The surprise capture of Uppsala in 1521 secured a key Swedish city for Gustav Vasa during the War of Liberation against Danish rule.
Key Facts
- Date of conquest
- Night of 18–19 May 1521
- Swedish commanders
- Jöns Olofsson and Lars Eriksson
- Danish commander
- Bengt Bjugg
- Jöns Olofsson's fate
- Killed in battle before Uppsala was taken
- Bjugg's fate
- Escaped to Stockholm; died of infected arrow wound
- Swedish setback
- Gustav Vasa forced to flee Uppsala ~3 weeks after conquest
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
After defeating a Danish counter-attack near Västerås, Gustav Vasa dispatched commanders Jöns Olofsson and Lars Eriksson into Uppland. Though Olofsson was killed by Danish commander Bengt Bjugg, Lars Eriksson reached Enköping and pushed Bjugg's forces back toward Uppsala. The Danes, unaware of the rebellion's full extent, did not anticipate an imminent assault on the city.
On the night of 18–19 May 1521, following the mass of Eric the Saint, a Swedish peasant army launched a surprise attack on Uppsala. The Danish garrison was caught off guard, and the archbishop's residence fell quickly. Bengt Bjugg managed to escape to Stockholm but soon died from an infected arrow wound sustained during the engagement.
The Swedish victory proved short-lived. About three weeks after Gustav Vasa arrived in Uppsala, the local archbishop counterattacked and forced him to flee, nearly capturing him at Läby ford. Vasa regrouped, gathered more troops, and by Midsummer 1521 had driven back Danish governmental forces, consolidating the broader Swedish campaign for independence.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Lars Eriksson, Jöns Olofsson.
Side B
1 belligerent
Bengt Bjugg.