Murders and executions in Stockholm, Sweden have been documented since the 1280s, when King Magnus Ladulås ordered the execution of three magnates of the Privy Council, who had been accused of several "traitorous acts against the throne". The city's murders between the middle of the 15th century and the middle of the 17th century have been documented fairly well in the logs of Stockholm City Court. Violence with a deadly outcome was most common during the Middle Ages, a trend which had more than halved by the beginning of the 1700s. The most common cases of manslaughter and murder usually involved fights between men where alcohol was involved.
During the reign of Gustav III, the use of capital punishment decreased and was abolished for certain crimes. The last hanging took place in 1818 at Hammarbyhöjden, and the last public execution occurred in 1862. The last execution in Sweden and Stockholm took place on 23 November 1910, when robber and murderer Alfred Ander was executed by decapitation in a guillotine.
Stockholm has experienced a remarkable number of political murders, and the most notable group of cases is the Stockholm Bloodbath between 7 November and 9 November 1520, when parts of the royalty and the nobility desired to get rid of several of their competitors and critics. Two highly acclaimed murders of politicians during recent years include the assassination of Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1986 and the murder of Anna Lindh in 2003. Additionally, several terrorist attacks have occurred in the city, namely the West German Embassy siege in 1975, the 2010 Stockholm bombings, and the 2017 Stockholm truck attack.
Cases of murder and manslaughter have not increased in the past 250 years.
The Middle Ages
Murder and manslaughter among the populace
According to the Stockholm tänkeböcker, it is fair to assume that violence with a deadly outcome was up to a hundred times more common during the Middle Ages compared to today. Usually, most cases of manslaughter involved two intoxicated men fighting each other, resulting in either party's death. If the surviving party were to report the event and turn himself in, his punishment would be less grave. Murder was a more serious crime, especially if the perpetrator would attempt to hide the fact.
The Käpplinge murders
Hostility between German merchants and the populace of Stockholm led to the so-called Käpplinge murders. On 14 June 1389, German hättebröder, soldiers and merchants marched towards Stortorget and gathered near Kåkbrinken. The Germans read aloud a list of the names of 76 Swedish "traitors" who were to be taken into custody. A number of them were locked inside Tre Kronor Castle, and others were taken to Gråmunkeholmen (Riddarholmen). The captives were tortured with saws. On 17 June the prisoners inside Tre Kronor castle were ferried over to Käpplingeholmen (Blasieholmen) where they were locked inside a building which was set on fire. The smallest number of victims of the Käpplinge murders was noted as 15, the highest was 76.
Medieval legislation
A quite harsh legislation composed of the Magnus Erikssons stadslag and Magnus Erikssons landslag, which made the death penalty legal for thieves still did not manage to deter criminals. 140 persons were executed between 1474 and 1492 in Stockholm. 50 persons had been convicted of violent crimes such as manslaughter, murder and assault. 90 were thieves and robbers. The chapter addressing thievery in Magnus Erikssons landslag is introduced with a picture depicting a hanging. The text promotes corporal punishment against children in order to prevent them turning into criminals. A human life was not worth much during the Middle Ages. If Sweden were to exercise the death penalty at the same level today, around 1 560 persons would be executed yearly, or four people daily.
Fights and honor
The most common incidents were fights between two men who were usually intoxicated. The most common murder weapon was a knife, as almost every man carried one. Less common weapons included wooden logs, stein (beer mugs), axes, hammers and furniture. Insulting ones honor could also be a justification to deadly violence. A third of all cases of murder and manslaughter during the 1500s usually involved honor-related conflicts. Minor conflicts sometimes triggered murder. On 9 June 1589, a knight known as Anders was accused of the murder of the farmhand Bengt Persson. They had been shooting darts and when Anders missed the target, Bengt mocked him by whistling. This was enough for Anders to draw his knife and stab Bengt in the head. The court ruled that a murder for such a minor reason was not right and therefore sentenced Anders to the death penalty.