Johan Printz

Johan Björnsson Printz (July 20, 1592 – May 3, 1663) was governor from 1643 until 1653 of the Swedish colony of New Sweden on the Delaware River in North America.

He was born in Bottnaryd, Jönköping County, in the province of Småland. He was the son of a Lutheran pastor, Björn Hansson, and Gunilla Svensdotter. Printz received his early education in Sweden followed in 1618 by theological studies at German universities. While on a journey in about 1620, he was pressed into military service. The involuntary change in occupation turned out to suit him.

During the Thirty Years' War, he initially became a mercenary for Archduke Leopold of Austria, Duke Christian of Brunswick, and King Christian IV of Denmark. Printz entered the Swedish army in 1625 rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel under King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. He was dismissed from service for surrendering the Saxon town of Chemnitz.

By 1642, he was restored to royal favor, ennobled and appointed to be the third governor of New Sweden. He arrived at Fort Christina in the colony on 15 February 1643 with two ships, Fama (Fawn) and Svanen (The Swan). Under his rule the Swedish colony initially prospered. He built Fort Nya Elfsborg on the east bank of the Delaware, and Fort New Gothenburg on Tinicum Island (to the immediate SW of today's Philadelphia). He thus secured a monopoly of trade with the Indians that inhabited both sides of the bay and river as far north as Trenton.

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