= Day (before 6 p.m.) = Evening (after 6 p.m.) = Bow tie colour = Ladies = Gentlemen
70-492: Tracht ( German pronunciation: [ˈtʁaxt] ) refers to traditional garments in German-speaking countries and regions. Although the word is most often associated with Bavarian , Austrian , South Tyrolean and Trentino garments, including lederhosen and dirndls , many other German-speaking peoples have them, as did the former Danube Swabian populations of Central Europe. The word "Tracht" comes from
140-620: A kira and wonju for women, including when on official business, in schools and institutions, and at official occasions and assemblies". These restrictions apply to when people are in or near "monastic fortresses ( dzong ), monasteries ( gompa ) and temples ( lhakhang ), and in government buildings. Karin Altmann, a scholar of textile arts, states that the intent behind this law "was to prevent specific features of Bhutanese culture from disappearing," and "to emphasize national identity", but it has contributed to much conflict due to
210-407: A coup de main . Once Finland was secured, he intended to embark for Sweden, join up with the king and his friends near Stockholm , and force the estates to accept a new constitution dictated by the king. At this juncture, the plotters were reinforced by Johan Christopher Toll , another victim of Cap oppression. Toll proposed to raise a second revolt in the province of Scania , and to secure
280-461: A "Great Power" scale, and the navy was so enlarged as to become one of the most formidable in Europe. The dilapidated finances were set in good order by the " currency realization ordinance " of 1776. Gustav also introduced new national economic policies. In 1775, free trade in grain was promoted and several oppressive export tolls were abolished. The poor law was amended, and limited religious liberty
350-449: A compound dress code such as "business suit or national dress". There are also contemporary societies in which traditional garments are required by sumptuary laws . In Bhutan , for example, the driglam namzha mandates what citizens should wear in public spaces. Bhutanese citizens must wear the traditional clothing of the Ngalop people , including a gho and kera for men and
420-528: A guarantee by the Swedish Riksdag for the observance of peace in the future ("as it would be imprudent to confide in his good faith alone"). The Treaty of Värälä spared Sweden from any such humiliating concession, and in October 1791, Gustav concluded an eight years' defensive alliance with the empress, who thereby bound herself to pay her new ally an annual subsidy of 300,000 rubles. Gustav next aimed at forming
490-518: A league of princes against the revolutionary government in France, and subordinated every other consideration to this goal. His profound knowledge of popular assemblies enabled him, alone among contemporary sovereigns, to gauge the scope of the French Revolution accurately from the first. He was hampered, however, by financial restrictions and lack of support from the other European powers. Then, after
560-571: A lifelong correspondence. His visit to the French capital was, however, no mere pleasure trip; it was also a political mission. Confidential agents from the Swedish court had already prepared the way for him, and the Duke of Choiseul , the retired Chief Minister, resolved to discuss with him the best method of bringing about a revolution in France's ally, Sweden. Before he departed, the French government undertook to pay
630-688: A measure of royal autocracy . This was completed by the Union and Security Act of 1789, which swept away most of the powers exercised by the Swedish Riksdag of the estates during the Age of Liberty, but at the same time it opened up the government for all citizens, thereby breaking the privileges of the nobility. A believer in enlightened absolutism , Gustav spent considerable public funds on cultural ventures, which were controversial among his critics, as well as military attempts to seize Norway with Russian aid, then
700-743: A series of attempts to re-capture the Swedish Baltic dominions lost during the Great Northern War through the failed war with Russia . Nonetheless, his successful leadership in the Battle of Svensksund averted a complete military defeat and signified that Swedish military might was to be countenanced after its major defeats earlier in the century. An admirer of Voltaire , Gustav legalised Catholic and Jewish presence in Sweden, and enacted wide-ranging reforms aimed at economic liberalism , social reform and
