Johan of Plön
Encyclopedia
John III of Holstein-Plön (ca. 1297–1359), called John the Mild, was a Count of Schauenburg and Holstein-Plön and Holstein-Kiel
, ruling Holstein-Plön (1312–1316 and again 1350–1359) and Holstein-Kiel (1316–1359). Together with Count Gerhard III of Holstein-Rendsburg John III was the lord ruling in guardianship the Danish
Duchy of Schleswig 1332–1340. He was known as “John the Mild”.
He was the son of Count Gerhard II the Blind of Holstein
-Plön
and of the Danish Queen Dowager Agnes of Brandenburg
, a fact that made him a half-brother of Eric VI
and Christopher II. In 1312 John and his brother Gerhard IV succeeded their father as co-ruling counts of Holstein-Plön. In 1316 John III inherited Holstein-Kiel from his father's cousin John II the One-Eyed and thus left Holstein-Plön for his brother Gerhard IV as sole ruler. A wealthy man by inheritance John very early acted as a powerful local prince funding Danish warfare and co-operating with his cousin Gerhard III.
His financial support of the Danish kings quickly made him one of their leading creditors with his chief possession in Funen
. During the rebellion against Christopher II 1326 John supported Gerhard III and the Danish magnates and enlarged his Danish possessions. The growing rivalry between John III and Gerhard III led him to support the restoration Christopher as a king 1330 but the co-operation between the two half-brothers in 1331 against Gerhard III ended in a defeat. John politically survived this setback but had to accept Gerhard III as his superior.
From 1332 to 1340 John was the master of Denmark east of the Great Belt
. However by 1332 he lost Scania
which rebelled against the German rule submitting to the Swedish king. Though a kind of a co-ruler with Gerhard III, John did not play a very great political role and preferred to concentrate on his economic profit – like Gerhard III he was pestered by his own minor creditors. After Gerhard III's death and the collapse of Holstein-Rendsburg's rule 1340 John at first co-operated with King Valdemar IV in order to get his money back but during the following years he was slowly but surely outmaneuvered from his Danish possessions by war and by economic transactions.
In 1350 his nephew, Gerhard V, Count of Holstein-Plön, bequeathed Holstein-Plön to John. At his death he ruled his German possessions of Holstein-Plön and Holstein-Kiel, then inherited by his son Adolphus.
In Danish tradition John is overshadowed by Gerhard III as a Holstein ruler in Denmark. In fact not much is known about John’s character but he seems to have been a clever diplomat whose ambitions owing to circumstances were gradually limited to economic demands.
and Henry III, Duke of Silesia-Glogau
. Catherine and John had the following children:
In second marriage his spouse was Merislawa of Schwerin-Wittenburg, daughter of Nicholas I, Count of Schwerin-Wittenburg.
Counts of Schauenburg and Holstein
The 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...
, ruling Holstein-Plön (1312–1316 and again 1350–1359) and Holstein-Kiel (1316–1359). Together with Count Gerhard III of Holstein-Rendsburg John III was the lord ruling in guardianship the Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Duchy of Schleswig 1332–1340. He was known as “John the Mild”.
He was the son of Count Gerhard II the Blind of Holstein
Holstein
Holstein is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany....
-Plön
Plön
Plön is the district seat of the Plön district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and has about 13,000 inhabitants. It lies right on the shores of Schleswig-Holstein's biggest lake, the Great Plön Lake, as well as on several smaller lakes, touching the town on virtually all sides...
and of the Danish Queen Dowager Agnes of Brandenburg
Agnes of Brandenburg
Agnes of Brandenburg was a Danish Queen consort, spouse of King Eric V of Denmark. As a widow, she served as the regent of Denmark for her son Eric during his minority from 1286 until 1293.- Biography :...
