Historian Joakim Scherp believes that the Swedish state got an open channel to its citizens with Gustav Vasa. This is one of the reasons why the king came to be so important for Sweden as a strong and independent state.
"There were no longer any nobles who lay between the royal power and the subjects, but it was the king's bailiffs who handled direct contact. This created great legitimacy for the royal power, which knew what people thought and thought in the villages, and they also tried to influence this.
In addition to the celebrations during the National Day, Gustav Vasa's 500th anniversary will be celebrated at Gripsholm Castle in August. The master of ceremonies will be Fredrik Lindström.
What do you think Gustav Vasa would have thought if he had appeared during the celebration?
"I think he would have been surprised at how badly dressed people are and that you don't wear balloon pants, silk stockings and gold embroidery anymore," says Fredrik Lindström and continues:
"He would also have difficulty understanding Swedish, with which a lot has happened in 500 years.