770-431: A speech that aroused powerful emotions. It was the first time in more than a century that a Swedish king had addressed a Swedish Riksdag in its native tongue. He stressed the need for all parties to sacrifice their animosities for the common good, and volunteered, as "the first citizen of a free people," to be the mediator between the contending factions. A composition committee was actually formed, but it proved illusory from
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#1732869024818840-647: A turning-point in Gustav's history. Henceforth he showed a growing determination to rule without a parliament, a cautious and gradual passage from semi-constitutionalism to semi-absolutism . At the same time, his foreign policy became more adventurous. At first he sought to gain Russian support to acquire Norway from Denmark . When Catherine the Great refused to abandon her ally Denmark, Gustav declared war on Russia in June 1788, while it
910-402: A way that would increase the power of the crown. But the victorious Hat party , which mainly represented the interests of the aristocracy and military establishment, refused to redeem the pledges that they had given before the previous elections. "That we should have lost the constitutional battle does not distress us so much", wrote Gustav, in the bitterness of his heart; "but what does dismay me
980-749: A young child caused significant political disruptions within the royal family. Gustav's parents taught him to despise the governors imposed upon him by the Riksdag, and the atmosphere of intrigue and duplicity in which he grew up made him precociously experienced in the art of dissimulation. Even his most hostile teachers were amazed by his combination of natural gifts. Gustav married Princess Sophia Magdalena , daughter of King Frederick V of Denmark , by proxy in Christiansborg Palace , Copenhagen, on 1 October 1766 and in person in Stockholm on 4 November 1766. Gustav
1050-489: Is commonly used to refer to the manner of dress associated with a particular ethnic group ( Volkstracht ), social class, or occupation ( Arbeitstracht ). Most often it refers to clothing, although it can also describe a way of cutting one's hair ( Haartracht ) or beard ( Barttracht ). , In northern Germany some of the best known examples are the " Friesische Tracht" and the Finkenwerder Tracht. The "Friesische Tracht"
1120-467: Is no factual basis for the assumption that Gustav III was homosexual. When his second son was born, there was no doubt as to his legitimacy, and the boy was strong and healthy. King Gustav was especially fond of him and suffered obvious and severe mental and physical reactions to the baby's illness and death. The spring of 1783 has been considered a turning point in the king's personality. After his controversial mother's death in 1782, he found consolation in
1190-503: Is richly decorated with beads and embroidery. The quality of the work was a sign of the riches and social status of the wives wearing it. In former times it was brought into a marriage by the bride as part of her dowry . This costume is occasionally still worn at weddings. The "Finkenwerder Tracht" is the traditional garment of the inhabitants of an island in the Elbe river. It is worn by a local folklore group called Finkwarder Speeldeel. In
1260-452: Is to see my poor nation so sunk in corruption as to place its own felicity in absolute anarchy ." Gustav found greater success abroad. From 4 February to 25 March 1771, Gustav was in Paris , where he carried both the court and the city by storm. The poets and the philosophers paid him enthusiastic homage, and distinguished women testified to his superlative merits. With many of them he maintained
1330-554: The Northern Accord sought by the Russian vice-chancellor, Count Nikita Panin . It seemed to many that only a swift and sudden coup d'état could preserve Sweden's independence. Gustav III was approached by Jacob Magnus Sprengtporten , a Finnish nobleman, who had incurred the enmity of the Caps, with the prospect of a revolution. He undertook to seize the fortress of Sveaborg in Finland by
1400-466: The Privy Council and its president, Rudbeck, had been arrested and the fleet secured. Then Gustav made a tour of the city and was everywhere received by enthusiastic crowds, who hailed him as a deliverer. A song was composed by Carl Michael Bellman called the " Toast to King Gustav! " On the evening of 20 August, heralds roamed the streets proclaiming that the estates were to meet at the palace on
