Duke of Schleswig

See also: List of countesses and duchesses of Schleswig

The following is a list of jarls and dukes, who ruled over Schleswig respectively Southern Jutland (Sønderjylland).

## First jarls/dukes[edit]

### House of Estridsen (1080–1375)[edit]

Ruler | Born | Reign | Ruling part | Consort | Death | Notes

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Olaf I Hunger |  | c.1050
Son of Sweyn II of Denmark | 1080 – 18 August 1095 | Duchy of Schleswig | Ingegerd of Norway
c.1070
one child  | 18 August 1095
aged 44-45 | Jarl (earl) of Jutland, since 1086 king of Denmark.
Direct rule by Denmark (1095-1115)
Canute I Lavard |  | 12 March 1096
Son of Eric I of Denmark and Boedil Thurgotsdatter | 1115 – 7 January 1131 | Duchy of Schleswig | Ingeborg of Kiev
1116
four children  | 7 January 1131
Ringsted
aged 34 | Titled dux Daciae[1] (i.e. Duke of Denmark)
Magnus I |  | c.1106
First son of Prince Henry of Denmark and Ingrid Ragnvaldsdotter | 7 January 1131 – 4 June 1134 | Duchy of Schleswig | Richeza of Poland
c.1127
two children  | 4 June 1134
Battle of Fotevik
aged 27-28 | Also King of Sweden.
Direct rule by Denmark (1134-1150)
Valdemar I |  | 14 January 1131
Schleswig
Son of Canute I Lavard and Ingeborg of Kiev | 1150–1157

1173 – 12 May 1182[2] | Duchy of Schleswig | Sophia of Minsk
c.1144
Viborg Cathedral
eight children  | 12 May 1182
Vordingborg
aged 51 | At least between 1152 and 1154, he was titled dux Daciae[3] (i.e. Duke of Denmark), possibly referring to exclusive possession of the duchy of Schleswig, opposing to the shared dominion in Denmark.
Canute II |  | c.1110
Third son of Prince Henry of Denmark and Ingrid Ragnvaldsdotter | 1157 – 12 March 1162 | Duchy of Schleswig | Unmarried | 12 March 1162
aged 51-52 |
Boris |  | c.1110
Fourth son of Prince Henry of Denmark and Ingrid Ragnvaldsdotter | 12 March 1162 – 1167 | Duchy of Schleswig | 1167
aged 56-57 |
Christopher |  | 1150
Illegitimate son of Valdemar I | 1167 – 1173 | Duchy of Schleswig | Unmarried | 1173
aged 22-23 |
Direct rule by Denmark (1173-1183)
Valdemar II the Victorious |  | 9 May 1170
Ribe
Son of Valdemar I and Sophia of Minsk | 1183–1232  | Duchy of Schleswig | Dagmar of Bohemia
1205
one son

Berengaria of Portugal
1214
four children  | 28 March 1241
Vordingborg
aged 70 | Titled dux slesvicensis[4] (i.e. Sleswickian duke), represented by the regent Bishop Valdemar Knudsen (1182–1193), Valdemar II became Danish king in 1202. He associated his elder children to the government.
Valdemar (III) the Young |  | c.1209
Son of Valdemar II and Dagmar of Bohemia | 1209–1218 | Eleanor of Portugal
24 June 1229
Ribe Cathedral
one child  | 28 November 1231
Refsnæs, near Kalundborg
aged 21-22
Eric (I) Ploughpenny |  | c.1216
First son of Valdemar II and Berengaria of Portugal | 1218–1232 | Jutta of Saxony
17 November 1239
six children  | 9 August 1250
near Gottorf Castle
aged 33-34
Abel |  | c.1218
Second son of Valdemar II and Berengaria of Portugal | 1232 – 29 June 1252 | Duchy of Schleswig | Matilda of Holstein
25 April 1237
Schleswig Cathedral
four children  | 29 June 1252
Eiderstedt
aged 33-34 | Supported by the counts of Holstein, he became the first ruler of what can be considered a semi-independent Schleswig. Also king of Denmark from 1250.
Valdemar III |  | c.1238
First son of Abel and Matilda of Holstein | 29 June 1252 – 1257 | Duchy of Schleswig | Unmarried | c.1257
aged 18-19 |
Eric I |  | c.1242
Second son of Abel and Matilda of Holstein | 1257[5] – 27 May 1272 | Duchy of Schleswig | Margaret of Rugen
1259 or 1260
three children  | 27 May 1272
aged 29-30 | Brothers of Valdemar III, divided their inheritance.
Abel |  | 1252
Third son of Abel and Matilda of Holstein | 1257 – 2 April 1279 | Duchy of Schleswig
(at Langeland) | A daughter of Gunzelin III, Count of Schwerin
no children  | 2 April 1279
aged 26-27
Langeland reabsorbed in Schleswig
Valdemar IV |  | c.1265
First son of Eric I and Margaret of Rugen | 27 May 1272[6] – 7 July 1312 | Duchy of Schleswig | Elisabeth of Saxe-Lauenburg
1287
one child

