A Flatpack History of Sweden

Gustaf Adolf is now in the driving seat and it is time to take the fight to the enemy. Or rather enemies. The king decides to settle the score, one opponent at a time, starting with Denmark. But how will it go and how much will it cost in money and blood? If you would like to listen to Scott's interview about his family history, search for Letters from America by Martin Wærn and the episode "Scott...

Gustav Adolf has taken the throne of Sweden now Karl IX is dead and is now in charge of a country embroiled in three separate wars! But should he take over right away as a young man, or should there be a regency for a year until he is technically old enough to rule alone?  Also, what should we even call this chap? Listen to hear Chris and Åsa discuss the naming convention of Swedish rulers and let...

Karl really has his hands full now. By the end of this episode, he'll be fighting three wars on three fronts, but will at least be able to test a new fancy weapon from France... Plus one of his commanders, Jacob de la Gardie, leads one of Swedish history's most famous expeditions. In the meantime, Karl also tries to reorganise Swedish industry and mining back home, to varying degrees of success.  ...

Does it feel like it's been a long time since Sweden had a conflict with their favourite foe Denmark? Well, it is. The late 1500s and early 1600s has seen an unusually long period of peace and stability between the two countries. But that might all be about to change. The other favourite enemy of Sweden's, Russia, is litterally embroiled in a big mess, and Karl wants to try and see if he can get t...

After bloodbaths, battles and more letters than we can count, you'd think Sweden would be ready to get the crown on Karl. But is Karl himself even ready and willing? There are always negotations between a monarch and the country about how they are going to rule, but this current process verges on the ridiculous thanks to a would-be king ready to throw a tantrum at any moment!   You can find out mo...

After securing himself as the ruler of Sweden, with a few bloodbaths on the way, Karl turns his attention to foreign policy. Karl is worried Poland will attack Sweden if he doesn't attack first, so off to Estonia it is! We'll see a trumpeter, Scottish mercenaries and bad weather play important roles.  You can find out more information about the podcast on our website , send us an email and follow...

It is possible to be addicted to many things; sugar, gambling, cigarettes are just a few. But Duke Karl is addicted to something else and that is a good old fashioned bloodbath. Needing to consolidate his power now King Sigismund has left the country, Karl turns his attention to castle commanders, members of the council and even admin assistants in his quest to secure the loyalty of everyone left...

Flatpack is back! After our break we thought it would be good to jump back into the timeline with a recap of one our current main characters, Duke Karl. We look at how his upbringing as a son of Gustav Vasa prepared him for rule. Also, how did watching two of his brothers mess up being king prepare Karl for fighting his nephew for the throne. Let's get ready for the 1600s! You can find out more in...

We're jumping into the feed to let you know that we are appearing at the Intelligent Speech podcasting conference in February 2026! We'd love to see you there, where we look forward to delivering an interesting talk about the infighting within the Bjälbo dynasty!   The conference Intelligent Speech Online is happening on the 28th of February 2026. The theme is Companions and Rivals Tickets are on...

Hello from Colombia!  We pop back on the feed to thank you for all your kind messages and to let you know about a special guest appearance we did recently on the Presidencies of the United States Podcast. We talked to host Jerry over three episodes about the incredibly eventful life of John Quincy Adams. Do give it a listen, just search for Presidencies wherever you find your podcasts!

Flatpack is going on a break! Work is taking Åsa to Colombia for the rest of 2025 and that means we will pause the production and release of this podcast. We'll be back at the start of 2026 ready to jump into the 1600s, and you can find out more about the break in this episode.  In the meantime, you can continue to listen to our second podcast Kingdom: Swedish Rulers, where we're judging and ranki...

As promised at the end of our Q&A episode, we're diving into the fate of the crew of the three Polish submarines that managed to escape to Sweden during the Second World War. What was life like in their internment camps, what was the attitude of the Swedish authorities and how did the crews get on with the locals in the small town of Mariefred? 

