iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Yesterday was a very special "holiday" in Sweden: the National Day of the Cinnamon bun 😋 We might suspect that it began as a marketing trick, but who are we to question the fact that we must celebrate it by eating tasty buns 😄

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

In today's episode we cover one of the most famous events in Swedish history, the sinking of the naval ship Vasa 1628! ⚓️ In fact, we don't just cover the sinking, but also the construction and raising of the wreck. And we do it in collaboration with the great podcast @beyondthebreakers.bsky.social

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Something big is coming your way tomorrow... Check out the feeds of both Flatpack and @beyondthebreakers.bsky.social for some exciting maritime disaster content!

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

This was the the first time in 40 years that a Speaker has won a third term. We actually interviewed the Speaker in April last year and you can find the fascinating conversation in our feed or in the links below! Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/2hWh... Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...

open.spotify.com

Andreas Norlén: Interview with the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament

A Flatpack History of Sweden · Episode

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Following the Swedish election two weekends ago, this week we've seen the quite dramatic re-election of Andreas Norlén as the Speaker of the Swedish parliament! It was expected that another candidate would win the election, but instead the sitting Speaker won a third term.

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Unlike what we've been covering on Flatpack, today Sweden and Poland mainly fight it out during sporting events. We saw Sweden beat Poland (again!) in football tonight 🥳 ⚽️🏟

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Today we cover the man between two Sten Stures! How will Svante Nilsson succeed Sten Sture the Elder and what was the crazy plan to make sure it all went off without a hitch? There's also more fighting with Denmark before our craziest Carving their Runestone round ever, looking at this seal!

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Listen to the latest episode of @presidencies.bsky.social to hear your favourite Swedish history podcasters provide this episode's intro quotes!

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Whilst away on Bornholm without Chris, Åsa took the opportunity to enjoy some food that she knows he won't like, namely a buffet of exclusively smoked and picked fish, predominantly herring, but also some eel 🐟🐠 Åsa was in heaven, Chris was glad he didn't come 😄

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Today is release day and Åsa is celebrating by visiting the Danish island of Bornholm, where she happened upon Denmark's largest rock carving site, full of Bronze Age rock carvings. They look pretty cool!!

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Yesterday was no ordinary Sunday here in Sweden. It was a general election, for Parliament, county councils and municipalities 🗳 Åsa was a poll worker and got to spend the night counting the slips of different coloured paper that Swedes use to indicate their voting choice.

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Earlier this week Åsa went to the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm. Opened in 1788, it's been in its current gold decorated building since 1908. Its permanent ensemble puts on a range of plays each season, including Shakespeare's Taming of a Shrew, which is what Åsa watched.

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Yesterday, King Harald V of Norway was laid to rest. King Carl Gustaf of Sweden is to the left, behind Haakon VIII, his godson and the new monarch of Norway, as they salute the coffin. To the right is Frederik X of Denmark. This wouldn't be a typical image from the 14 or 1500s!

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

In today's episode of Flatpack we turn from the rulers to the people. We look at the lives of 17th century Swedes from a collective level. What were guilds, what role did the church play (spoiler: a big one) and how did they try to dodge the dreaded taxes? That and much more in today's episode.

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Chris has been in Linköping and went by the cathedral. It's a great building that is having some work done to preserve it for the future. Bishops there have played important roles in history; Kettil Karlsson Vasa went as far as becoming Regent in the 1460s. We of course ranked him on Kingdom!

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

If you're lucky when you're travelling on the Stockholm underground you can "win" the Three Crowns 👑 👑👑 Or at least sit down on a seat where they are set into the air vent 😊 They are one of several symbols in the vents that you can have fun trying to find while travelling.

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Sunday means Flatpack! Today we deep dive into what Axel Oxenstierna and Gustaf Adolf do with the Polish problem. The king has a lot of rules his army has to follow, but will some of his cavalry be able to keep some small cows they found on the battlefield? All this and more! 🐄

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Tomorrow it is time for the epic finale of the story of longstanding podcast frenemy, KKB! We'll cover his second and third terms as king and see what he'll receive as a score, as well as a grand total for his entire life. It's going to be fun!

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Ah yes, a fun coincidence. And they're both good museums; quite different from each other, but good!!

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

398 years ago today, Sweden's most famous ship became Sweden's most famous shipwreck, and then eventually Sweden's most famous museum... We'll be telling the full story of the Vasa on the podcast quite soon. Keep your eyes out!

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Pack your bags, we're off to create a new settlement called Gothenburg! It has taken a while for one of Sweden's most famous places to be founded, but it has now happened. Let's learn all about the rough start the town had and see what role the Dutch had to play. Out now!

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Just one week to wait and find out... Chaos magnet is a great term!!

