6000 BC The first known people on Gotland.
3200 BC Gotlands oldest historical monuments, the astronomical calendars,
in the shape of grooves appears.
1000 BC to 1300 AD. The Gutar dominate the trade in the Baltic and from
time to time seem to have a monopoly on trade. Gotland is the centre for
the Baltic region culture.
500 BC. Gotlandic graves in Estonia, which have been interpreted as
Gotlandic trading colonies. One must imagine the Gotlandic traders during
the younger bronze age travelling east and southeast of the Baltic. This
is also the main period for the ship graves.
50 BC. Gotland is pretty alone in Scandinavia with cultural boom of
La Téne type artifacts. The contact with the celts is obvious.
98 AD. Roman authors write about the mighty people in the Baltic. The
Gutar have at that point in time many contacts with the Romans. Among other
things the Gotlandic picture stones originate from that time and are cut
with roman tools. Also the big houses (kämpgravar), the largest measures
67x11 metres, are roman.
4th century. The Gothic missionary Wulfila translates the bible to the
Gothic (Gotlandic) language and creates at the same time a written Gothic
language.
6th century. According to Gutasagan and Beowulf the Gutar are in war
with many kings, especially the Svear, who at that time immigrated to the
Lake Mälar district. According to Gutasagan the Gutar always kept victory
and their right. The wedder (vädur) is the sign of the Gutar.
550th. Avair Strabain makes a trade treaty with the Svear which is of
mutual benefit. Gotland is a much older state than Sweden and seems from
that time to have been a republic.
7th century. The Gutar have trade colonies on the east coast of the
Baltic viz. Truso and Grobin.
897 AD. Visby is founded
10th century. The majority of the silver hordes found in Scandinavia
comes from Gotland, which indicates vast trade relations with the Islamic
empire over the Russian rivers. For example, Adam of Bremen writes in his
history that Birka, that flourished between 800-975, was a Gotlandic town
located in the middle of the land of Svear.
990 AD. The Norwegian king Olof Tryggvason plunders the coasts of
Gotland.
1000 AD. Erik Jarl pirate in the Baltic. Stavar the great killed at
Sandesrum in Grötlingbo.
1007 AD. Olof Haraldsson (later as Christian called Olof the holy) plunders
Gotland and stays over the winter 1007-1008. The Bulverket in Tingstäde
lake is probably built at that time.
1030 AD. Olof Haraldsson, now a converted Christian, visits Gotland
on his way from Novgorod to Stiklastad where he dies in battle. It is probably
this trip that is mentioned in the Gutasaga.
12th century. The Gutar seem to completely dominate the trade in the
Baltic. The richness is shown in a massive church and house building.
1140´s. The Gutar start their own coins. The Gotlandic coins had
apparently a very good reputation and can be found in all parts of
Scandinavia.
1161 AD. In order to be allowed to continue to trade in the German areas,
as the Gutar had been doing of old, they had to accept German traders to
trade on Gotland.
1164 AD. Guthnalia, the Cistercierser monastery was established in
Roma.
1250´s. Gotlandic traders help Birger Jarl build a new trading
place named Stockholm.
1288 AD. Civil war between Visby and the Gotlandic republic. Visby becomes
an independent city republic.
1313 AD. The Swedish king Birger tries to invade Gotland but is beaten
and captured at Röcklinge backar.
1358 AD. The Hanseatic league is formed. The power balance in the Baltic
moves from Gotland to the Hanseatic league.
1361 AD. Valdemar Atterdag invades Gotland. He accepts a fee for not
plundering Visby but plunders heavily on southern Gotland.
1391 AD. Mecklenburgian pirates create a foothold on Gotland. The 15th
century, until Sören Norby leaves Visborgs castle in 1526 to the Danish
king, is an unquiet period. From 1530 Gotland becomes a substate ruled by
the Danish king. In spite of this the Gotlandic republic continues to be
the main force until 1618 when it is illegally abolished by an unlawful
decree.
1525 AD. Lübeck attacks Visby, plundering and burning the city.
1645 AD. By a compromise after eight months of negotiations in
Brömsebro,
Gotland became a Swedish colony. During the occupation 1645-1676 which the
Swedes considered as temporary, as they wanted to use Gotland as a trade
object in later peace treaties, the new colony was treated as badly as New
Sweden.
1679 AD. After the Swedish annexation attempts were made to make the
Gutar Swedes but the mentality was too different.
1806 AD. As it was too difficult to govern Gotland from Stockholm and
the island was only a burden, Swedish governments have twice tried to get
rid of Gotland. The first time was in 1806 when then Swedish government
donated the island to the Maltese order, but they declined the offer.
1808 AD. The Swedes had so clearly indicated that they wanted to get
rid of Gotland that the Russians interpreted this as if it was free for
all to take it. Therefore they invaded Gotland, but due to the distance
could only hold it for three weeks.
1830´s. The Swedish parliament accepted the wishes of Gotland
again to become a free trade zone, but the king Karl XIV Johan stopped those
plans as Stockholm wanted no competition.
1932 AD. This is the second time a Swedish government tries to get rid
of Gotland. The understanding was that Gotland was such a burden that it
was cheaper to deport all the Gutar to Sweden and give Gotland away. However,
this was too much abuse from the Swedes and the Gutar protested heavily
with the result that the Swedish government had to change their plans.
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