Treaty of Ribe
Encyclopedia
The Treaty of Ribe was a proclamation
at Ribe
made by King Christian I of Denmark
to a number of German
nobles enabling himself to become Count of Holstein
and regain control of Denmark's lost Duchy of Schleswig
(Danish: Sønderjylland, i.e. South Jutland). The most famous line of the proclamation was that the Danish Duchy of Schleswig and the German County of Holstein should now be, in the original Middle Low German
language, Up Ewig Ungedeelt, or "Forever Undivided". This was to assume great importance as the slogan of German nationalists
in the struggles of the 19th century, under completely different circumstances.
.
Regarding the future of Schleswig, the agreement at first seems to be contradictionary in itself; the Danish king became Duke of Schleswig, a Danish fief, in effect becoming his own vassal. This arrangement should be seen as a guarantee against too strong Danish domination in the new union, and a safeguard against e.g. a partitioning of Holstein among Danish nobles.
The most obvious result of this distinction was the exclusion of Schleswig in subsequent Danish laws, although the medieval Danish Code of Jutland (Danish: Jyske Lov) was retained as Schleswig's legal code. Another important, but much later, development was the gradual introduction of German administrators in the duchy resulting in a gradual but permanent Germanification of the southern part of the province. German culture first spread in the cities, most probably as a result of the presence of merchants from the Hanseatic League
. The process was greatly accelerated following the Protestant Reformation
, which introduced German liturgy
in the churches in southern Schleswig - although the vernacular in most of this area was Danish. The major breakthrough of the process of Germanification, however, did not occur until the end of the eighteenth century.
posed a strategic threat to Danish independence. In fact, many historians have seen the construction of the first border fortifications, known as the Danevirke
, as the first proof of the beginning of an independent Danish state. The border was challenged from both sides; Charlemagne
sought to conquer Denmark, and Danish kings supported Saxons
wishing to cast off the Frankish rule. Despite minor wars, a border was relatively quickly established at the River Eider
. This border, which Denmark later considered to be its "natural border" is exemplified in a stone once set in the walls of Rendsburg
, a city on the border between Schleswig and Holstein. The stone had the following inscription: Eidora Terminus Imperii Romani (The Roman Empire ends at the Eider)
ruling as counts of Holstein. The border was also challenged by a number of Danish kings, most notably King Valdemar the Victorious who sought to obtain control of northern Germany.
1214 marked an important step in this process, when the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II
issued a Golden Bull
surrendering all German territories north of the rivers Elbe
and Elde
to Valdemar the Victorious. An action provoking many German nobles. In 1223, the fates were reversed when Count Henry I of Schwerin (a.k.a. Heinrich der Schwarze) abducted Valdemar and his eldest son and imprisoned them in the Waldemarturm of Castle Dannenberg
. Henry demanded that Valdemar should surrender all of his conquests in Germany and instead swear allegiance to the Holy Roman Emperor
. In fact, Emperor Frederick II tried to intervene and arrange Valdemar's release, but he was rebuffed by Count Henry.
Henry's terms were flatly refused by the Danish envoys sent to negotiate the release of their king, and Danish nobles decided to attack Henry. The war ended in 1225 in Danish defeat. Valdemar was now forced to not only surrender his conquests in Germany but also to take an oath not to seek revenge. Henry released him in 1226 and Valdemar immediately appealed to Pope Honorius III
to have his oath declared void, a request granted by the Pope. In 1226, Valdemar returned with an army and attacked the Schauenburgers.
He used the utmost diligence in collecting an army, with which he entered Holstein, and, in the terms of the treaty concluded with his nephew Otto I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
, he was joined by Otto and the troops of Brunswick
. Their united forces formed a very respectable array, and they took and destroyed a number of towns, and had recovered a great part of the Duchy of Holstein, when they were opposed by the Count of Schaumburg, who had been joined by the Duke of Saxony and Gerhard II of Bremen. The two armies were nearly of equal strength, and as both parties were anxious to try the issue of a general battle, they were not long in coming to an engagement. The field chosen for this action, was in the neighborhood of the town of Bornhöved
in Holstein.
On 22 July 1227, the two armies clashed in the Battle of Bornhöved
. The battle was a decisive victory for Count Adolf IV of Holstein
, in part owed to a number of troops from Dithmarschen
who abandoned the Danish army during the battle. In the following peace settlement, Valdemar definitively gave up the hope of ever regaining his former possessions in Germany.
