Gestilren
Tidaholm

The Battle of Gestilren

In the year 1208, Erik Knutsson challenged King Sverker, leading to the Battle of Lena (also known as Kungslena) in Västergötland. The outcome of this battle forced King Sverker to flee to Denmark. Two years later, with the assistance of Danish troops, King Sverker returned with the aim of reclaiming his lost crown. However, at Gestilren, near Lena, Erik Knutsson triumphed once again, while King Sverker fell in battle. In the same year, Erik was crowned king.
The Battle of Gestilren marked the end of the power struggle between the Erik and Sverker dynasties. After nearly a century of conflict, the political situation in Sweden stabilized, and the consolidation of the kingdom began.

The Starting Point for the Swedish Nation-State

The Battle of Gestilren has been seen as the starting point for the emergence of the Swedish nation-state, as depicted in the novels about the knight Arn by journalist and author Jan Guillou.
This process was later completed by Birger Jarl during the 1200s.

Memorial Stone

The Battle of Gestilren is believed to have taken place just south of Kungslena, near a place called Varv, close to Ekedalen. In 1910, a memorial stone was erected at this location to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Gestilren, which occurred in the year 1210. The inscription on the stone reads: "Seven hundred years after the Battle of Gestilren, the people of Västergötland erected this stone in 1910 - May God protect the Kingdom of Sweden."