and that he could not marry during the war, he was still unmarried as he died. Thus,
his sister Ulrika Eleonora became Queen. However, she was forced to sign a
document that essentially transferred all political power to the Swedish Diet
3
(Riksdagen), thus putting an end to the absolute monarchy that had been established
in 1680. The following year, she abdicated in favour for her husband, Frederick I
(Fredrik I; Fig. 1.1). Frederick was a German prince and general who had married
Ulrika Eleonora speculating he could become sovereign King of Sweden in the—
not very unlikely—event that Charles XII would not return from the battlefields.
Although he actually became King of Sweden, he found himself deprived of all
political power and spent his days eating, drinking, and involving himself in
amorous affairs that gave him a solidly bad reputation in Swedish history. When
Torbern Bergman graduated from the Gymnasium of Skara, he did so with an
obituary of Frederick I, who had recently died. The reign of Frederick I and his
successor, another German prince, Adolph Frederick (Adolf Fredrik) is called the
Age of Liberty. Neither of the two kings had any political power, and Sweden was
ruled by the Diet. In fact, when Adolph Frederick refused to sign documents, a
stamp with his signature was made.
From 1738, two political parties, called the Hats and the Caps, fought for power.
It was a politically turbulent period with economic corruption on a massive scale.
The Hat party, which had assumed power in 1738, was sponsored by France. They
favoured grand new ideas and a strong military. The Hat party started two wars,
against Russia (1741–1743) and against Prussia (1757–1762). Lacking the military
competence of Gustavus Adolphus or Charles XII, Sweden lost both wars. During
the Prussian war, troops surrounded Scheele’s hometown Stralsund. The Hat party
supported mercantilism and tried to minimise import and reduce consumption of
luxury items. Coffee, for example, was banned in 1756. Of importance for this
storey is the great interest the government took in new technical and scientific ideas
that could improve Swedish economy. The Hat party supported early industrialism,
and the Swedish economy improved. In 1765, the Hat party lost power to the Cap
party that was sponsored by England, Russia, and Denmark. The Cap party supported a more cautious economic policy and tried to reduce governmental spending.
The Cap party’s seize of power led to an economic crisis, but the party also
introduced one of the world’s first freedom of press acts in 1766. The Hat party
reassumed power in 1769. A third party, the Court party, struggled in vain to
increase the power of the King.
In April 1772, the Cap party once again rose to power, but their position did not
last long. The Age of Liberty, with all its political conflicts, was put to an abrupt
end on August 19, 1772, when King Gustav III (Fig. 1.2), who had succeeded his
father Adolph Frederick in February 1771, performed a coup d’état and turned
Sweden into an almost absolute monarchy. As Crown Prince, Gustav had played an
important role in Bergman’s promotion to professor, and to some extent, he
regarded Bergman as his client. With a new, more stable government, corruption
3
The Swedish Diet would eventually develop into the Swedish Parlament. Before the nineteenth
century, it only assembled on orders from the King.
1.1 Sweden in the Eighteenth Century
3
his sister Ulrika Eleonora became Queen. However, she was forced to sign a
document that essentially transferred all political power to the Swedish Diet
3
(Riksdagen), thus putting an end to the absolute monarchy that had been established
in 1680. The following year, she abdicated in favour for her husband, Frederick I
(Fredrik I; Fig. 1.1). Frederick was a German prince and general who had married
Ulrika Eleonora speculating he could become sovereign King of Sweden in the—
not very unlikely—event that Charles XII would not return from the battlefields.
Although he actually became King of Sweden, he found himself deprived of all
political power and spent his days eating, drinking, and involving himself in
amorous affairs that gave him a solidly bad reputation in Swedish history. When
Torbern Bergman graduated from the Gymnasium of Skara, he did so with an
obituary of Frederick I, who had recently died. The reign of Frederick I and his
successor, another German prince, Adolph Frederick (Adolf Fredrik) is called the
Age of Liberty. Neither of the two kings had any political power, and Sweden was
ruled by the Diet. In fact, when Adolph Frederick refused to sign documents, a
stamp with his signature was made.
From 1738, two political parties, called the Hats and the Caps, fought for power.
It was a politically turbulent period with economic corruption on a massive scale.
The Hat party, which had assumed power in 1738, was sponsored by France. They
favoured grand new ideas and a strong military. The Hat party started two wars,
against Russia (1741–1743) and against Prussia (1757–1762). Lacking the military
competence of Gustavus Adolphus or Charles XII, Sweden lost both wars. During
the Prussian war, troops surrounded Scheele’s hometown Stralsund. The Hat party
supported mercantilism and tried to minimise import and reduce consumption of
luxury items. Coffee, for example, was banned in 1756. Of importance for this
storey is the great interest the government took in new technical and scientific ideas
that could improve Swedish economy. The Hat party supported early industrialism,
and the Swedish economy improved. In 1765, the Hat party lost power to the Cap
party that was sponsored by England, Russia, and Denmark. The Cap party supported a more cautious economic policy and tried to reduce governmental spending.
The Cap party’s seize of power led to an economic crisis, but the party also
introduced one of the world’s first freedom of press acts in 1766. The Hat party
reassumed power in 1769. A third party, the Court party, struggled in vain to
increase the power of the King.
In April 1772, the Cap party once again rose to power, but their position did not
last long. The Age of Liberty, with all its political conflicts, was put to an abrupt
end on August 19, 1772, when King Gustav III (Fig. 1.2), who had succeeded his
father Adolph Frederick in February 1771, performed a coup d’état and turned
Sweden into an almost absolute monarchy. As Crown Prince, Gustav had played an
important role in Bergman’s promotion to professor, and to some extent, he
regarded Bergman as his client. With a new, more stable government, corruption
3
The Swedish Diet would eventually develop into the Swedish Parlament. Before the nineteenth
century, it only assembled on orders from the King.
1.1 Sweden in the Eighteenth Century
3