The bankruptcy of Denmark resulted in a rising influence of the King's creditors (mostly German nobles) in all parts of the country. In 1326, King Valdemar III of Denmark
- by many Danish regarded as a usurper - was forced by the nobility of Schleswig and Holstein to sign the Constitutio Valdemaria promising that the Duchy of Schleswig and the Kingdom of Denmark may never be united under the same ruler, a first precursor to the Treaty of Ribe. Schleswig was consequently granted as a fief to Count Gerhard III
of Holstein-Rendsburg, the leader of one of the three lines of the Schauenburger dynasty. By 1327, virtually all strongholds in Denmark had fallen under the control of German noblemen. In 1330, Valdemar III of Denmark
abdicated his untenable kingship and returned to his former position as Duke Valdemar V of Schleswig
). As compensation, Gerhard was awarded the island of Funen
as a fief instead. In 1331 war broke out between Gerhard and the new king, Christopher II
, ending in a German victory. The peace terms were extremely harsh. King Christopher was only left in effective control of the island of Langeland
and was faced with an impossible task of raising 100,000 silver marks to redeem his country. Denmark had effectively been dissolved and the country was left without a king between 1332 and 1340.
began a more than twenty year long struggle to reclaim his father's kingdom. Although eventually succeeding in regaining control of Zealand, Funen
, Jutland
, and the Scanian lands, he failed to obtain control of Schleswig, whose ducal line managed to continue its virtual independence. To gain influence over the province, Valdemar married Helvig, the only daughter of Duke Eric II of Schleswig. In 1372, he again turned his attention to Schleswig and conquered Gram
. In 1373, he conquered Flensburg
. The southern part of Schleswig had been mortgaged to a number of German nobles by Duke Henry of Schleswig (d 1375, a son of the former king Valdemar III of Denmark
), the last duke of that line. The childless, elderly Henry transferred his rights to his kinsman and brother-in-law, King Valdemar IV in 1373. This seemed a clear success for the king, but the German nobles refused to allow him to repay the mortgage and redeem the area in question. In 1374, Valdemar succeeded in buying large tracts of land in the province and was on the verge of starting a campaign to conquer the rest when he died on 24 October 1374. The nobles acted quickly and managed to establish control over the province in 1376. In 1386, Queen Margaret I of Denmark
, the younger daughter of Valdemar IV of Denmark and Helvig of Schleswig, gave Schleswig as a hereditary fief under the Danish crown to Count Gerhard VI of Holstein-Rendsburg
, provided that he swore allegiance to her son King Oluf
. She too was unsuccessful in regaining effective control of the province.
In 1409, Margaret's adopted son and Denmark's future king, Eric of Pomerania forced the Schauenburgers to surrender the city of Flensburg
to him. War broke out in 1410, and Eric conquered the islands of Als and Ærø
. In 1411, the Schauenburgers retook Flensburg, but in 1412 both sides agreed that a German count should settle the dispute, Ulrich I of Mecklenburg-Stargard. Ulrich awarded the city to Denmark, and Queen Margaret
took possession of it. During her stay in Flensburg, she was struck by the plague
and died shortly after. War returned and a new mediation attempt was undertaken in 1416 by the Hanseatic League
. Both sides recognized the League as arbitrators and Denmark pledged the city of Schleswig as security; the Holsteiners the stronghold of Tönning
, but the mediation attempts were in vain. In 1421, the Holsteiners succeeded in regaining the cities of Haderslev
, Schleswig, and Tønder
.
, now wished to settle the issue, a decision strongly opposed by the Schauenburgers. He called upon Louis of Cataneis from Verona
to travel to the disputed province and investigate the case.
A similar process took place in Denmark. The Assemblies
of both Lund
, Ringsted
, and Ribe
all reached the conclusion that Schleswig was governed by Danish laws and formed part of Denmark. The decision made by the Assembly of Ribe on 4 August 1421 is of particular interest, since both the bishops of Ribe and Schleswig, the abbots from the monasteries of Ryd (modern Glücksburg
) and Løgum
as well as councillors from Flensburg
, Aabenraa
, Haderslev
, and Ribe
were all present. The assembly ruled that Schleswig was part of Denmark with the following argument ... the (people) of Southern Jutland use Danish law and have kept it since it was given. Second, all the old rights granted upon the chapels and House of God in Schleswig, Ribe, and Haderslev were given by the kings of the Realm. Thirdly, every man knows where the borders are located, that Denmark and Holstein are separated; even the language in Southern Jutland is Danish to this day.
In 1424, a similar decision was made by Emperor Sigismund who decided that since his envoy had reported that the people of Schleswig spoke Danish, followed Danish customs, and considered themselves to be Danes, the province rightfully belonged to Denmark. Henry IV, Count of Holstein and Duke of Schleswig, strongly protested this verdict and refused to follow it.
War returned in 1425. In 1431, a group of pro-German burghers opened the gates of Flensburg
and a German army took control of the city. In 1432, peace was settled, and Eric
recognised the conquests made by the German nobles.
did however hold a claim to Schleswig, and the separation of Schleswig and Holstein would have meant economic ruin for many members of the Holstein nobility. Moreover, the nobility failed to agree on taking a course. In 1460, King Christian summoned the nobles to Ribe
, and on 2 March 1460, they agreed to elect him as the successor of Count Adolf and new count of Holstein. Their main motivation was to prevent the separation of the two provinces. On 5 March, Christian granted a coronation charter (or Freiheitsbrief) which repeated that Schleswig and Holstein must remain united dat se bliven ewich tosamende ungedelt.
By this action, Christian managed to gain control of the German county of Holstein, but the price was a permanent link between two provinces, one Danish and one German.
and Denmark
. German nationalists, seeking German unification
, cited the Treaty of Ribe and wished to integrate the ethnically mixed Schleswig as well as the all-German Holstein, which had been part of the Holy Roman Empire
and now was part of the German Confederation
, into a new German empire. Danes refused to abandon Schleswig and sought to integrate the duchy into the Danish kingdom. The independence of Holstein, on the other hand, was not questioned. This dispute culminated in two wars, the First War of Schleswig
in 1848–1851 and the Second War of Schleswig
in 1864.
Håndfæstning
Håndfæstning , Håndfestning , Handfeste , were names for documents issued from the 13th to the 17th century in Scandinavia and Germany , e.g. the charters that were signed by Danish and Norwegian kings, and sometimes also by Swedish kings...
at Ribe
Ribe
Ribe , the oldest extant Danish town, is in southwest Jutland and has a population of 8,192 . Until 1 January 2007, it was the seat of both the surrounding municipality, and county...
made by King Christian I of Denmark
Christian I of Denmark
Christian 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...
to a number of German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
nobles enabling himself to become Count of Holstein
Holstein
Holstein is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany....
and regain control of Denmark's lost Duchy of Schleswig
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...
(Danish: Sønderjylland, i.e. South Jutland). The most famous line of the proclamation was that the Danish Duchy of Schleswig and the German County of Holstein should now be, in the original Middle Low German
Middle Low German
Middle Low German is a language that is the descendant of Old Saxon and is the ancestor of modern Low German. It served as the international lingua franca of the Hanseatic League...
language, Up Ewig Ungedeelt, or "Forever Undivided". This was to assume great importance as the slogan of German nationalists
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
in the struggles of the 19th century, under completely different circumstances.
The treaty
The proclamation was issued in 1460 and established that the King of Denmark should also be Duke of Schleswig and Count of Holstein. Another clause gave the nobility the right to revolt should the king break the agreement (a feature of several medieval coronation charters). The agreement was most straightforward regarding the future of the Holstein, since King Christian I merely added the title as count to his existing title. He was forbidden from annexing Holstein to Denmark and Holstein retained its independence and its position as a fief under the Holy Roman EmperorHoly Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
.
Regarding the future of Schleswig, the agreement at first seems to be contradictionary in itself; the Danish king became Duke of Schleswig, a Danish fief, in effect becoming his own vassal. This arrangement should be seen as a guarantee against too strong Danish domination in the new union, and a safeguard against e.g. a partitioning of Holstein among Danish nobles.
The most obvious result of this distinction was the exclusion of Schleswig in subsequent Danish laws, although the medieval Danish Code of Jutland (Danish: Jyske Lov) was retained as Schleswig's legal code. Another important, but much later, development was the gradual introduction of German administrators in the duchy resulting in a gradual but permanent Germanification of the southern part of the province. German culture first spread in the cities, most probably as a result of the presence of merchants from the Hanseatic League
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
. The process was greatly accelerated following the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, which introduced German liturgy
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
in the churches in southern Schleswig - although the vernacular in most of this area was Danish. The major breakthrough of the process of Germanification, however, did not occur until the end of the eighteenth century.
Early history
From the beginning of Danish history, the direct border to the mighty Frankish EmpireFrankish Empire
Francia or Frankia, later also called the Frankish Empire , Frankish Kingdom , Frankish Realm or occasionally Frankland, was the territory inhabited and ruled by the Franks from the 3rd to the 10th century...
posed a strategic threat to Danish independence. In fact, many historians have seen the construction of the first border fortifications, known as the Danevirke
Danevirke
The Danevirke The Danevirke The Danevirke (modern Danish spelling: Dannevirke; in Old Norse Danavirki ; in German Danewerk ; is a system of Danish fortifications in Schleswig-Holstein (Northern Germany). This important linear defensive earthwork was constructed across the neck of the Cimbrian...
, as the first proof of the beginning of an independent Danish state. The border was challenged from both sides; Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
sought to conquer Denmark, and Danish kings supported Saxons
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
wishing to cast off the Frankish rule. Despite minor wars, a border was relatively quickly established at the River Eider
Eider River
The Eider is the longest river of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. The river starts near Bordesholm and reaches the southwestern outskirts of Kiel on the shores of the Baltic Sea, but flows to the west, ending in the North Sea...
. This border, which Denmark later considered to be its "natural border" is exemplified in a stone once set in the walls of Rendsburg
Rendsburg
Rendsburg is a town on the River Eider and the Kiel Canal in the northeastern part of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the capital of the Kreis of Rendsburg-Eckernförde. As of 2006, it had a population of 28,476.-History:...
, a city on the border between Schleswig and Holstein. The stone had the following inscription: Eidora Terminus Imperii Romani (The Roman Empire ends at the Eider)
Valdemar the Victorious
During the early Middle Ages, a number of nobles from Holstein tried to expand their influence across the border into Schleswig. Most notably of these were members of the Schauenburger dynastyCounts 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 as counts of Holstein. The border was also challenged by a number of Danish kings, most notably King Valdemar the Victorious who sought to obtain control of northern Germany.
1214 marked an important step in this process, when the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
issued a Golden Bull
Golden Bull
A Golden Bull or chrysobull was a golden ornament representing a seal , attached to a decree issued by Byzantine Emperors and later by monarchs in Europe during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The term was originally coined for the golden seal itself but came to be applied to the entire decree...
surrendering all German territories north of the rivers Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
and Elde
Elde
The Elde is a river in northern Germany , a right tributary of the Löcknitz. Its total length is 220 km. The Elde originates near Altenhof, south of Malchow. It first flows southeast towards the southern end of Lake Müritz, which it enters at Vipperow. It flows out of the Müritz at its...
to Valdemar the Victorious. An action provoking many German nobles. In 1223, the fates were reversed when Count Henry I of Schwerin (a.k.a. Heinrich der Schwarze) abducted Valdemar and his eldest son and imprisoned them in the Waldemarturm of Castle Dannenberg
Dannenberg
- Places :* Dannenberg , a town in Germany* County of Dannenberg, a medieval fief founded by Henry the Lion- People :* Konrad Dannenberg, German-American engineer* Peter A Dannenberg, Russian general...
. Henry demanded that Valdemar should surrender all of his conquests in Germany and instead swear allegiance to the Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
. In fact, Emperor Frederick II tried to intervene and arrange Valdemar's release, but he was rebuffed by Count Henry.
Henry's terms were flatly refused by the Danish envoys sent to negotiate the release of their king, and Danish nobles decided to attack Henry. The war ended in 1225 in Danish defeat. Valdemar was now forced to not only surrender his conquests in Germany but also to take an oath not to seek revenge. Henry released him in 1226 and Valdemar immediately appealed to Pope Honorius III
Pope Honorius III
Pope Honorius III , previously known as Cencio Savelli, was Pope from 1216 to 1227.-Early work:He was born in Rome as son of Aimerico...
to have his oath declared void, a request granted by the Pope. In 1226, Valdemar returned with an army and attacked the Schauenburgers.
He used the utmost diligence in collecting an army, with which he entered Holstein, and, in the terms of the treaty concluded with his nephew Otto I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Otto I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Otto I of Brunswick-Lüneburg was the first duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg from 1235 until his death. He is called Otto the Child to distinguish him from his uncle, Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor.-Early years:...
, he was joined by Otto and the troops of Brunswick
Brunswick-Lüneburg
The Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , or more properly Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg, was an historical ducal state from the late Middle Ages until the late Early Modern era within the North-Western domains of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, in what is now northern Germany...
. Their united forces formed a very respectable array, and they took and destroyed a number of towns, and had recovered a great part of the Duchy of Holstein, when they were opposed by the Count of Schaumburg, who had been joined by the Duke of Saxony and Gerhard II of Bremen. The two armies were nearly of equal strength, and as both parties were anxious to try the issue of a general battle, they were not long in coming to an engagement. The field chosen for this action, was in the neighborhood of the town of Bornhöved
Bornhöved
Bornhöved is a municipality in the district of Segeberg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approx. 15 km east of Neumünster.Bornhöved is part of the Amt Bornhöved....
in Holstein.
On 22 July 1227, the two armies clashed in the Battle of Bornhöved
Battle of Bornhöved (1227)
The Battle of Bornhöved took place on 22 July 1227 near Bornhöved in Holstein. Count Adolf IV of Schauenburg and Holstein — leading an army consisting of troops from the cities of Lübeck and Hamburg, about 1000 Dithmarsians and combined troops of Holstein next to various north German nobles —...
. The battle was a decisive victory for Count Adolf IV of Holstein
Adolf IV of Holstein
Adolf IV , was a Count of Schauenburg and of Holstein , of the family of the Schauenburger. Adolf was the eldest son of Adolf III of Schauenburg and Holstein by his second wife, Adelheid of Querfurt....
, in part owed to a number of troops from Dithmarschen
Dithmarschen
Dithmarschen is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Nordfriesland, Schleswig-Flensburg, Rendsburg-Eckernförde, and Steinburg, by the state of Lower Saxony , and by the North Sea.-Geography:The district is located on the North Sea...
who abandoned the Danish army during the battle. In the following peace settlement, Valdemar definitively gave up the hope of ever regaining his former possessions in Germany.
Denmark is dissolved
The next major turn of events took place in the early fourteenth century, as a result of the bankruptcy of the Danish state. This century saw Schleswig being dominated by a more German-born or -speaking nobility. These local lords sought to keep Schleswig independent of the king and to forge close ties to the German Holstein. This pursuit of autonomy would have effects for centuries to come.The bankruptcy of Denmark resulted in a rising influence of the King's creditors (mostly German nobles) in all parts of the country. In 1326, King Valdemar III of Denmark
Valdemar III of Denmark
Valdemar III of Denmark was a king of Denmark from 1326 to 1329 briefly when underage, as well as in 1325–26 and from 1330 to 1364 Duke of Schleswig as Valdemar V. He was a rival king set up against the unsuccessful Christopher II and was widely opposed by his many subjects. His term was ended...
- by many Danish regarded as a usurper - was forced by the nobility of Schleswig and Holstein to sign the Constitutio Valdemaria promising that the Duchy of Schleswig and the Kingdom of Denmark may never be united under the same ruler, a first precursor to the Treaty of Ribe. Schleswig was consequently granted as a fief to Count Gerhard III
Gerhard III
Gerhard III of Holstein . Sometimes called “Gerhard the Great”. In Denmark also known as “Count Gert” or “den kullede greve” . A German prince who was the ruler of most part of Denmark during the Interregnum 1332–1340.His father was Henry I of Schauenburg and Holstein-Rendsburg...
of Holstein-Rendsburg, the leader of one of the three lines of the Schauenburger dynasty. By 1327, virtually all strongholds in Denmark had fallen under the control of German noblemen. In 1330, Valdemar III of Denmark
Valdemar III of Denmark
Valdemar III of Denmark was a king of Denmark from 1326 to 1329 briefly when underage, as well as in 1325–26 and from 1330 to 1364 Duke of Schleswig as Valdemar V. He was a rival king set up against the unsuccessful Christopher II and was widely opposed by his many subjects. His term was ended...
abdicated his untenable kingship and returned to his former position as Duke Valdemar V of Schleswig
Valdemar III of Denmark
Valdemar III of Denmark was a king of Denmark from 1326 to 1329 briefly when underage, as well as in 1325–26 and from 1330 to 1364 Duke of Schleswig as Valdemar V. He was a rival king set up against the unsuccessful Christopher II and was widely opposed by his many subjects. His term was ended...