1470-538: The Sudetendeutsche often used events where they wore Tracht to emphasize their unity. Costumes worn by professional guilds, habits of religious orders , deaconesses , and the historical garment of some occupational groups (e.g. nurses) are also called "Tracht". While some of them have fallen into disuse, carpenter journeymen can still be seen wearing their traditional garment while traveling throughout Europe. Folk costumes originated in rural areas. They showed that
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#17328690248181540-562: The Swedish Navy . The Russians lost one-third of their fleet and 7,000 men. A month later, on 14 August 1790, a peace treaty was signed between Russia and Sweden: the Treaty of Värälä . Only eight months before, Catherine had declared that "the odious and revolting aggression" of the king of Sweden would be "forgiven" only if he "testified his repentance" by agreeing to a peace granting a general and unlimited amnesty to all his rebels and consenting to
1610-541: The power of the purse . In return, Gustav abolished most of the old privileges of the nobility. Throughout 1789 and 1790, Gustav conducted a war with Russia known as the Russo-Swedish War of 1788–90 . At first, the venture seemed headed for disaster before the Swedes successfully broke a blockade by the Russian fleet at the Battle of Svensksund on 9 July 1790. This is regarded as the greatest naval victory ever achieved by
1680-625: The Alps, through promotion by tracht associations and migration in search of work; consequently, it is now understood as "the" German folk costume. However, there are still a great many other traditional tracht designs in Bavaria, mostly worn only regionally. These include the Dachauer Tracht, the Priener hat or the more recently arisen Herrschinger Hosenträger (braces / suspenders). Displaced German peoples like
1750-517: The Cap leader, Ture Rudbeck, arrived at Stockholm with news of the insurrection in the south, and Gustav found himself isolated in the midst of enemies. Sprengtporten lay weather-bound in Finland, Toll was 800 kilometres (500 miles) away, the Hat leaders were in hiding. Gustav thereupon resolved to strike the decisive blow without waiting for Sprengtporten's arrival. He acted promptly. On the evening of 18 August, all
1820-560: The Estates: A new constitution, the Instrument of Government , was read to the estates and unanimously accepted by them. The diet was then dissolved. Gustav worked towards reform in the same direction as other contemporary sovereigns of the Age of Enlightenment . Criminal justice became more lenient, the death penalty was restricted to a relatively short list of crimes (including murder), and torture
1890-675: The Gutach valley. The Schwarzwälder Trachtenmuseum in Haslach (in the Kinzig valley) displays more than 100 life-size figures in tracht costume, giving an overview of the variety of traditional tracht costumes in the Black Forest. Other displays of tracht from the region are found in the Trachtenmuseum Seebach, as well as many Heimat museums in the region. Local tracht associations in the area encourage
1960-507: The Hats and Caps engaged a considerable share of his time and he even found it necessary to put on trial the entire Göta Hovrätt , the superior court of justice, in Jönköping . Measures were also taken to reform the administration and judicial procedures. In 1774, an ordinance was proclaimed providing for the liberty of the press , though "within certain limits". The national defences were raised to
2030-474: The Royal Order of Vasa to acknowledge and reward those Swedes who had contributed to advances in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce. He was also a patron of many cultural figures, including Alexander Roslin and Carl Michael Bellman , and is often considered one of the most important figures in the history of Swedish art, music and architecture. Gustav III was well liked by the Swedish population and
2100-510: The birth of the Duke of Småland, but this was followed by severe grief when the child died the following year. Gustav first intervened actively in politics during the December Crisis (1768) , when he compelled the dominant Cap faction , which mainly represented the interests of the peasantry and clergy, to summon an extraordinary diet from which he hoped for the reform of the constitution in
2170-413: The brief Diet of Gävle on 22 January – 24 February 1792, he fell victim to a widespread political conspiracy among his aristocratic enemies. Gustav III's war against Russia and his implementation of the Union and Security Act of 1789 helped increase hatred against the king which had been growing among the nobility ever since the coup d'état of 1772. A conspiracy to have the king assassinated and reform
