Erik af Pommern og striden om Gotland 1435–1449

The Union King Eric of Pomerania (c. 1382–1459) is a well-known figure in Scandinavian History. He ruled the three Nordic realms for many years, but after a fundamental political defeat 1436 he took up his residence on the island of Gotland, which was an object of controversy between Denmark and Sweden. Several scholars have stated that Eric of Pomerania lived by piracy until he left the island 1449. This article argues that this somehow romantic interpretation of King Eric as a ‘pirate-king’ is misleading and has to be modified. The old king continued, however, to play a central role in Nordic politics involving the Hanseatic cities and the Teutonic Order in his endeavours to reach an agreement with king Christopher of Bavaria and the Counsellors of the realms. Gotland continued to be an object of controversy between Denmark and Sweden during the following decades.