Junker Party

{{Short description|1850s Swedish political association}}

The Junker Party (Swedish: {{Lang|sv|Junkerpartiet}}) was a grouping in Swedish politics in the 1850s, although it never constituted an actual party. The Junkers were conservative nobles who, in opposition to {{Ill|August von Hartmansdorff|sv}}, wished to maintain the privileges of the nobility. In other respects, the Junkers represented a conservative political stance, for example on the issue of representation – they sought to maintain the Riksdag of the Estates as opposed to forming a parliamentary system of government, the Riksdag. To this end they aligned themselves with wealthy farmers.{{Cite journal |last=Bengtsson |first=Erik |date=2022-10-02 |title=The social origins of democracy in Sweden: the role of agrarian politics |journal=Social History |language=en |volume=47 |issue=4 |pages=419–445 |doi=10.1080/03071022.2022.2112865 |s2cid=252756065 |issn=0307-1022 |doi-access=free }} However, the party's conservative stance had some exceptions regarding customs policy, where they were more free-trade oriented. Crown Prince Charles, later Charles XV, drew his closest advisors from the Junker Party, his connection "making him suspect among liberals".{{Cite web |last=Holmberg |first=Åke |title=Karl XV |url=https://sok.riksarkivet.se/sbl/Presentation.aspx?id=12360&forceOrdinarySite=true |access-date=2023-04-06 |website=Svenskt Biografiskt Lexikon |language=sv |archive-date=2023-04-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406080856/https://sok.riksarkivet.se/sbl/Presentation.aspx?id=12360&forceOrdinarySite=true |url-status=live }}

The first leader of the Junker Party was {{Ill|Otto Palmstierna|sv}}, soon replaced by Henning Hamilton. Other notable supporters include Gustaf Lagerbjelke, Gillis Bildt and {{Ill|Erik Josias Sparre|lt=Erik Josias Sparre|sv|Erik Sparre (1816–1886)}}.{{Cite book |title=Svensk uppslagsbok |publisher=Svensk Uppslagsbok AB |year=1933 |editor-last=Carlquist |editor-first=Gunnar |volume=14 |location=Malmö |pages=736 |language=sv}}