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2240-503: The change by no means liked it. If the Riksdag of 1778 had been docile, the Riksdag of 1786 was mutinous. The consequence was that nearly all the royal propositions were either rejected outright or so modified that Gustav himself withdrew them. Earlier in foreign affairs, however, and privately, Gustav had shown considerable interest in the American Revolution and had this to say about it in October 1776: The Riksdag of 1786 marks
2310-893: The clothing is that of an ethnic group, it may also be called ethnic clothing or ethnic dress . Traditional clothing often has two forms: everyday wear, and formal wear . The word "costume" in this context is sometimes considered pejorative, as the word has more than one meaning, and thus "clothing", "dress", "attire" or "regalia" can be substituted without offense. Following the rise of romantic nationalism in parts of Europe , pre-industrial peasantry came to serve as models for all that appeared genuine and desirable. Garments that evoke peasant dress were made from traditional pre-industrial textiles . In areas where Western styles of dress have become typical, traditional garments are often worn during special events or celebrations, particularly those connected to cultural tradition or heritage. International events may cater to non-Western attendees with
2380-407: The constitution was created within the nobility in the winter of 1791–92. Among those involved were Jacob Johan Anckarström , Adolph Ribbing , Claes Fredrik Horn, Carl Pontus Lilliehorn and Carl Fredrik Pechlin . Anckarström was chosen to carry out the murder with pistols and knives, but there has also been evidence suggesting that Ribbing was the one who actually shot Gustav. The assassination of
2450-412: The consummation of the marriage, the king and queen requested actual physical instruction by Count Adolf Munck , reportedly because of anatomical problems of both spouses. There were also rumors that the queen was made pregnant by Munck, who would then be the true father of the heir Prince Gustav Adolf. Gustav's mother supported rumors that he was not the father of his first son and heir. It was rumored at
2520-696: The different costumes of the rural population developed at the royal courts of Bavaria and Austria. The interest in traditional costume was part of a wider cultural response to the humiliations suffered through the repeated foreign invasions during the Napoleonic Wars . The German-speaking peoples investigated their cultural heritage as a reaffirmation of their identity. The result was a flowering of research and artistic work centred around Germanic cultural traditions, expressed in painting, literature, architecture, music and promotion of German language and folklore. The first extensive description of traditional tracht in
2590-552: The different regions was given by the Bavarian official Joseph von Hazzi (1768–1845). A comprehensive description of Bavarian national costumes was published in 1830 by the archivist Felix Joseph von Lipowsky. A parade of traditional costumes took place in 1835 at Oktoberfest , to celebrate the silver wedding anniversary of King Ludwig I of Bavaria and Queen Therese . Under his successor Maximilian II , traditional costumes were officially recognised as clothing suitable for wearing at
2660-463: The establishment of a network of crown distilleries . These proved to be unprofitable, and moreover the monopoly was hugely unpopular among the common people, and so Gustav was forced to abolish it in 1786. Gustav's foreign policy, in contrast, was at first both restrained and cautious. Thus, when the king summoned the estates to assemble at Stockholm on 3 September 1778, he could give a highly positive account of his six years' stewardship. The Riksdag
2730-451: The ethnic and cultural diversity of Bhutan . [REDACTED] = Day (before 6 p.m.) [REDACTED] = Evening (after 6 p.m.) = Bow tie colour [REDACTED] = Ladies [REDACTED] = Gentlemen Gustav III Gustav III (24 January [ O.S. 13 January] 1746 – 29 March 1792), also called Gustavus III , was King of Sweden from 1771 until his assassination in 1792. He
2800-417: The festive version of each costume tradition was considered the ideal form. The history of tracht in the 19th century is inseparable from the history of the movement in German-speaking countries to promote folk costume ( Trachtenbewegung ). The idea of an approved folk costume dates back to the 18th century, and was promoted by the Swedish king Gustav III . At the beginning of the 19th century, enthusiasm for
