The Second Älvsborg Ransom (Swedish: Älvsborgs Andra Lösen) was an indemnity, stipulated in the 1613 Treaty of Knäred, which ended the Kalmar War. During the war the Danes had occupied the vital border fortress of Älvsborg Castle (near modern Gothenburg, Sweden), and the Swedes were required to pay the ransom in order to redeem the castle. According to the treaty, the ransom was one million silver rixdollars. The ransom would be financed by a nationwide tax, which would be paid during each of the six years 1613–1618 by the entire population of Sweden. The Danes not only held Älvsborg Castle as a collateral for the ransom, but also the towns of New Lödöse, Old Lödöse and Gothenburg, as well as seven hundreds of Västergötland. Yet, since the return of Älvsborg was uppermost in the mind of th