). As compensation, Gerhard was awarded the island of 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...
as a fief instead. In 1331 war broke out between Gerhard and the new king, Christopher II
Christopher II of Denmark
Christopher II was king of Denmark from 1320 to 1326 and again from 1329 until his death. He was son of Eric V. His name is connected with national disaster, as his rule ended in an almost total dissolution of the Danish state.-Biography:Being the brother of King Eric VI, Christopher was a...
, ending in a German victory. The peace terms were extremely harsh. King Christopher was only left in effective control of the island of Langeland
Langeland
Langeland is a Danish island located between the Great Belt and Bay of Kiel. The island measures 285 km² and, as of 1 January 2010, has a population of 13,277. The island produces grain and is known as a recreational area. A bridge connects it to Tåsinge via Siø - a small island with a...
and was faced with an impossible task of raising 100,000 silver marks to redeem his country. Denmark had effectively been dissolved and the country was left without a king between 1332 and 1340.
Valdemar IV regains Denmark
In 1340, King Valdemar IV of DenmarkValdemar IV of Denmark
Valdemar IV of Denmark or Waldemar ; , was King of Denmark from 1340 to 1375.-Ascension to the throne:...
began a more than twenty year long struggle to reclaim his father's kingdom. Although eventually succeeding in regaining control of Zealand, 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...
, Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
, and the Scanian lands, he failed to obtain control of Schleswig, whose ducal line managed to continue its virtual independence. To gain influence over the province, Valdemar married Helvig, the only daughter of Duke Eric II of Schleswig. In 1372, he again turned his attention to Schleswig and conquered Gram
Gram
The gram is a metric system unit of mass....
. In 1373, he conquered Flensburg
Flensburg
Flensburg is an independent town in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the region of Southern Schleswig...
. The southern part of Schleswig had been mortgaged to a number of German nobles by Duke Henry of Schleswig (d 1375, a son of the former king Valdemar III of Denmark
Valdemar III of Denmark
Valdemar III of Denmark was a king of Denmark from 1326 to 1329 briefly when underage, as well as in 1325–26 and from 1330 to 1364 Duke of Schleswig as Valdemar V. He was a rival king set up against the unsuccessful Christopher II and was widely opposed by his many subjects. His term was ended...
), the last duke of that line. The childless, elderly Henry transferred his rights to his kinsman and brother-in-law, King Valdemar IV in 1373. This seemed a clear success for the king, but the German nobles refused to allow him to repay the mortgage and redeem the area in question. In 1374, Valdemar succeeded in buying large tracts of land in the province and was on the verge of starting a campaign to conquer the rest when he died on 24 October 1374. The nobles acted quickly and managed to establish control over the province in 1376. In 1386, Queen Margaret I of Denmark
Margaret I of Denmark
Margaret I was Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden and founder of the Kalmar Union, which united the Scandinavian countries for over a century. Although she acted as queen regnant, the laws of contemporary Danish succession denied her formal queenship. Her title in Denmark was derived from her...
, the younger daughter of Valdemar IV of Denmark and Helvig of Schleswig, gave Schleswig as a hereditary fief under the Danish crown to 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...
, provided that he swore allegiance to her son King Oluf
Olav IV of Norway
Olaf II Haakonsson was king of Denmark as Olaf II and king of Norway as Olaf IV . Olaf was son of King Haakon VI of Norway and the grandson of King Magnus IV of Sweden. His mother was Queen Margaret I of Denmark which made him the grandson of King Valdemar IV of Denmark...
. She too was unsuccessful in regaining effective control of the province.
In 1409, Margaret's adopted son and Denmark's future king, Eric of Pomerania forced the Schauenburgers to surrender the city of Flensburg
Flensburg
Flensburg is an independent town in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the region of Southern Schleswig...
to him. War broke out in 1410, and Eric conquered the islands of Als and Ærø
Ærø
Ærø is one of the Danish Baltic Sea islands, and part of Region of Southern Denmark. The western portion of the island was the municipality of Ærøskøbing; the eastern portion of the island was the municipality of Marstal...
