Inger, Lady of Austraat

Inger, Lady of Austraat [Rømer] (c 1475 - 1555) was her era's wealthiest landowner in Norway, a daughter and ultimate heiress of the Younger Rømer family of Norway, a political intriguer (lady Inger is famed for having orchestrated her powerful sons-in-law to support her goals), and is famous for Henrik Ibsen's play "Lady Inger of Oestraat".

Lady Inger's parents had her marry lord Nils Henriksonn whose family also had some claim to Austraat. Thus the important Austraat manor, in the forth of Trondheim, with its lands, were settled to be Inger's share of the family inheritance. Her husband became the Lord High Steward of Norway. She was widowed in 1523.

Her interests also targeted Swedish politics, in addition to Norway's. In 1526 she received the exiled chancellor Peder Sunnanväder. And, later she practically joined attempts to dethrone king Gustav I. In 1528 the junker who claimed to be Nils Sture, the elder son of Sten Sture the Younger, the 1512-20 Regent of Sweden (the boy's identity is under controversy: he either was the authentic Nils or he was an impostor), fled to Norway after his defeat and enjoyed the hospitality of lady Inger. She had plans to obtain the kingship of Sweden to him, taking it from the Stures' kinsman king Gustav Vasa. And, more importantly to her, she was planning to marry his third daughter lady Eline of Austraat to the young pretender, and make her the Queen. Ultimately, nothing came of this, and the young "Daljunkern" was executed later in Rostock at request of Gustav.

From earlier property disputes and such, Lady Inger was an enemy of the Catholic prelate Olav Engelbriktsonn, primate of Norway and archbishop of Nidaros, who also rivaled over Norway's government against lady Inger's eldest son-in-law lord Vincents Lunge. Lady Inger, and with her the family, joined lutheran reformation and started to promote it with their might. That was an important impetus for protestantism in Norway.

Later fame

In 1857, playwright Henrik Ibsen, then in his early career, wrote the play "lady Inger of Austraat" which loosely utilizes her intrigues towards Swedish throne as basis of drama. Historical and genealogical details however are somewhat incorrect in the play.

ee also

*Ørland