Violence and Politics in the Early Modern Baltic

Abstract

The paper addresses one of the earliest attempts in history at creating a unified Baltic political territory. In 1629, Swedish imperial councilor Johan Skytte was appointed to serve as governor of the provinces of Livonia, Ingria, and Carelia. In fact, he ruled as a viceroy for his former pupil king Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden for three years. The governorship, thought to balance Swedish chancellor Axel Oxenstierna’s dukeship in Swedish Prussia, soon provoked resistance by the Oxenstierna family and eventually led to the relocation of Skytte in 1632. Nevertheless, Skytte’s indefatigable efforts during his short governorship to create, among other things, common state and church institutions and a system of higher and elementary education resulted in the Baltics first overarching administrative and societal structures in modern history. These structures were installed not only in those territories named in the title of Skytte’s governorship (Livonia, Ingria, Carelia), but even in Swedish Estonia. Besides a reconstruction and presentation of Skytte’s unification efforts during the years 1629 to 1632, including their history and context, the paper will also compare the Skytte case to the Polish king’s attempts at unifying (Polish) Livonia before its conquest by Swedish troops and its handover to Gustavus Adolphus and Skytte in 1629.

Short Bio

Ralph Tuchtenhagen, Prof. Dr., born 1961. Studied history, Scandinavian and German Studies at Freiburg (Germany) and Sorbonne University, Paris (France). PhD in 1992 on the history of minority rights in late Imperial Russia. Research assistant from 1993 to 1995, scientific assistant from 1995 to 2001, assistant professor from 2001 to 2003. Second book (“Habilitation“) in 2001 on Swedish and Russian integration politics towards the Baltic countries in the early modern period. Visiting professor of East European history at the university of Saarland, Germany, from 2002 to 2003. Professor of East and North European History at the university of Hamburg, Germany, from 2003 to 2009. Visiting professor at the university of Södertörn, Sweden, in 2008. Professor of Scandinavian Cultural Studies and History at Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany, since 2009. Research focus on the modern history of the Baltic countries and Northern Europe. Relevant publications: Das Baltikum. Geschichte einer europäischen Region, 3 vols. (2018-2021); Den Norden im Blick: Beiträge zu einer Fachgeschichte der Skandinavistik (2021); Kleine Geschichte Schwedens (2007); Zentralstaat und Provinz im frühneuzeitlichen Nordosteuropa (2007); Geschichte der baltischen Länder (2005); Reformation in den Ostseeländern (2005).

Author

• Ralph Tuchtenhagen, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin