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* GUSSFELDT. 391 GTJSTAVUS I. VASA. GUSSFELDT, gi.is'felt, Paul (1S40-). A Gcriimn oxpUiivr. lie Uiis horn in Berlin, and was edueateil at lleiilell)er{^, Berlin, CJ lessen, and Uonii. When the lirst expedition was sent out by the German African Society in 1872, he was chosen its leader. The expedition sailed to the coast of Loango. but was shipwrecked near Free- town, Liberia. .January 14. 187^, and lost all its stores and e(|iiipnients. .lthough Giissfeldt suc- ceeded in eslablishiim a station on the coast, he was unable to penetrate into the interior, and re- turned to Germany in the summer of 1875. In 187G he visited Egypt and the Arabian Desert ( with Schw einfurth ). and afterwards explored a portion of the Andes, where he discovered a num- ber of glaciers in latitude 34° 30' S. He also ascended to the top of the volcano of JIaipo, and reached almost the suuunit of Mount Aconcagua, the highest peak of South America. In 1892 he became ])rofessor of physical geography in the seminary for Oriental languages in Berlin. Among his principal works are the following: In den Hochuliirn. Erlehnisse au^ den Jahren lSi>9-85 (3d ed. 1893) ; Kaiser Wilhelms II. Ilcisen nach Xoruesicn in den Jnhren 1889-9.2 (1892); Die Loant/uexiiedition. jointly with Falkenstein ami Pechuel-Loesche (1879 et seq. ). GUSTA'VIA. The capital of Saint Bartholo- mew ( Saint-Barthelemy ) (q.v.), a French island of the 'est Indies. It is on the southwestern coast, and has a good harbor. GUST AV'US I. VASA ( 1496- 1 560 ) . King of Sweden from 1523 to 1560, and founder of the royal House of Vasa. He was born at Lindholm, JIa_y 12, 1496, and was known in private life as Gustavus Ericsson. The name Vasa came into use after his accession to the throne, being de- rived, it is conjectured, from a black fascine in his arms, which was drawn so that it resembled a vase, and was changed to yellow by Gustavus, giving it the appearance of a sheaf. His father, Erik Johansson, was a patriotic member of the Swedish nobilit.y who followed the Stures in the struggle of the Swedes for independence from Denmark. The young Gustavus began his studies at Upsala in 1509, and five years later entered the service of the Regent Sten Sture. distin- guishing him.self by gallantry in the battle of Briinkyrka. in wbicli Sture deteateil the forces of Christian II. of Denmark (1518). After the battle Christian sought an interview with Sture, and asked that six hostages be given for his safety, Gustavus was chosen as one of these hostages. As soon as they were on board the Danish ship it sailed away to Denmark, where the hostages were held in captivity. From this captivity Gustavus escaped to Liibeck in 1519, and returning to Sweden, finally found a refuge among the loyal (ieasantry of Dalecarlia. for the death of Sture in 1520 had given the country over to the Danes. In Dalecarlia he wandered for several months, in poverty and disguise, with a price set on his head. In November. 1520, ninety of the nobles and leaders of Sweden who had been sunmioned to attend the coronation of Christian II. were faithlessly beheaded. .Among them were the father and the brother-in-law of Gustavus. The young fugitive vainly attempted to rouse the inhabitants of Dalecarlia to revolt, and was forced to seek refuge in the less frequent- ed parts of the coimtry. where for a month he earned his living as a field laborer, and more than once owed his life and safety to the gen- erosity of the peasant women of the district. This period of his life has been so long made the sub- ject of romance that it is dillicult now to sepa- rate the true from the false. Not until his account of the tyranny of the Danes was cor- roborated by the testimony of seeral fugitives from Stockholm was the national enthusiasm roused, and the men of Dalecarlia, at Mora, on Christmas eve, 1520; proclaimed him head of their own and other connnunes in Sweden. His first victories over the Danes brought recruits in large numbers. He defeated the Swedes at ^'esteras, took Upsala, and on August 24, 1521, was proclaimed Administrator of the Kingdom of Sweden. In June, 1523, the Swedish Diet at Strengnils declared the union with Denmark dis- solved, and jiroclaimed Gustavus Ericsson King of .Sweden. Two weeks later he made his trium])hant entry into Stockholm. The King early showed his determination to favor the Lutheran doctrines, and. withput at- tempting to force his subjects into an unwilling change of ecclesiastical alliance, he gradually, by patience aitd tact, established Lutheranism as the religion of the State, and placed Sweden unaltera- bly in tile ranks of Protestant countries. This was linilly accomplished and legalized in the Diet at Westeras in 1527, and a national council held at Oerebro in 1529. His attitude toward the Reformation was largely inlluenced by his desire to overthrow the power of the Catholic clergy, which he considered dangerous to the royal authority and the cause of Swedish independence. The problems of government he had to encounter were many. The young King fotind a country divided into factions, poor, and with almost wholly undevel- oped resources, and wasted by barbarous wars. He devoted himself with fine patience and modera- tion to the task of developing and reorganizing it. He had owed nuioh to the devotion of the peasantry, while in the proud and turbulent no- bilit.y, many of whom Ijelonged to the Danish and C'atholic factions, he saw a grave menace to stable government. He therefore sought to give the jjeasantiy better opportunities and fuller participation in the national lite, and to limit the dangerous power of the nobles. He was a practical business man as well as a large-minded statesman, and he fostered the commerce, mining, and fisheries of the kingdom with the most care- ful personal attention, even as to details. Land was reclaimed, hydraulic works were construct- ed, and sawmills built. He was equally shrewd in his personal all'airs. and accumulated a large fortune by agricultural opei-ations. The reforms in the State were not accomplished without gieat difficulties. The K-ing had to meet dis- affection and revolt; he carried on war with Lii- beck and the Hansa towns. After forty year^' rule Gustavus left Sweden a peaceful and civilized realm, with a full exchequer, a well-organized army of 15.000 men, and a good fleet. He made commercial treaties with foreign nations, and established fairs for foreign traders. Roads and bridges were made in every part of the coimtry. and canals begun. In his relations with his sub- jects Gustavus was firm, and sometimes severe, but seldniii unjust, except in bis dealings with the Catholic clerg;s', whom he despoiled with some- thing like rapacity of all their lands and funds. He did much to promote the cause of Lutheran- ism, although he took care that the Refcuineil