It is here! Our first Q&A episode has arrived and we have some excellent things to talk about. We'll discuss the avocado of Sweden in 1500s, how the Reformation changed attitudes towards sexuality and meet the medieval version of Huey, Dewey, and Louie! Thank you to everyone for sending in the great questions! 

Last time in our two-part look at the life and achievements of Swedish inventor and businessman Alfred Nobel, we covered his life and contributions to science and business. This time we are looking at the prizes named after him. Why does Norway award the Nobel Peace Prize, why was the Swedish king angry about this, who has won the most Nobel Prizes and why has Åsa interviewed a prize winner? All t...

In a very special episode, we interview the Speaker (Talman) of the Swedish Parliament, Andreas Norlén. The Speaker reflects on the history behind his historic office, the period in history he would have most liked to have been Speaker and how he sees the reign of current king Carl Gustaf XVI. Bonus content includes Swedish poetry, tomatoes, a historical clock and how heavy the parliamentary gavel...

The first in a two-part special about famous Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. We look at the life of the man who opened more factories than anyone could count! This biography looks into his exploits, inventions and explosions, from his childhood to last days spent in Italy. Next time we'll dive deep into the history of the famous prizes created by him by his will. 

Uppsala Cathedral is a place that has appeared multiple times in the podcast; hosting rebellions, funerals and coronations. In this episode, we do a deep dive into the history of the cathedral and its construction, including the lengthy building process and even the original French contractors!    Some images to help you along: The final floor plan A timeline floorplan: Dark red: 1270s, Red: 1287-...

After much back and forth, it is time for King Sigismund to face his uncle Duke Karl in battle for the throne of the Sweden. Karl is using every trick and tactic in the book, but Sigismund has a load of cannons and even a dragon! But how will it end and who will end up in charge of the Swedish kingdom? 

The end of the 1500s is fast approaching, but there's still time for some classic Swedish history events! This time we see a peasant revolt, religious turmoil as the Archbishop goes on a tour of the country and of course some more family feuding in the top dynasty of the country. We also visit a place that will become much more famous in the 20th century!   

For the first time since his father Johan III died, Sigismund is back in Sweden and looking forward to his coronation as ruler of Sweden. But before that happens, he needs to agree on some rules with the Swedish regency council and deal with the fallout of a big religious meeting in Uppsala. Will Sigismund become a slave to the Swedish nobility and why is his child being held hostage by the Polish...

We're nearing the end of King Johan's reign, but there's still time for him to try and sort out the issues surrounding his son Sigismund, and the Polish succession. After years of strife and arguing over religious reform, added to the trials of war abroad, Johan isn't sitting on a large pile of political capital, and so has to struggle with the Swedish nobility. Plus, someone has the bright idea t...

We're shifting our focus across the Baltic Sea to Estonia, Finland and Russia, to see what happens when war once against inevitably breaks out between Sweden and Russia. This time, it's personal! Tsar Ivan the Terrible and king Johan of Sweden really don't get along and their differences spill over into a drawn-out conflict. One particularly dramatic event involves a dispute between Johan's German...

Following in the footsteps of your father, who also happens to be the first king of Sweden, can’t be easy. Anund certainly has his job cut out for him, but he has learnt a few lessons from his dad Olof Skötkonung that he puts to good use. Will it be enough for him to walk away with The Three Crowns? Be sure to search for Kingdom: Swedish Rulers and follow the feed there to get all the episodes goi...

For some reason the first upload of this episode didn't work on the Flatpack feed, so here's the re-release!  It is time to judge our first ever ruler, the first king of Sweden, Olof Skötkonung! We cover the life of this interesting character who straddled eras, as we enter a country in the dying days of the Viking period. Will Olof do enough to win the coveted Kingdöm prize of The Three Crowns, o...

Welcome to our brand new podcast, Kingdom: Swedish Rulers!  In this new adventure, we are going to be ranking and judging all the Swedish kings, queens and regents, from Olof Skötkonung to Carl XVI Gustaf. In this episode we cover the background to the podcast, go through how we are going to judge each ruler and explain a little bit more about how the format works.  Be sure to search for Kingdom:...