Ingegerd Sverkersdotter was a twelfth-century Swedish princess and the first prioress of Vreta Abbey. She was the daughter of King Sverker I of Sweden and his first wife, Ulvhild.[1]

The abbey was founded in Linköping in 1162 by Ingegerd's brother, King Charles VII of Sweden. Philip Line considers that Ingegerd "undoubtedly played an important role in the foundation of the nunnery" as part of the Swedish royal and noble drive towards monastic foundations at the time.[2] An entry in the register of Linköping Cathedral records that Ingegerd "ruled it in an extraordinary way" for 40 years from soon after its foundation until her death in 1204.[3] The Swedish Church History Association gives this account of her activities:

In the midst of all the unrest in the country, the abbess Ingegerd Sverkersdotter secured the monastery's financial position through her property policy. She was the planning and driving force in the new building works.[4]

She presided over about thirty nuns following the Cistercian rule,[5] including Queen Helena, presumably her sister, the widow of Canute V of Denmark.[6]

Carl Ugglas suggested that a kneeling woman depicted in a painting in Kaga Church, Linköping might depict Ingegerd.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Line, Philip (2007-03-31). Kingship and State Formation in Sweden 1130-1290. Brill. p. 87. ISBN 978-90-474-1983-9.
  2. ↑ Line (2007), p. 93.
  3. ↑ Lundberg, Erik; Curman, Sigurd (1935). Östergötland. Bd 2, Vreta klosters kyrka (PDF). Riksantikvarieämbetet. p. 5. I Herrens år 1204 dog Priorinnan Fru Ingegerd, förutnämnde konupgs syster, hvilken under 40 år med kraft styrt detsamma klostret.
  4. ↑ Swedish Church History Yearbook, Volumes 44-46 (in Swedish). Swedish Church History Association. 1945. p. 247. Mitt under all oron i landet tryggar abbedissan Ingegerd Sverkersdotter klostrets ekonomiska ställning genom sin godspolitik . Hon är den planerande och drivande kraften vid ny- byggnadsarbetena.
  5. ↑ Wågman, Oskar (1904). Vreta kloster: historik jämte vägledning vid besök i Vreta kloster kyrka och dess omgifning. P.A. Norstedt & Sönders förlag.
  6. ↑ Rosborn, Sven. När hände vad i Nordens historia. Lund: Historiska media, 1997.
  7. ↑ C. R. af Ugglas, 'Ärkebiskopen och priorinnan', Meddelanden från Östergötlands fornminnesförening 1942–44.
  • Lars O. Lagerqvist (1982). "Sverige och dess regenter under 1.000 år" ("Sweden and its regents under a 1000 years") in Swedish. Albert Bonniers Förlag AB. ISBN 91-0-075007-7


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