Catharina Stopia


Catharina Stopia, was the first female diplomat in Sweden, and Sweden's first ambassador to Russia during her tenure in the office 1632-1634.
Her father was the city doctor of Riga, Zacharias Stopius. Catharina Stopia married in 1620 to Johan Möller, who was ennobled Liljenhagen and credited as ambassador of Sweden to Russia in 1630. Stopia, accompanied him to his office in Moscow.
When Johan Möller died in 1632, Catharina Stopia was officially credited by the riksråd to continue with the work of her late spouse and fill the position of his office as ambassador. During her tenure, she successfully completed a negotiation regarding the trade relations between Sweden and Russia. However, she later experienced serious difficulties, and her estate was attacked and burnt down. In 1634, she was forced to flee to Sweden.
Catharina Stopia remarried the colonel lieutenant Christoffer Jagow in circa 1637. She is last mentioned on 2 April 1657.