Helvig of Schauenburg
Encyclopedia
Helvig of Schauenburg also known as Hedwig of Schauenburg, was a duchess of Schleswig
and a countess of Holstein
from the family of Schauenburg, and ancestor of the Danish Royal houses of Oldenburg
and Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.
She was a daughter of Count Gerhard VI of Holstein-Rendsburg
and his wife Elisabeth of Brunswick
. Her brother was Adolf VIII/I, Count of Holstein/Duke of Schleswig. Through their father, Helvig and Adolf were Cognatic descendants of the King Eric V of Denmark
.
On 18 April 1417 Helvig was married to Prince Balthasar of Mecklenburg, who died of the plague
in 1421. In 1423 she was married to Count Dietrich of Oldenburg
. From her second marriage she had the following issue:
Schleswig
Schleswig or South Jutland is a region covering the area about 60 km north and 70 km south of the border between Germany and Denmark; the territory has been divided between the two countries since 1920, with Northern Schleswig in Denmark and Southern Schleswig in Germany...
and a countess of Holstein
Holstein
Holstein is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany....
from the family of Schauenburg, and ancestor of the Danish Royal houses of Oldenburg
House of Oldenburg
The House of Oldenburg is a North German dynasty and one of Europe's most influential Royal Houses with branches that rule or have ruled in Denmark, Russia, Greece, Norway, Schleswig, Holstein, Oldenburg and Sweden...
and Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.
She was a daughter of Count Gerhard VI of Holstein-Rendsburg
Gerhard VI of Holstein-Rendsburg
Gerhard VI was the Count of Holstein-Rendsburg from 1382.Gerhard VI was born around 1367, the son of Count Henry II from the Rendsburg line of the House of Schauenburg and Ingeburg of Mecklenburg. On 15 September 1386 he was rewarded with the Duchy of Schleswig by King Olav III of Denmark...
and his wife Elisabeth of Brunswick
Elisabeth of Brunswick
Elisabeth of Brunswick and Lunenburg was Duchess consort of Sønderjylland and Schleswig and Countess consort of Holstein-Rendsburg...
. Her brother was Adolf VIII/I, Count of Holstein/Duke of Schleswig. Through their father, Helvig and Adolf were Cognatic descendants of the King Eric V of Denmark
Eric V of Denmark
Eric V "Klipping" was King of Denmark and son of Christopher I. Until 1264 he ruled under the auspices of his mother, the competent Queen Dowager Margaret Sambiria. Between 1261 and 1262, Eric was a prisoner in Holstein following a military defeat...
.
On 18 April 1417 Helvig was married to Prince Balthasar of Mecklenburg, who died of the plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
in 1421. In 1423 she was married to Count Dietrich of Oldenburg
Dietrich of Oldenburg
Derrick or Dietrich of Oldenburg, Latin-based anglicization also Theoderic of Oldenburg , nicknamed Theoderic the Lucky or the Fortunate , was a feudal lord in northern Germany, holding the counties of Delmenhorst and Oldenburg...
. From her second marriage she had the following issue:
- ChristianChristian I of DenmarkChristian I was a Danish monarch, king of Denmark , Norway and Sweden , under the Kalmar Union. In Sweden his short tenure as monarch was preceded by regents, Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna and Erik Axelsson Tott and succeeded by regent Kettil Karlsson Vasa...
(1426–1481), who succeeded his father as Count of Oldenburg and DelmenhorstDelmenhorstDelmenhorst is an urban district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It has a population of 74,500 and is located 10 km/6 miles west of downtown Bremen with which it forms a contiguous urban area, whereas the city of Oldenburg is 25 km/15 miles to the northwest. The city has a total area of 62.36 km²...
. In 1448, partly because of his mother's ancestry, he was elected King of Denmark. He also inherited the counties of SchleswigSchleswigSchleswig or South Jutland is a region covering the area about 60 km north and 70 km south of the border between Germany and Denmark; the territory has been divided between the two countries since 1920, with Northern Schleswig in Denmark and Southern Schleswig in Germany...
and HolsteinHolsteinHolstein is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany....
upon the death of his childless uncle, Adolf VIII. - Maurice (1428–1464); when his elder brother became king, he was given the County of Delmenhorst.
- Gerhard (1430–1500); when his eldest brother had become king, he was given the county of Oldenburg, and from his other brother's heirs he also inherited Delmenhorst in about 1483.
- Adelheid (1425–1475), first married count Ernest III of Hohnstein (died 1454) and then in 1474 Count Gerhard VI of Mansfeld (died 1492).
Ancestry
See also
- Counts of Schauenburg and HolsteinCounts of Schauenburg and HolsteinThe Counts of Schauenburg and Holstein were titles of the Holy Roman Empire. The dynastic family came from Schauenburg near Rinteln on the Weser in Germany...