Legacy
Over the next few decades, he became a national hero. Engelbrekt was depicted in history as the public protector and opponents of the Kalmar Union. Posterity has regarded Engelbrekt as one of the great heroes of Swedish history and his rebellion has been viewed the start of the national awakening of the Swedes, which would later triumph in the victory of King Gustav Vasa. Engelbrekt himself had no such ideas, which must have been anachronistic at the time; however his rebellion gave peasants a voice in Swedish politics which they never lost afterwards. The Engelbrekt rebellion caused the unity of the Kalmar Union to erode, leading to the expulsion of Danish forces from Sweden. Although later Danish kings regained influence over Sweden, the rebellion had set a precedent for Swedish claims to sovereignty.
His bronze statue by Swedish sculptor Carl Gustaf Qvarnström (1810–1867), was unveiled in Örebro in 1865. There are also statues of Engelbrekt in Stockholm, Arboga and Falun. No contemporary images of Engelbrekt are known.
Engelbrekt is also the subject of Engelbrekt, an opera by Swedish composer Nathaniel Berg (1879–1957). (Engelbrekts församling) a parish in the Diocese of Stockholm, together with Engelbrekt Church (Engelbrektskyrkan), take their name from the hero.
Read more about this topic: Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson
Famous quotes containing the word legacy:
“What is popularly called fame is nothing but an empty name and a legacy from paganism.”
—Desiderius Erasmus (c. 1466–1536)