GYLLENSTJERNA, JOHAN

This article appears in Volume V12, Page 752 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: GUI-HAN

GYLLENSTJERNA, JOHAN , CoUNT (1635168o), Swedish statesman, completed his studies at Upsala and then visited most of the European states and laid the foundations of that deep insight into international politics which afterwards distinguished him. On his return

home

he met King Charles X. in the Danish islands and was in close attendance upon him till the monarch's death in .66o. He began his political career at the diet which assembled in the autumn of the same year. An aristocrat by

birth

BIRTH (a word common in various forms to Teutonic languages from the root of the verb " to bear ")

and inclination, he was nevertheless a true patriot and demanded the greatest sacrifices from his own order in the national interests. He was therefore one of those who laboured most zealously for the recovery of the crown lands. In the Upper

House

HOUSE
HOUSE (O. Eng. hiss, a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Dut. huis, Ger. Haus; in
Gothic
- GOTHIC
it is only found in gudhiss, a temple; it may be ultimately connected with the root of " hide," conceal)

he was the spokesman of the gentry against the magnates, whose inordinate privileges he would have curtailed or abolished. His adversaries vainly endeavoured to gain him by favour, for as court-marshal and senator he was still more hostile to the dominant

patricians

who followed the adventurous policy of Magnus de la Gardie. Thus he opposed the French alliance which de la Gardie carried through in 1672, and consistently advocated

economy

ECONOMY

in domestic and neutrality in foreign affairs. On the outbreak of the war in 1675 he was the
most loyal and energetic supporter of the

young

Charles XI., were training for public contests, to conduct the games at the and finally his indispensable counsellor. Indeed, it may be said,
that the political principles which he instilled into the youthful monarch were faithfully followed by Charles during the whole of his reign. In 1699

Gyllenstjerna

GYLLENSTJERNA, JOHAN

was appointed the Swedish plenipotentiary at the peace congress of Lund. The alliance which he then concluded with Denmark bound the two northern realms together in a common foreign policy, and he sought besides to facilitate their harmonious co-operation by every means in his power. In 168o, after bringing

home

Charles XI.'s Danish bride from- Copenhagen, he was appointed

governor

GOVERNOR (from the Fr. gouverneur, from gouverner, O. Fr. governer, Lat. gubernare, to steer a ship, to direct, guide)

-general of Scania (Skane), but expired a few weeks later.
See M. Hojer, Ofversigt of Sveriges yttre politik under dren z676168o (Upsala, 1875). (R. N. B.)

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