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Incredibly we're now a fair bit over halfway through our ranking of all the Swedish kings, queens and regents! Do you have a favourite person or a favourite story from those we've covered so far? Åsa's is Margareta's life story and Chris really enjoys Jons Bengtsson Oxenstierna!

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Stockholm City Museum, we're ashamed to say we have only just visited you! But you made up for it. A super interesting place, all about the city's history from the middle ages onwards. Åsa even tried on some hats in one exhibition on department store! 👒

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

We know you're hungry for more Swedish ruler content, so here is EAT! Erik Axelsson Tott is here and ready to make the border nobility proud. But how will he try to succeed where so many others have failed in the recent past? Find out now!

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Åsa joined the Stockholm Pride parade today 🏳️‍🌈 As a designated Pride parade it dates back to 1998 when the city hosted Europride for the first time. However, its roots are longer than that. Since the late 1970s there's been an LGBTQI+ parade/march in the city in some form.

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Happy Birthday to half of Flatpack and Kingdom, Åsa! An excellent co-producer, co-host, travel buddy and excellent napper 🥳

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Axel Oxenstierna is here, perhaps Sweden's most famous bureaucrat. But he's much more than just that. Here we look at how he begins to reshape the way Sweden functions as a country, from the courts to economic policies. He even hosts Sweden's first ever "trade show" in an attempt to spark new ideas!

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Tomorrow on Kingdom, we're going to look into the fascinating life and rule of Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna, one of the most momentous characters of this part of Swedish history. Most importantly though, we'll see if Åsa is going soft on torture the further we get... Tune in to find out!

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Lovely! Hope you had a good time. Åsa didn't go there this time, but Chris has been there.

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

In today's episode Flatpack goes to Stegeborg castle 🏰 It's featured several times in the podcast and played an important part in Swedish history. We recorded on-site and learned lots about the castle that we wanted to share with you. Listen out for a special flyby as well 🛩️

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Tomorrow is a new episode of Flatpack but here's something unrelated! Last week we visited Ireland and enjoyed plenty of history, just nothing to do with Sweden. We saw several castles and old ruins, as well as some great scenery. What a lovely place!

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

This week's episode of Kingdom covered our first religious figure, as we saw how Bishop of Linköping Kettil Karlsson Vasa led two revolts and kicked out two kings before eventually becoming Riksföreståndare himself. But how will we rank his time as regent?

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

To finish off our recent Gotland theme, here's a short video Chris made a few years ago about the Battle of Visby in 1361! youtu.be/mJw0M1-uTcg?...

youtu.be

Flatpack Visits Visby

YouTube video by A Flatpack History of Sweden

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Happy Birthday to the Swedish Air Force who turn 100 today! They were even kind enough to ensure the big flypast flew literally above our flat. Congratulations 🎊

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

A trip to Gotland isn't complete without a visit to Visby; where the middle ages feel closer than ever, thanks to the preserved town planning, old houses, ruins & not least the ring wall. Åsa's plans to become a pirate queen on Gotland having failed, she's returned to Flatpack HQ 😆

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Gotlandic farms are a bit different from those on the mainland. The iconic farm houses are made of locally quarried limestone. Åsa stopped in Bottarve on southern Gotland, where the local village preserve a farm from the 1700s. Well worth a visit if you're ever on Gotland!

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Exactly, then everyone who suddenly have a different Latinised name...!

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

It's Sunday and time for a new episode of Flatpack. Gustav Adolf (yes, that's what we're calling him 😂) is off to deal with Sweden's enemies in turn; first Denmark and then the big mess in Russia. Let's see how it goes, who wins and who loses, and at what cost...

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Åsa's Gotlandic exploration continues! For centuries quarrying stones, in particular the island's characteristic limestone, was a major, but often small scale, industry on the island. Here's some pictures from what an old stone cutting place looked like!

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

It's a free event where politicians: civil society organisations and companies meet and mingle with anyone who wants to visit and attend talks, seminars, lectures or just generally hangout. Looks like democracy is here to stay and Sweden has moved on from the Middle Ages 😄

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Åsa has given up her plans for a hostile medieval style take over of Gotland. Because when she arrived in Visby the annual Almedalsveckan was ongoing.

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

We definitely think so if you have the time! It is a lovely part of the country with lots of interesting history, and you could just spend one day in Visby and it would be worth it. It is "only" 3h30 on the ferry too 😊

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Yeah sadly (for Chris) but the people have spoken so we shall listen 😄 Åsa is proud and happy!

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A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast / Kingdom: Swedish Rulers @flatpacksweden.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Åsa is on her way to Gotland! Inspired by Erik of Pomerania she has decided to set up as a pirate queen and harass the Swedish and Danish kingdoms from her castle in Visby ☠️ 👸🏼 😂

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