Regina Basilier (née Kleifeldt 1572–1631), was a Swedish (born in Poland-Lithuania) merchant and moneylender. She is known as a banker of king

Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden Gustavus Adolphus (9 December ld Style and New Style dates, N.S 19 December15946 November ld Style and New Style dates, N.S 16 November1632), also known in English as Gustav II Adolf or Gustav II Adolph, was King of Sweden from 1611 t ...

Biography

She was born in Danzig (which was then part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth) and married to the

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

merchant Adam Basilier (d. 1608), who was a significant creditor of the Swedish prince

John, Duke of Östergötland John of Sweden, Duke of Östergötland (; 18 April 1589 – 5 March 1618) was a Swedish royal dynast. He was titular Duke of Finland 1590–1606 and reigning Duke of Östergötland 1606–18. His father was John III of Sweden and his m ...

. Upon the death of Prince John in 1618, she emigrated to Sweden to protect her interests. She acquired the estates Kungs Norrby in

Östergötland Östergötland (; English exonym: East Gothland) is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish) in the south of Sweden. It borders Småland, Västergötland, Närke, Södermanland and the Baltic Sea. In older English li ...

as well as

Gripsholm Gripsholm Castle () is a castle in Mariefred, Södermanland, Sweden. It is located by lake Mälaren in south central Sweden, in the municipality of Strängnäs, about 60 km west of Stockholm. Since Gustav I Vasa, Gripsholm has belonged to ...

, Vibyholm, and Åkers in

Södermanland Södermanland ( ), locally Sörmland, sometimes referred to under its Latinisation of names, Latinized form Sudermannia or Sudermania, is a Provinces of Sweden, historical province (or ) on the south eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Österg� ...

, from the crown as

leasehold estate A leasehold estate is an ownership of a temporary right to hold land or property in which a lessee or a tenant has rights of real property by some form of title from a lessor or landlord. Although a tenant does hold rights to real property, a le ...

s. Regina Basilier was one of the greatest creditors of the Swedish royal house and often provided the crown with financial loans as well as supplies from her Swedish

s. She also continued a lucrative trading import business of textiles and jewelry and was a provider of such luxury items to the Swedish royal family. She is, for example, recorded to have sold bed draperies to

Christina of Holstein-Gottorp Christina of Holstein-Gottorp (13 April 1573 in Kiel – 8 December 1625 at Gripsholm Castle) was Queen of Sweden as the second wife of King Charles IX. She served as regent in 1605, during the absence of her spouse, and in 1611, during the ...

, wallpaper to

, and jewelry for

Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg (11 November 1599 – 28 March 1655) was Queen of Sweden from 1620 to 1632 as the wife of King Gustav II Adolph (''Gustavus Adolphus''). She was born a German princess as the daughter of John Sigismund, Elector of ...

. She died as the perhaps greatest creditor of the crown and one of the most successful and influential merchants in Sweden. She left her business interests to her only child, Nikolaus Gustaf Basilier (ca. 1595-1663).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Basilier, Regina 1572 births 1631 deaths 17th-century Swedish businesswomen 17th-century Swedish businesspeople Swedish bankers Women bankers Swedish merchants 17th-century merchants Businesspeople from Gdańsk Merchants from the Holy Roman Empire Emigrants from the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth to the Holy Roman Empire Emigrants from the Holy Roman Empire Immigrants to Sweden