2870-408: The first: the patriotism of neither faction was sufficient for the smallest act of self-denial. The subsequent attempts of the dominant Caps to reduce him to a roi fainéant (a powerless king), encouraged him to consider a coup d'état . Under the sway of the Cap faction, Sweden seemed in danger of falling prey to the political ambitions of Russia. It appeared on the point of being absorbed into
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2940-410: The following day; every deputy absenting himself would be regarded as the enemy of his country and his king. On 21 August, the king appeared in full regalia. Taking his seat on the throne, he delivered his famous philippic , viewed as one of the masterpieces of Swedish oratory, in which he reproached the estates for their unpatriotic venality and license in the past. Part of the speech by Gustav III to
3010-654: The fortress, he was to make common cause with the rebels and march upon the capital from the south while Sprengtporten attacked it simultaneously from the east. The entire revolutionary enterprise was underwritten with loans procured from the French financier Nicolas Beaujon , arranged by the Swedish ambassador to France, Count Creutz . On 6 August 1772, Toll succeeded in winning the fortress of Kristianstad by sheer bluff, and on 16 August, Sprengtporten succeeded in surprising Sveaborg, but contrary winds prevented him from crossing to Stockholm. Events soon occurred there that made his presence unnecessary in any case. On 16 August,
3080-472: The guard-room in the north western wing of the palace where the Guard of Honour had its headquarters and unfolded his plans to them. He told the assembled officers, A young ensign then spoke up: Gustav then dictated a new oath of allegiance , and everyone signed it without hesitation. It absolved them from their allegiance to the estates, and bound them solely to obey "their lawful king, Gustav III". Meanwhile,
3150-449: The integrity of the existing Swedish constitution; he advised the young monarch to play the part of mediator and abstain from violence. At the time of his accession, the Swedish Riksdag held more power than the monarchy, but the Riksdag was bitterly divided between rival parties, the Hats and Caps. On his return to Sweden, Gustav III tried unsuccessfully to mediate between the two groups. On 21 June 1771, he opened his first Riksdag with
3220-544: The king was enacted at a masked ball at the Royal Opera House in Stockholm at midnight on 16 March 1792. Gustav had arrived earlier that evening to enjoy a dinner in the company of friends. During dinner, he received an anonymous letter that described a threat to his life (written by the colonel of the Life Guards Carl Pontus Lilliehorn), but, as the king had received numerous threatening letters in
3290-414: The mutinous aristocratic officers. Ultimately, he quelled their rebellion and arrested its leaders. Capitalizing on the powerful anti-aristocratic passions thus aroused, Gustav summoned a Riksdag early in 1789, at which he put through an Act of Union and Security on 17 February 1789 with the backing of the three lower estates. This reinforced monarchical authority significantly, although the estates retained
3360-436: The officers whom he thought he could trust received secret instructions to assemble in the great square facing the arsenal on the following morning. At ten o'clock on 19 August, Gustav mounted his horse and rode to the arsenal. On the way, his adherents joined him in little groups, as if by accident, so that by the time he reached his destination he had about two hundred officers in his suite. After parade he reconducted them to
3430-426: The outstanding subsidies to Sweden unconditionally, at the rate of one and a half million livres annually. Count de Vergennes , one of the most prominent French diplomats, was transferred from Constantinople to Stockholm . On his way home, Gustav paid a short visit to his uncle, Frederick the Great , at Potsdam . Frederick bluntly informed his nephew that, in concert with Russia and Denmark , he had guaranteed
3500-630: The past, he chose to ignore it. The letter was written in French , and in translation it stated: To the King — with the greatest humility. Pray, allow an unknown whose pen is guided by tactfulness and the voice of conscience, dare take the liberty to inform You, with all possible sincerity, that certain individuals exist, both in the Provinces and here in the City, that only breathe hatred and revenge against You; indeed to
