Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden (1594-1632) ruled as Swedish king from 1611 until 1632; he was also the antagonist of Emperor Ferdinand II in the Thirty Years War. Gustav’s main political goal was to gain control of the Baltic region, and under his rule Sweden eventually became the dominant power in Northern Europe. He died in battle at Lützen in 1632 and was quickly remembered as a martyr for the Protestant cause.
Source: Heinrich Bollandt, Gustavus
Adolphus, King of Sweden, oil on wood, 1631. Jagdschloss Grunewald,
Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten.
bpk-Bildagentur image no.
00001896. For rights inquiries, please contact Art Resource at
requests@artres.com (North America) or bpk-Bildagentur at
kontakt@bpk-bildagentur.de (for all other countries).
bpk/Stiftung Preussische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg/Jörg P. Anders