. In 1411, the Schauenburgers retook Flensburg, but in 1412 both sides agreed that a German count should settle the dispute, Ulrich I of Mecklenburg-Stargard. Ulrich awarded the city to Denmark, and Queen Margaret
Margaret I of Denmark
Margaret I was Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden and founder of the Kalmar Union, which united the Scandinavian countries for over a century. Although she acted as queen regnant, the laws of contemporary Danish succession denied her formal queenship. Her title in Denmark was derived from her...
took possession of it. During her stay in Flensburg, she was struck by 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...
and died shortly after. War returned and a new mediation attempt was undertaken in 1416 by the Hanseatic League
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
. Both sides recognized the League as arbitrators and Denmark pledged the city of Schleswig as security; the Holsteiners the stronghold of Tönning
Tönning
Tönning is a town in the district of Nordfriesland in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. During the Great Northern War, Tönning was besieged twice.-Geography:...
, but the mediation attempts were in vain. In 1421, the Holsteiners succeeded in regaining the cities of Haderslev
Haderslev
Haderslev is a town and municipality on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula in south Denmark. Also included is the island of Årø as well as several other smaller islands in the Little Belt. The municipality covers and has a population of 56,414 . Its mayor is Jens Christian Gjesing,...
, Schleswig, and Tønder
Tønder
Tønder is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark on the Jutland peninsula in south Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 1,278 km², and has a total population of 40,367...
.
The Emperor's verdict
In 1422, both sides recognized Duke Henry X of Silesia (also known as duke Heinrich Rumpold), envoy of the Holy Roman Emperor, as arbitrator. He managed to persuade the Schauenburgers to call off a planned attack on Flensburg, but died on 18 January 1423 before reaching a verdict. His master, Emperor SigismundSigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
, now wished to settle the issue, a decision strongly opposed by the Schauenburgers. He called upon Louis of Cataneis from Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
to travel to the disputed province and investigate the case.
A similar process took place in Denmark. The Assemblies
Thing (assembly)
A thing was the governing assembly in Germanic and introduced into some Celtic societies, made up of the free people of the community and presided by lawspeakers, meeting in a place called a thingstead...
of both Lund
Lund
-Main sights:During the 12th and 13th centuries, when the town was the seat of the archbishop, many churches and monasteries were built. At its peak, Lund had 27 churches, but most of them were demolished as result of the Reformation in 1536. Several medieval buildings remain, including Lund...
, Ringsted
Ringsted
Ringsted, a city in Ringsted municipality, is in the middle of the Danish island of Zealand. The municipal population is about 31,000 and the city population is 21,151 .Ringsted is approximately 60 km from Copenhagen.-Modern hotspot:...
, and Ribe
Ribe
Ribe , the oldest extant Danish town, is in southwest Jutland and has a population of 8,192 . Until 1 January 2007, it was the seat of both the surrounding municipality, and county...
all reached the conclusion that Schleswig was governed by Danish laws and formed part of Denmark. The decision made by the Assembly of Ribe on 4 August 1421 is of particular interest, since both the bishops of Ribe and Schleswig, the abbots from the monasteries of Ryd (modern Glücksburg
Glücksburg
Glücksburg is a small town in the district Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.It is situated on the south side of the Flensburg Fjord, an inlet of the Baltic Sea, approx. 10 km northeast of Flensburg...
) and Løgum
Løgumkloster
Løgumkloster , is a town in Tønder municipality in Region of Southern Denmark on the Jutland peninsula in south Denmark with a population of 3,618...
as well as councillors from Flensburg
Flensburg
Flensburg is an independent town in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the region of Southern Schleswig...
, Aabenraa
Aabenraa Municipality
Aabenraa Municipality or Åbenrå Municipality is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark in south-western Denmark. It has existed in its current form since 1 January 2007 following a merger of several smaller municipalities. The municipality has an area of 951 km² and a total population...
, Haderslev
Haderslev
Haderslev is a town and municipality on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula in south Denmark. Also included is the island of Årø as well as several other smaller islands in the Little Belt. The municipality covers and has a population of 56,414 . Its mayor is Jens Christian Gjesing,...
, and Ribe
Ribe
Ribe , the oldest extant Danish town, is in southwest Jutland and has a population of 8,192 . Until 1 January 2007, it was the seat of both the surrounding municipality, and county...
were all present. The assembly ruled that Schleswig was part of Denmark with the following argument ... the (people) of Southern Jutland use Danish law and have kept it since it was given. Second, all the old rights granted upon the chapels and House of God in Schleswig, Ribe, and Haderslev were given by the kings of the Realm. Thirdly, every man knows where the borders are located, that Denmark and Holstein are separated; even the language in Southern Jutland is Danish to this day.
