Scandinavian Monarch. He reigned as King of Denmark and Norway from 1483 to 1513. Popularly called Hans, he was also titled King John II of Sweden from 1497 to 1501. Belonging to the Oldenburg Dynasty, he was the third son (two older brothers died young) of King Christian I and Queen Dorothy. His father was dethroned by the Swedes in 1464. Sixteen years went by, with Sweden ruled by a viceroy-dictator Lord Stein Sture the Elder, before John was able to raise a military force, with Russian aid, and reclaim the Swedish crown his father had fought so hard to recover for the Danish dynasty. He then reigned over the three united kingdoms for only four years, before being ousted himself in Sweden in spite of having a loyal Swedish clergy. He had also enjoyed the support of the Stockholm townspeople after his triumphant arrival and coronation there in 1497, but showed no interest in granting such powers as were solicited by the local nobility. The king returned to Denmark and left his Queen Christina, originally a Wettin Dynasty princess from Saxony, on duty in Stockholm. For almost a year, after her husband had been officially removed in his absence, she valiantly and skillfully led the capital's resistance to a siege laid by Lord Stein. She finally had to give up, and was imprisoned in Stockholm until 1503 before rejoining her husband in Denmark. King John always planned to reclaim Sweden, but having first to deal with a German campaign, never had time to put his Swedish plans into action before his death in Denmark, after falling off a horse in 1513. He has been described as generous and noble, as well as insincere and cruel, conflicting reviews typical of the opposing sources to the story of the age. He and Christina had a total of six children, among them the future Christian II and a missionary who went to Mexico (and died there) rather than pursue a royal career in Europe that would have made him king. For another nineteen years after King John II officially was removed, Sweden was ruled by his enemies, the reins of government passing from one of the three Sture magnates to another, lastly to a father and son combination that just about raised that family to royal status to replace the Oldenburgs. In 1520, John's son managed to get back on the Swedish throne, but after only three years of him the Kalmar Union was dissolved forever. A large contemporary
sculpture of King John is in Denmark's National Museum in Copenagen.