, a fact that made him a half-brother of Eric VI
Eric VI of Denmark
Eric VI Menved was King of Denmark and a son of Eric V and Agnes of Brandenburg.He became king in 1286 at age 12, when his father was murdered 20 November by unknown assailants...
and Christopher II. In 1312 John and his brother Gerhard IV succeeded their father as co-ruling counts of Holstein-Plön. In 1316 John III inherited Holstein-Kiel from his father's cousin John II the One-Eyed and thus left Holstein-Plön for his brother Gerhard IV as sole ruler. A wealthy man by inheritance John very early acted as a powerful local prince funding Danish warfare and co-operating with his cousin Gerhard III.
His financial support of the Danish kings quickly made him one of their leading creditors with his chief possession in Funen
Funen
Funen , with a size of 2,984 km² , is the third-largest island of Denmark following Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy, and the 163rd largest island of the world. Funen is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 454,358 inhabitants . The main city is Odense, connected to the...
. During the rebellion against Christopher II 1326 John supported Gerhard III and the Danish magnates and enlarged his Danish possessions. The growing rivalry between John III and Gerhard III led him to support the restoration Christopher as a king 1330 but the co-operation between the two half-brothers in 1331 against Gerhard III ended in a defeat. John politically survived this setback but had to accept Gerhard III as his superior.
From 1332 to 1340 John was the master of Denmark east of the Great Belt
Great Belt
The Great Belt is a strait between the main Danish islands of Zealand and Funen . Effectively dividing Denmark in two, the Belt was served by the Great Belt ferries from the late 19th century until the islands were connected by the Great Belt Fixed Link in 1997–98.-Geography:The Great Belt is the...
. However by 1332 he lost Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
which rebelled against the German rule submitting to the Swedish king. Though a kind of a co-ruler with Gerhard III, John did not play a very great political role and preferred to concentrate on his economic profit – like Gerhard III he was pestered by his own minor creditors. After Gerhard III's death and the collapse of Holstein-Rendsburg's rule 1340 John at first co-operated with King Valdemar IV in order to get his money back but during the following years he was slowly but surely outmaneuvered from his Danish possessions by war and by economic transactions.
In 1350 his nephew, Gerhard V, Count of Holstein-Plön, bequeathed Holstein-Plön to John. At his death he ruled his German possessions of Holstein-Plön and Holstein-Kiel, then inherited by his son Adolphus.
In Danish tradition John is overshadowed by Gerhard III as a Holstein ruler in Denmark. In fact not much is known about John’s character but he seems to have been a clever diplomat whose ambitions owing to circumstances were gradually limited to economic demands.
Marriage and issue
John III married on 27 January 1319 Catherine (c. 1300-1323), widow of John V, Margrave of Brandenburg-Salzwedel and daughter of Matilda of Brunswick and Lunenburg (Wolfenbüttel)Matilda of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Matilda of Brunswick-Lüneburg was a German princess, member of the House of Welf and by marriage Duchess of Glogów, Ścinawa, etc....
and Henry III, Duke of Silesia-Glogau
Henry III, Duke of Silesia-Glogau
Henry III of Głogów was a Duke of Głogów from 1274 to his death and also Duke of parts of Greater Poland during 1306–1309....
. Catherine and John had the following children:
- Adolphus of Schauenburg and Holstein-Plön (d. 1390)
- Agnes of Schauenburg and Holstein-PlönAgnes of HolsteinAgnes of Holstein was a Countess of Holstein-Kiel by birth and by marriage a Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg. She was the daughter of Count John III of Holstein-Plön and Catherine Agnes of Holstein (died: 1386) was a Countess of Holstein-Kiel by birth and by marriage a Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg. She...
(d. 1386) married Duke Eric II of Saxe-Lauenburg in 1342 or 1349. - Matilda (Mechthild) of Schauenburg and Holstein-Plön married (after 1341) Nicholas III, Lord of Werle-Güstrow, Prince of Wenden
- Elisabeth of Schauenburg and Holstein-Plön married in 1341 Bernard II, Lord of Werle-Waren, brother of Nicholas III.
In second marriage his spouse was Merislawa of Schwerin-Wittenburg, daughter of Nicholas I, Count of Schwerin-Wittenburg.