Treaty of Gotland (1288)

The Treaty of Gotland (Gotländska freden) was a peace treaty settled by the Swedish King Magnus III to resolve a conflict between the peasants of the Swedish island Gotland, and the burghers of the island's largest city, Visby. The conflict is believed to have steamed from disagreement between the two fractions over duties on all goods entering Visby. The peasants were aggrieved over the new duties that had been introduced in 1288, after completion of the City wall of Visby.

The burghers prevented the peasants from travelling to the mainland and protest to the king, and soon open hostilities broke out. A battle was fought at Högebro, where the burghers emerge victorious thanks to their superior armament. The peasants did not prevail, however, and a new battle was fought at the Monastery of Roma, where neither fraction emerged victorious.

The priests of the island now intervened, trying to bring about conciliation between the parties. They succeed in securing a fragile peace.

When King Magnus received words of the conflict he summoned representatives of the fighting parties and condemned  the burghers to pay 200 mark silver, and 50 mark pfennig as penance for their deeds. Magnus also stipulated that future conflicts should be settled by him, and that the peasants should be prevented from making complaints to the king. Magnus also enters into an agreement with the city of Visby, which in principle states that only the Swedish king shall be the master of Gotland.

The Swedish king had long been wanting to expand eastward, and the conflict provided a golden opportunity to strengthen his power over Gotland, which until then had enjoyed a large measure of autonomy.