Schleswig-Holstein

Schleswig or Sønderjylland (which is its Danish name) was originally a part of Denmark bordering to Germany and ruled by jarls who usually were members of the Danish royal house. In the 12^thcentury was the title jarl replaced by duke. Several of these jarls/dukes also became Danish kings like Oluf Hunger, Valdemar the Great and Valdemar Sejr. But it was not until 1232 Sønderjylland became a hereditary duchy. Before then was the duke of Sønderjylland more of an governor than a autonomous prince. With the duke Abel became Sønderjylland a Danish fief in the hands of a collateral branch of the royal house who often acted treacherously towards the king and allied them selves with the counts of Holstein. When Abel's line became extinct 1375 was Sønderjylland united with Holstein whereby the state of Schleswig-Holstein was created. Read more about the history of Schleswig-Holstein on this page.

-1086 1119-1131 c. 1150 -1173 1182-1202 1206-1215 1218-1231	Oluf Hunger (probably a jarl, = 1086-1095) Knud Lavard Valdemar den store (the Great, = 1157-1182) Christoph Valdemar Sejr ( = 1202-1241) Valdemar Erik
Abel's Line
1232-1252 1254-1257 1259-1272 1272-1312 1312-1325 1325-1326 1326-1329 1330-1365 1365-1375	Abel Valdemar III Erik I Valdemar IV Erik II
	Valdemar V ( = 1326-1330) Gert (count of Holstein as Gerhard III) Valdemar V (restored) Henrik
Schleswig-Holstein House of Schauenburg
1376-1381 1381-1404 1404-1427 1427-1459	Heinrich der Eiserne and Nikolaus Gerhard VI (recognised as duke 1386) Heinrich III Adolf VIII
House of Oldenburg
1459-1481	Christian I
1481-1513	Hans (S-H-Segeberg)
1481-1533	Friedrich I (S-H-Gottorp)
1513-1546	Christian II (S-H-Segeberg)
1533-1580	Hans (S-H-Haderslev)

The territory of Schleswig-Holstein was 1544 divided between the three co-ruling dukes Christian III, Adolf and Hans (Christian II was incarcerated in a Danish prison since 1531). Formally was Schleswig and Holstein still two separate states in a personal union with the dukes as co-regents. But these duke ruled after 1544 over their own territories except some parts that remained mutual. Hans died 1580 without heirs and his share of Schleswig-Holstein was then divided between the two other dukes whereupon the division of Schleswig-Holstein in a royal and a ducal part that would last until 1721 and 1773 was created. Schleswig-Holstein reunited in the 18^th century when first the ducal part of Schleswig and then the same of Holstein was transferred to the king of Denmark's domains.

Schleswig-Holstein-Glückstadt		Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp
1533-1559 1559-1588 1588-1648	Christian III Friedrich II Christian IV	1533-1586 1586-1587 1587-1590 1590-1616 1616-1659 1659-1675 1675-1679 1679-1684 1684-1689 1689-1694 1694-1702 1702-1739 1739-1762 1762-1773	Adolf Friedrich II Philipp Johann Adolf * Friedrich III Christian Albrecht ** Occupied by Denmark Christian Albrecht (restored) Occupied by Denmark Christian Albrecht (re-restored) Friedrich IV Karl Friedrich
1648-1670 1670-1699 1699-1730	Friedrich III Christian V Friedrich IV
1730-1746 1746-1766 1766-1808 1808-1839	Christian VI Friedrich V Christian VII Friedrich VI
1839-1848	Christian VIII
1848-1863	Friedrich VII
1863-1864	Christian IX		Karl Peter Ulrich Paul ( = 1796-1801)

Schleswig-Holstein is conquered by Prussia and Austria 1864 and becomes a Prussian province which would be transformed into a German part state 1947.

The royal part of Schleswig-Holstein was 1564 partitioned between king Frederik II and his brother Hans the Younger. But because Hans did not receive a share of the government of Schleswig-Holstein was his duchy not a state but rather an appanage to a collateral branch of the Danish royal house. For that reason is this duchy, which was partitioned several times, not recorded here. The last part of that duchy was united with the Danish crown when its duke became king 1863.