Christian August of Holstein-Gottorp, Prince of Eutin
Encyclopedia
Holstein-Gottorp
Holstein-Gottorp or Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp is the historiographical name, as well as contemporary shorthand name, for the parts of the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein that were ruled by the dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp. Other parts of the duchies were ruled by the kings of Denmark. The...
.
He was a younger son of Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
Christian Albert was a duke of Holstein-Gottorp and bishop of Lübeck.He was a son of Frederick III, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, and his wife Princess Marie Elisabeth of Saxony. Christian Albertbecame duke when his father died in the Castle Tönning, besieged by the King Christian V of Denmark...
and Princess Frederica Amalia of Denmark, daughter of King Frederick III of Denmark
Frederick III of Denmark
Frederick III was king of Denmark and Norway from 1648 until his death. He instituted absolute monarchy in Denmark and Norway in 1660, confirmed by law in 1665 as the first in western historiography. He was born the second-eldest son of Christian IV of Denmark and Anne Catherine of Brandenburg...
and Norway. Therefore, it was his eldest brother, Frederick IV, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
Frederick IV, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
Duke Frederick IV of Holstein-Gottorp was Duke of Schleswig.He was born in Gottorp as the elder son of Duke Christian Albrecht of Holstein-Gottorp and Princess Frederika Amalia of Denmark...
, who naturally succeeded their father as ruler of the small principality, with Christian August given the tiny fiefdom of Eutin
Eutin
Eutin is the district capital of Eastern Holstein located in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. As of 2005, it had some 17,000 inhabitants....
. Additionally, his family managed to have him elected as the Lutheran bishop of Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
, which at the time entailed a sovereign princely position in the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
.
When his eldest brother died in 1702, leaving only an underage son (Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
Duke Charles Frederick of Holstein-Gottorp was the son of Frederick IV of Holstein-Gottorp and his wife, Hedvig Sophia, daughter of King Charles XI of Sweden...
) as his heir, and his sister-in-law, the regent Hedvig Sophia of Sweden
Hedvig Sophia of Sweden
Princess Hedvig Sophia Augusta of Sweden was a Swedish princess and a Duchess Consort of Holstein-Gottorp, the eldest child of King Charles XI of Sweden, and his spouse Queen Ulrica Eleanor. She was heir presumptive to the Swedish throne until her death and the Regent of the duchy of...
died a few years later, Christian August was installed as administrator (under the superiority of his sister-in-law) and then (after his sister-in-law's death in 1708) full regent of their principality of Holstein-Gottorp, which was severely ravaged by the violence of Great Northern War
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...
.
Prince Christian August married Albertina Frederica of Baden-Durlach
Albertina Frederica of Baden-Durlach
Margravine Albertina Frederica of Baden-Durlach was a German princess. She was the daughter of Frederick VII, Margrave of Baden-Durlach and his wife Duchess Augusta Marie of Holstein-Gottorp. She married Christian August of Holstein-Gottorp, Prince of Eutin.- Biography :In 1726, her husband died,...
(3 July 1682-26 December 1755), on 2 September 1704, with whom he had ten children.
- Hedwig Sophie Auguste of Holstein-Gottorp (9 October 1705-4 October 1764), Abbess of Herford, 1750–1764
- Charles Augustus of Holstein-Gottorp (26 November 1706-31 May 1727)
- Frederica Amalia of Holstein-Gottorp (12 January 1708-19 January 1782), a nun at Quedlinburg
- Anne of Holstein-Gottorp (3 February 1709-2 February 1758); m. William, Duke of Saxe-Gotha
- Adolf Frederick of Eutin (14 May 1710-12 April 1771), became crown princeCrown PrinceA crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
of Sweden in 1743, and then ascended the throne of King of Sweden in 1751. - Frederick August of Eutin (20 September 1711-6 July 1785), received the position of bishop of Lübeck, after Adolf Frederick (who held it until going to Sweden), as well as the fiefdom of Eutin. In 1773, Frederick August received OldenburgOldenburgOldenburg is an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the western part of the state between the cities of Bremen and Groningen, Netherlands, at the Hunte river. It has a population of 160,279 which makes it the fourth biggest city in Lower Saxony after Hanover, Braunschweig...
and Delmenhorst from their young cousin (and future Tsar of Russia), Paul, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, thus adding the state of Oldenburg which would become a Grand Duchy much later. - Joanna Elisabeth (24 October 1712-30 May 1760), became a princess of Anhalt through marriage with Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-ZerbstChristian August, Prince of Anhalt-ZerbstChristian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst was a German prince of the House of Ascania. He was a ruler of the Principality of Anhalt-Dornburg, then, from 1742, a ruler of the entire Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst...
, and mothered Catherine the Great, Empress regnant of Russia. - William Christian of Holstein-Gottorp (20 September 1716-26 June 1719)
- Frederick Conrad of Holstein-Gottorp (12 March 1718-1719)
- George Louis of Holstein-Gottorp (16 March 1719-7 September 1763) father of Peter I, Grand Duke of Oldenburg
Christian August was succeeded by his sons Charles Augustus, who died before factually taking office, and then Adolf Frederick.
11 January 1673–1726