Bo Jonsson grip

Bo Jonsson's real estate map

Coat of arms of the noble family Grip

Bo Jonsson Grip (* unknown; † August 20, 1386 ) was a Swedish Imperial Councilor and Reichsdrost and the largest landowner of his time in Sweden and Finland .

His name first appeared in Swedish documents in 1354. Bo was Reichsrat from 1359, from 1364 Vogt in Stockholm , from 1366 legal head in Östergötland and from 1369 the highest official of King Albrecht of Mecklenburg . From 1371 he was Reichsdrost in Finland and head of several Harden in Sweden.

Bo Jonsson came from the noble family of Grip . His goods, which he received mainly through pawnbroking , comprised in their greatest extent 1/3 of Sweden and all of Finland. It was obvious that Bo was not paying out of his own pocket the large sums of money he deposited with the royal family as pledge. From his will it was evident that behind him stood a number of influential supporters. These helped Bo Jonsson mainly for political reasons. A power base was to be created that would prevent the Mecklenburg dynasty from expanding further in Sweden. For this reason, Bo Jonsson strictly separated private property in his will, such as Gripsholm Castle and Bjärka-Säby Castle , from the possessions that he administered for political reasons.

In a chronicle of the Vadstena monastery , Bo Jonsson's political power is described so strongly that " not even the king, Herr Albrecht, could assert himself against him, although he tried several times ". In several contemporary sources, Bo Jonsson is described as greedy and mean. For example, he was accused of having carried out the murder of a passed pawn or commissioned him to later take over his property.