1717 in Sweden

Fire exchange between Danish ships and the Älvsborg fortress

The following events occurred in Sweden in the year 1717.

Incumbents

• Monarch – Charles XII

Events

Social Impact — Refugees, Internal Displacement, and Civilian Hardships:

Because of the war — especially Russian advances and occupation of eastern Baltic provinces and Finnish territories — many people from those regions fled toward “mainland Sweden” (i.e. Swedish-controlled heartlands). According to a recent academic study, during the Great Northern War (circa 1700–1721), Sweden received large numbers of “internal refugees.”^[1]

The year 1717 falls into this period of mass displacement. The state attempted to manage the influx: authorities instituted policies for “conditional hospitality” — organizing aid, lodging, and subsistence for refugees, but also imposing controls (screening, registration, local community contributions).

his pressure on resources and social systems contributed to social strains: local communities were often burdened with support costs, tensions between locals and displaced people increased, and the refugee crisis of the war years arguably reshaped Swedish social policy regarding displaced populations^[2]

Broader War Context & What 1717 Meant for Sweden:

The battles of 1717 (like Gothenburg and Strömstad) were part of ongoing attempts by Sweden to defend itself after major territorial and strategic losses earlier in the war (e.g. Russia’s conquest of Baltic provinces and Finland).

The events of 1717 show that even as Sweden’s “great power” status was under severe strain — with loss of Baltic territories, many fronts, and internal displacement — the Swedish military and state apparatus remained active, resisting incursions and trying to handle the social consequences of war.

Military & War‑related Events in 1717:

• 2 May - Battle of Göteborg
• 19 July - Battle of Strömstad

Births

• 2 August - Karl Aurivillius, linguist, translator and orientalist (died 1786)
• 26 November - Olof af Acrel, physician and surgeon (died 1806)
• Date unknown - Elisabeth Lillström, stage actress and opera singer (died 1791)

Deaths

• 16 January - Elias Brenner, painter, numismatist, and archeologist (born 1647)
• 23 February - Magnus Stenbock, military officer (born 1664)
• - Märta Berendes, courtier and memoir writer (born 1639)

References

1. Nauman, Sari (2022-08-16), Nauman, Sari; Jezierski, Wojtek; Reimann, Christina; Runefelt, Leif (eds.), "Conditional Hospitality Toward Internal Refugees: Sweden During the Great Northern War, 1700–1721", Baltic Hospitality from the Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century, Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 221–245, ISBN 978-3-030-98526-4, retrieved 2025-12-03
2. Nauman, Sari (2022-08-16), Nauman, Sari; Jezierski, Wojtek; Reimann, Christina; Runefelt, Leif (eds.), "Conditional Hospitality Toward Internal Refugees: Sweden During the Great Northern War, 1700–1721", Baltic Hospitality from the Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century, Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 221–245, ISBN 978-3-030-98526-4, retrieved 2025-12-03