In 1424, a similar decision was made by Emperor Sigismund who decided that since his envoy had reported that the people of Schleswig spoke Danish, followed Danish customs, and considered themselves to be Danes, the province rightfully belonged to Denmark. Henry IV, Count of Holstein and Duke of Schleswig, strongly protested this verdict and refused to follow it.
War returned in 1425. In 1431, a group of pro-German burghers opened the gates of Flensburg
Flensburg
Flensburg is an independent town in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the region of Southern Schleswig...
and a German army took control of the city. In 1432, peace was settled, and Eric
Eric of Pomerania
Eric of Pomerania KG was King Eric III of Norway Norwegian Eirik, King Eric VII of Denmark , and as Eric King of Sweden...
recognised the conquests made by the German nobles.
Adolf VIII dies
In 1439, the new Danish king Christopher III (a.k.a. Christopher of Bavaria) acquired the loyalty of Count Adolf VIII of Holstein by granting him the entire Duchy of Schleswig as a hereditary fief but under the Danish crown. In 1459, Adolf died without leaving an heir and no other count could produce claims to both the Duchy of Schleswig and the County of Holstein. King Christian I of DenmarkChristian I of Denmark
Christian 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...
did however hold a claim to Schleswig, and the separation of Schleswig and Holstein would have meant economic ruin for many members of the Holstein nobility. Moreover, the nobility failed to agree on taking a course. In 1460, King Christian summoned the nobles to Ribe
Ribe
Ribe , the oldest extant Danish town, is in southwest Jutland and has a population of 8,192 . Until 1 January 2007, it was the seat of both the surrounding municipality, and county...
, and on 2 March 1460, they agreed to elect him as the successor of Count Adolf and new count of Holstein. Their main motivation was to prevent the separation of the two provinces. On 5 March, Christian granted a coronation charter (or Freiheitsbrief) which repeated that Schleswig and Holstein must remain united dat se bliven ewich tosamende ungedelt.
By this action, Christian managed to gain control of the German county of Holstein, but the price was a permanent link between two provinces, one Danish and one German.
19th century nationalism and the Treaty of Ribe
The proclamation later played an important role in the nineteenth century during the nationalist awakening in both GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Denmark
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...
. German nationalists, seeking German unification
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
, cited the Treaty of Ribe and wished to integrate the ethnically mixed Schleswig as well as the all-German Holstein, which had been part of 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...
and now was part of the German Confederation
German Confederation
The German Confederation was the loose association of Central European states created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to coordinate the economies of separate German-speaking countries. It acted as a buffer between the powerful states of Austria and Prussia...
, into a new German empire. Danes refused to abandon Schleswig and sought to integrate the duchy into the Danish kingdom. The independence of Holstein, on the other hand, was not questioned. This dispute culminated in two wars, the First War of Schleswig
First War of Schleswig
The First Schleswig War or Three Years' War was the first round of military conflict in southern Denmark and northern Germany rooted in the Schleswig-Holstein Question, contesting the issue of who should control the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. The war, which lasted from 1848–1851,...
in 1848–1851 and the Second War of Schleswig
Second War of Schleswig
The Second Schleswig War was the second military conflict as a result of the Schleswig-Holstein Question. It began on 1 February 1864, when Prussian forces crossed the border into Schleswig.Denmark fought Prussia and Austria...
in 1864.
See also
- History of Schleswig-HolsteinHistory of Schleswig-HolsteinThe Jutland Peninsula is a long peninsula in Northern Europe, and the current Schleswig-Holstein is its southern part. Schleswig is also called Southern Jutland...
- List of treaties
- Schleswig-Holstein QuestionSchleswig-Holstein QuestionThe Schleswig-Holstein Question was a complex of diplomatic and other issues arising in the 19th century from the relations of two duchies, Schleswig and Holstein , to the Danish crown and to the German Confederation....
Further reading
- Sir Andrew HallidayAndrew HallidayAndrew Halliday [formerly Andrew Halliday Duff] was a Scottish journalist and dramatist.He was educated at Marischal College, Aberdeen, and in 1849 he went to London, and discarding the name of Duff, devoted himself to literature...
Annals of the House of Hannover, v.2, London, 1826. http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0543916448&id=qoWVC1UTyaIC&dq=Annals+of+the+House+of+Hannover