Sverker II of Sweden
Sverker II (also Sverker the Younger, swedish Sverker the yngre Karlsson, * 1160, † July 17, 1210 ) was from 1196 to 1208 King of Sweden. He fell at the battle of Gestilren.
Sverker parents were King Charles Sverkersson and Kristina Stigsdotter Hvide. After his father was killed in 1167 on Visingsö of Knut Eriksson, was led Sverker to Denmark, where he grew up with his mother's family. After the death of Knut Sverker was used in 1196, through the mediation of the Jarl Birger Brosa as king. Knut's own children were minors at the time. Sverker operated a church -friendly policies in order to obtain the support of the Church for the election of his son as king. His letter privileges for the Church and its Archbishop Valerius is the oldest known church privilege of Sweden. The church received tax exemption for their lands and jurisdiction in special ecclesiastical courts. There is no evidence that Sverker was crowned, but there is some evidence that this was the occasion of privileges letter.
Sverker was married twice, with Benedikta ebb yolk, daughter of ebb Sunesen of the family of Hvide and how Sverker even related to the Archbishop Absalon of Lund, and with Birger Brosas daughter IngeGerd. You do not know the order of the marriages, but probably was the first marriage with Bendikta. With her Sverker had three daughters. A daughter named Helena. This was married to the landowners Sune Folkesson in Östergötland, a grandson of Birger Brosa. From this marriage the daughter Katarina, wife of King Erik Eriksson was born. The other two daughters Kristina Margareta and the genealogists are not sure if they were really Sverker daughters. The only certainty is that they were married with North German princes. His son Johann Sverkersson from his second marriage with IngeGerd Birgersdotter ( Bjälbo ) was 1216 Swedish king.
Also Sverker tried as his predecessor to secure his son to the throne. To this end, he made the year Johann to Jarl and enfeoffed him with great Country Estate, but he managed himself. Johann was derided as the "hose loose Jarl ".
This led to the revolt of the sons Knut Eriksson. They were defeated in November 1205 at Älgerås. Three of the king's sons fell, but the oldest, Erik Knutsson, managed to escape to Norway, and he waited his time there. Now he got support from the folk Ungern. Sverker and his Danish auxiliary troops were defeated at the Battle of Lena (now Kungslena ). Sverker fled to his relatives in Denmark. One of the sons Birger Jarl was Brosas but died soon. His successor was a man named folk that should have been his brother and the father of the above Sune Folkesson. Sverker did not give up. His supporters, who had fled with him, including Archbishop Valerius, upgraded to recapture. In the summer of 1210 a battle took place at Gestilren, in Sverker subject again. Where Gestilren is, is not safe. Time it is suspected in Uppland, sometimes in Västergötland. It was agreed to Västergötland. Sverker fell in battle, as one of his fiercest opponents, Jarl Folke.