3570-454: The region of Baden in south-western Germany, the areas with strong tracht traditions are found predominantly in the Black Forest ( Schwarzwald ) and the surrounding region. The Bollenhut , a wide-brimmed hat with red pompoms, has become a symbol of the entire Black Forest, although it is traditionally worn only by unmarried women from the three villages of Kirnbach, Gutach and Reichenbach in
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#17328690248183640-777: The restoration, if symbolic, of Swedish overseas colonies in America, as well as great personal profits from the transatlantic slave trade . Gustav III was known in Sweden and abroad by his royal titles, or styles: Gustav, by the Grace of God, King of the Swedes , the Goths and the Vends , Grand Prince of Finland , Duke of Pomerania , Prince of Rügen and Lord of Wismar , Heir to Norway and Duke of Schleswig-Holstein , Stormarn and Dithmarschen , Count of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst , etc. Gustav
3710-554: The restriction, in many cases, of torture and capital punishment . The much-praised Freedom of the Press Act of 1766 was severely curtailed, however, by amendments in 1774 and 1792, effectively extinguishing independent media. Following the uprising against the French monarchy in 1789 , Gustav pursued an alliance of princes aimed at crushing the insurrection and re-instating his French counterpart, King Louis XVI , offering Swedish military assistance as well as his leadership. In 1792 he
3780-513: The royal court. The king himself included officials wearing tracht in his court ceremonies and wrote in 1849 that he considered the wearing of traditional dress of "great importance" for national sentiment. In 1859, the first association to promote traditional costume was founded in Miesbach in Bavaria. In the following years, similar tracht associations ( Trachtenvereine ) were founded throughout Germany and Austria. The first umbrella organisation for
3850-460: The southern fortress of Kristianstad . After some debate, it was agreed that Kristianstad should openly declare against the government a few days after the Finnish revolt had begun. Duke Charles (Karl) , the eldest of the king's brothers, would thereupon be forced to mobilize the garrisons of all the southern fortresses hastily, ostensibly to crush the revolt at Kristianstad, but on arriving in front of
3920-486: The time that Gustav was homosexual , a possibility asserted by some writers. The close personal relationships that he formed with two of his courtiers, Count Axel von Fersen and Baron Gustav Armfelt , were alluded to in that regard. His sister-in-law Charlotte implied as much in her famous diary. Professor Erik Lönnroth of the Swedish Academy , who described the assistance provided by Munck, asserted that there
3990-468: The tracht associations was founded in 1890. In 1895, the Bavarian novelist Maximilian Schmidt organized a parade of traditional costume at Oktoberfest , with 1,400 participants in 150 traditional costume groups. Folk costume Folk costume , traditional dress , traditional attire or folk attire , is clothing associated with a particular ethnic group , nation or region, and is an expression of cultural , religious or national identity . If
4060-492: The verb "tragen" (to carry or wear); thus the derived noun "Tracht" means "what is worn". So "Tracht" can refer to the clothes which are worn. The noun also has other uses deriving from the verbal meaning, e.g. a load, a device for carrying a load on the shoulders, or the load of honey carried in by the bees). It also appears within the German idiom "eine Tracht Prügel" (a load (of) beating or, alternately, "a good beating"). "Tracht"
4130-485: The wearer belonged to a particular social class, occupation, religious persuasion or ethnic group. In the country, the folk costumes developed differently from one another. They were influenced by urban fashions, costumes in neighbouring regions, available materials, as well as fashions in the royal courts and in the military. The earliest known folk costumes developed at the end of the 15th century. Although folk costumes varied in practice between everyday and festive versions,
4200-811: The wearing of traditional costume, often with a view to promoting tourism; sometimes these tracht costumes have been recently created. In Bavaria , the best-known folk costume is undoubtedly the Alpine tracht of Upper Bavaria, consisting of lederhosen for the Buam (man) and the dirndl for the Madl (woman). Today six traditional subtypes of the Alpine tracht are recognised in Bavaria: Miesbacher Tracht, Werdenfelser Tracht, Inntaler Tracht, Chiemgauer Tracht, Berchtesgadener Tracht and Isarwinkler Tracht. The Alpine tracht has also been adopted as traditional dress in regions beyond
