Maria Romberg’s murder plot

A premeditated murder plot took place in December 1724 in the Swedish town of Borås, the story of which still casts a shadow over the town to this day. The mastermind behind the murder plot was Maria Romberg, a woman of remarkable beauty who, together with three accomplices, killed her husband, which ultimately led to their execution. The trigger was Maria’s unhappy marriage. In 1716, at the tender age of 19, Maria was forced into an arranged marriage with Anders Broberg, a merchant 27 years her senior. It is difficult to imagine the tragedy this union meant for Maria. According to reports, Broberg was a violent alcoholic who abused his young wife. In this dreary prison, Maria found comfort in her childhood friend Haqvin Wijndruf, who came from one of the wealthiest families in the city. Their friendship developed into a passionate affair. Their love did not remain hidden for long in the secret passages of Borås, as numerous confidential messages and love letters were sent back and forth between the two lovers, drawing many loyal followers and subordinates into the maelstrom of their secret liaison. After several failed attempts to poison her husband, and feeling increasingly trapped in a hopeless situation, Maria brought an unusual ally on board. This was the witch Romans Ingeborg, who had often been hired as a contract killer in the past. She was supposed to kill Maria’s tyrannical husband. But the attempt to strangle him failed miserably. In order to kill Maria’s husband, in 1724 they brought the maid Karin Andersdotter on board, who had developed a hatred for Maria’s husband because he mistreated her. Together with the maid Karin Andersdotter, the women and Maria’s lover Haqvin hatched a diabolical plan. The combination of romantic despair and the urge for freedom provided the fuel for a murder that would terrify the city. On the night of December 28, 1724, after another lesson from two vicars who admonished Maria to end her love affair with Haqvin, the plan was put into action. While Broberg slept peacefully, the three women crept into his bedroom. What happened next was brutal and cold-blooded. Ingeborg struck the sleeping man repeatedly until he was dead. To conceal the murder, they positioned the body to make it look as if he had fallen and injured his head. However, this cruel crime did not go undetected. Careless actions and the fragility of their secrets soon led to the truth coming to light. Each of the accomplices had been unable to hold their tongue, and when the investigators knocked on their door, the house of cards collapsed under the pressure of the truth. Karin was the first to confess. The whisper of guilt in her heart made her do the impossible. She revealed everything. When Maria heard this, she thought it better to confess than to remain in the dark. She even advised her lover Haqvin to do the same. But he did not want to give up and denied everything. Finally, when he was forced to do so, his walls of lies also crumbled. The subsequent court hearings were a spectacle that attracted the citizens of Borås in droves. On February 23, 1725, the four defendants were found guilty and sentenced to death. The execution took place on April 14, 1725. The punishments were cruel and varied in nature. Maria was beheaded and her body burned. Haqvin was unable to enjoy his head, as it was severed and nailed to a stake as a deterrent. Ingeborg, the witch, suffered a similar fate, while Karin, the maid, was beheaded and buried. The martyrdom of these four people marked not only the end of their lives, but also the end of the Wijndruf family’s social dominance in Borås. Haqvin’s brother Andreas, who was ordained as a priest shortly after the execution, decided to emigrate to the New World. The story of Maria Romberg is often cited as an example of how far people can go when they are cornered. Her cycle of love, betrayal, and violence serves as a warning that human emotions, combined with despair and psychological pressure, can lead to tragic decisions. Although times have changed, the memory of Maria Romberg and her accomplices remains. Her story is not only told in history books, but also remains in the memory of those who understand the fine line between love and obsession, between freedom and captivity, between life and death.