A Flatpack History of Sweden

115:50

138. The Vasa - with Beyond the Breakers

A Flatpack History of Sweden ·

2026/10/04

It is time! We discuss the ship that was Sweden's most famous maritime disaster and then became it's most popular museum. Along with our friends at Beyond the Breakers, we look into the construction, sinking, raising and preservation of Gustav Adolf's navy's pride and joy, The Vasa. You can find out a lot more about the ship on the Vasa Museum website and you can check out Taylor and Tanner on Beyond the Breakers here. You can find out more information about the podcast and our sister podcast

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43:07

137. Life in the 1600s Part Two

A Flatpack History of Sweden ·

2026/09/20

This time we finish off our look into everyday life during the 1600s in Sweden. How did Swedes relate to their own bodies, what was transportation like and what about writing letters and spreading news? We'll look into all of this and more! You can find out more information about the podcast and our sister podcast Kingdom: Swedish Rulers on our website, or send us an email or follow us on social media here: Facebook Bluesky Twitter

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49:46

136. Life in the 1600s, Part One

A Flatpack History of Sweden ·

2026/09/06

It is time for the first part of our look into everyday life in the 1600s. We look at religion, guilds, paying (and avoiding) tax, and how the recent reforms in Sweden were changing the relationship people had with the state and church. Come back for part two next time! You can find out more information about the podcast and our sister podcast Kingdom: Swedish Rulers on our website, or send us an email or follow us on social media here: Facebook Bluesky Twitter

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63:09

135. Gustaf Adolf and Axel on Tour

A Flatpack History of Sweden ·

2026/08/23

Gustaf Adolf and his chancellor Axel Oxenstierna are busy ruling Sweden, but also collecting their frequent sailor points as they sail back and forth across the Baltic Sea. They're dealing with reform at home and expansion abroad, with war upon war for the king to pursue. But most importantly, will he let some of his soldiers keep a few small cows?? You can find out more information about the podcast and our sister podcast Kingdom: Swedish Rulers on our website, or send us an email or follow us on

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42:20

134. Welcome to Gothenburg

A Flatpack History of Sweden ·

2026/08/09

Välkommen till Göteborg - Welcome to Gothenburg! Sweden's modern day second largest city has taken 134 episodes to appear, but when it does, it is a fun entrance. We see the Dutch digging canals, the king ordering constructions and a tumultuous time trying to establish Swedish presence on the west coast. But it will all be worth it! We also take the time to answer a listener's question about the origin of Swedish surnames, so listen to the end for that. You can find out more information about the

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56:55

133. Axel Oxenstierna Takes Charge

A Flatpack History of Sweden ·

2026/07/26

Sweden's most famous administrator grabs the reins of Sweden and starts to rewrite how the country does business. Everything is up for debate under Axel Oxenstierna; new economic policies, the courts, working hours in the chancellery and much more. We'll also hear about how he hosts Sweden's first trade conference, struggles with gout and finds time to grow a big family! Here is the link to the metallurgy documentary on YouTube we mentioned. You can find out more information about the podcast and

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40:06

132. Stegeborg Castle

A Flatpack History of Sweden ·

2026/07/12

We're taking a break from the timeline as Flatpack has been on the road! We visited Stegeborg Castle on Sweden's national day, the 6th of June, to check out this famous historical site and see what role it has played over the centuries in Swedish history. Whilst there we did some live recording and investigated the ruins, before talking more about what we have seen happen at Stegeborg so far during the podcast. You can find out more information about the podcast and our sister podcast Kingdom:

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49:49

131. Start As You Mean To Go On

A Flatpack History of Sweden ·

2026/06/28

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 Segerstrom: From famine to fortune: A Swedish immigrant story with a golden twist" You can listen on

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32:39

130. Enter the Lion

A Flatpack History of Sweden ·

2026/06/14

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 us know what you think! You can find out more information about the podcast on our website, send us

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46:56

129. War on Three Fronts

A Flatpack History of Sweden ·

2026/05/31

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. You can find out more information about the podcast on our website, send us an email and follow us on

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34:39

128. Borders and Battles

A Flatpack History of Sweden ·

2026/05/17

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 the most out of it. It's all borders and battles, plus rain and starvation, for Sweden in this

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40:58

127. To Crown or Not To Crown

A Flatpack History of Sweden ·

2026/05/03

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 more information about the podcast on our website, send us an email and follow us on social media

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38:32

126. Back to the East

A Flatpack History of Sweden ·

2026/04/19

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 us on social media here: Facebook Bluesky Twitter P.S. If you like A Flatpack History of Sweden, how

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38:05

125. Addicted to Bloodbaths

A Flatpack History of Sweden ·

2026/04/05

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 in Sweden. It's extreme, but will it work? You can see the painting of Sten Banér that we mention late

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50:13

124. Karl So Far

A Flatpack History of Sweden ·

2026/03/22

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 information about the podcast on our website, send us an email and follow us on social media

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3:30

We're Back at Intelligent Speech 2026!

A Flatpack History of Sweden ·

2025/11/23

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 sale at intelligentspeechonline.com If you use the code "SWEDEN" you can get an extra 10% of the

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04:53

Greetings From Colombia

A Flatpack History of Sweden ·

2025/07/13

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!

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05:03

Flatpack Takes a Break in Colombia

A Flatpack History of Sweden ·

2025/06/01

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 ranking all the Swedish kings, queens and regents, which will be continuing throughout the time Flatpack is

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01:08:26

S13. Polish WW2 Submarines in Sweden

A Flatpack History of Sweden ·

2025/06/01

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?

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50:05

123. Questions and Answers

A Flatpack History of Sweden ·

2025/05/18

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!

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