4270-573: Was mortally wounded by a gunshot in the lower back during a masquerade ball as part of an aristocratic-parliamentary coup attempt, but managed to assume command and quell the uprising before succumbing to sepsis 13 days later, a period during which he received apologies from many of his political enemies. Gustav's immense powers were placed in the hands of a regency under his brother Prince Carl and Gustaf Adolf Reuterholm until his son and successor Gustav IV Adolf reached adulthood in 1796. The Gustavian autocracy thus survived until 1809, when his son
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#17328690248184340-413: Was abolished in order to gain confessions, although the "strict death penalty", with torture-like corporal punishment preceding the execution, was maintained. Gustav took an active part in every department of business, but relied heavily on extra-official counsellors of his own choosing rather than upon the Privy Council of Sweden . The effort to remedy the widespread corruption that had flourished under
4410-489: Was born in Stockholm . He was placed under the tutelage of Hedvig Elisabet Strömfelt until the age of five, then educated under the care of two governors who were among the most eminent Swedish statesmen of the day: Carl Gustaf Tessin and Carl Fredrik Scheffer . Nonetheless, he perhaps owed most of what shaped him during his early education to the poet and historian Olof von Dalin . State interference with his education as
4480-607: Was deeply engaged in a war with the Ottoman Empire to the south. In embarking on a war of aggression without the consent of the estates, Gustav violated his own constitution of 1772, which led to a serious mutiny, the Anjala Conspiracy , among his aristocratic officers in Finland. Denmark declared war in support of its Russian ally, but was soon persuaded to sign a ceasefire through British and Prussian diplomacy. Returning to Sweden, Gustav aroused popular indignation against
4550-416: Was first impressed by Sophia Magdalena's beauty, but her silent nature made her a disappointment in court life. The match was not a happy one, owing partly to an incompatibility of temperament, but still more to the interference of Gustav's jealous mother, Queen Louisa Ulrika. The marriage produced two children: Crown Prince Gustav Adolf (1778–1837), and Prince Carl Gustav, Duke of Småland (1782–1783). For
4620-456: Was mourned upon his death. In 1777, Gustav III was the first formally neutral head of state in the world to recognise the United States during its war for independence from Great Britain . Swedish military forces were engaged by the thousands on the side of the colonists, largely through the French expedition force . Through the acquisition of Saint Barthélemy in 1784, Gustav enabled
4690-531: Was ousted in another coup d'état , which definitively established parliament as the dominant political power; this has lasted until the modern day, where the Riksdag is Sweden's supreme legislature. A patron of the arts and benefactor of arts and literature, Gustav founded the Swedish Academy , created a national costume and had the Royal Swedish Opera and Royal Dramatic Theatre built. In 1772 he founded
4760-399: Was proclaimed for both Roman Catholics and Jews . Gustav even designed and popularized a Swedish national costume , which was in general use among the upper classes from 1778 until his death (and it is still worn by the ladies of the court on state occasions). The king's one great economic blunder was his attempt in 1775 to make the sale of alcoholic spirits a government monopoly, through
4830-469: Was quite obsequious towards the king. "There was no room for a single question during the whole session." Short as the session was, it was long enough for the deputies to realize that their political supremacy was over. They had changed places with the king. He was now indeed their sovereign lord. For all his gentleness, he guarded the royal prerogative fiercely and plainly showed that he would continue to do so. Even those who were prepared to acquiesce in
4900-480: Was the eldest son of King Adolf Frederick and Queen Louisa Ulrika of Sweden. Gustav was a vocal opponent of what he saw as the abuse of political privileges seized by the nobility since the death of King Charles XII in the Great Northern War . Seizing power from the government in a coup d'état , called the Swedish Revolution , in 1772, that ended the Age of Liberty , he initiated a campaign to restore
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