Counts of Holstein

The county of Holstein was during its entire existence a part of the duchy of Saxony with the duke of of Sachsen-Lauenburg as its subordinate 1260-1640. Despite of that fact the counts of Holstein played a significant roll in the history of Scandinavia during the middle age, and they fought successfully against the Danish kings over the control over Schleswig. But in 1459 was the larger part of Holstein united with Denmark and was thereafter a part of the new state Schleswig-Holstein. The Danish king's part of Holstein was elevated to a duchy 1474 and thereby freed from Sachsen-Lauenburg's supremacy. The remaining part of the county of Holstein was united with the Danish monarchy when its last count died 1640.

1106-1110	Gottfried
House of Schauenburg
1110-1131 1131-1164 1164-1225 1201-1225 1225-1239 1239-1290 1239-1263 1263-1308 1263-1316	Adolf I Adolf II Adolf III Albrecht von Orlamünde (Danish rule) Adolf IV Gerhard I (Itzehoe) Johann I (Kiel) Adolf V (Segeberg) Johann II (Kiel)
Gerhard I's share of Holstein is partitioned between his three sons 1290 and form the three lines below. The others shares are united with Holstein-Plön 1316. Holstein-Plön Line
1290-1312 1312-1359 1312-1323 1323-1350 1359-1390 1390	Gerhard II Johann III (Kiel) Gerhard IV (Segeberg) Gerhard V (Segeberg) Adolf VII (Kiel) United with Holstein-Rendsburg
Holstein-Rendsburg Line
1290-1304	Heinrich I
1304-1340	Gerhard III (the Great)
1340-1381	Heinrich II
1340-1397	Nikolaus
1381-1404	Gerhard VI
1381-1403	Albrecht
1404-1427	Heinrich III
1427-1433	Gerhard VII
1427-1459	Adolf VIII
Holstein-Rendsburg elects the Danish king Christian I to their new count, thereafter is its history identical with Schleswig-Holstein Holstein-Pinneberg and Schauenburg Line
1290-1315 1315-1353 1353-1370 1353-1404 1353-1360 1404-1426 1426-1464 1464-1474 1464-1485 1464-1510 1464-1527 1464-1526 1526-1533 1533-1544 1533-1576 1533-1560 1533-1581 1576-1601 1581-1593 1581-1616 1601-1622 1622-1635 1635-1640	Adolf VI Adolf VII Adolf VIII Otto I Simon Adolf X Otto II Adolf XI Erich Otto III Johann I Anton Jobst I Adolf XII (Pinneberg) * Otto IV (Schauenburg & Pinneberg) ** Johann II (Bückeburg) Jobst II (Schauenburg och Gehmen) Adolf XIII Heinrich (Schauenburg och Gehmen) Georg Hermann Ernst Jobst Hermann Otto V

When the house of Schauenburg became extinct 1640 were their territories distributed so that Schauenburg was given to Lippe and Hessen-Kassel, Gehmen was given Limburg-Styrum and Denmark received Pinneberg.