Anastasia of Schwerin
1306
no children  | 7 July 1312
aged 46-47 | Children of Eric I, divided their inheritance in 1293.
Eric Long-Legs |  | 1272
Second son of Eric I and Margaret of Rugen | 1293 – 1310 | Duchy of Schleswig
(at Langeland) | Sophia of Querfurt-Rosenberg
no children  | 1310
aged 37-38
Langeland reabsorbed in Schleswig
Eric II |  | c.1290
Son of Valdemar IV and Elisabeth of Saxe-Lauenburg | 7 July 1312 – 12 March 1325 | Duchy of Schleswig | Adelaide of Holstein-Rendsburg
1313
two children  | 12 March 1325
aged 34-35 |
Regency of Gerhard III, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg (1325-1326) | Under regency of their uncle, divided their inheritance. In 1326, Valdemar became king of Denmark, while his regent maed himself the Duke of Schleswig. In 1330 Valdemar returned to his position as Duke. In 1340 Haelwig married the King of Denmark.
Valdemar V |  | c.1314
Son of Eric II and Adelaide of Holstein-Rendsburg | 12 March 1325 – 1326

1330–1364 | Duchy of Schleswig
(at 3/4 of Schleswig) | Richardis of Schwerin
c.1329?
two children  | c.1364
Haelwig |  | 1320
Daughter of Eric II and Adelaide of Holstein-Rendsburg | 12 March 1325 – 1374 | Duchy of Schleswig
(at 1/4 of Schleswig) | Valdemar IV of Denmark
1340
Sønderborg Castle
six children  | 1374
Esrum Abbey
aged 37-38
3/4 Schleswig briefly annexed to Schauenburg control (1326-1330); 1/4 Schleswig to Denmark
Henry I |  | c.1342
Son of Valdemar V and Richardis of Schwerin | 1364 – August 1375 | Duchy of Schleswig
(at 3/4 Schleswig) | Kunigunde
no children  | August 1375
aged 32-33 |

### House of Schauenburg (1325-1459)[edit]

See also: Counts of Schauenburg and Holstein

Ruler | Born | Reign | Death | Ruling part | Consort | Notes

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Gerhard I the Great |  | 1292
Son of Henry I, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg and Heilwig of Bronckhorst | 1326 – 1330 | Duchy of Schleswig | Sophia of Werle
1315
four children  | 1 April 1340
Randers
aged 47-48 | Profited from his regency to decome Duke of Schleswig. Eventually abdicated in 1330.
Schleswig returned to Estridsen domain (1330-75)
Henry II of Iron |  | 1317
First son of Gerhard I and Sophia of Werle | August 1375 – 1384  | Duchy of Schleswig | Matilda of Lippe
one child

Ingeborg of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
before 1374
four children  | 1384  | Nicholas and Henry ruled jointly as sons of Gerhard III. In 1375 they inherited the Duchy of Schleswig from the House of Estridsen. In 1384, with the death of his brother, Nicholas associated his nephews (Gerhard and Albert, sons of Henry) to power. In 1386 he abdicated of Schleswig to his older nephew Gerhard, who assumed alone this lands.
Nicholas I |  | 1321
Second son of Gerhard I and Sophia of Werle | August 1375 – 1386  | 8 May 1397 | Elisabeth of Brunswick-Lüneburg
1354
one child
Gerhard II |  | 1367
Son of Henry I and Ingeborg of Mecklenburg-Schwerin | 1386 – 5 August 1404 | Duchy of Schleswig | Catherine Elisabeth of Brunswick-Lüneburg
1390
six children  | 5 August 1404
Dithmarschen
aged 36-37 | After the abdication of Nicholas in Schleswig, Gerhard took over the duchy, and assumed Holstein-Rendsburg only after the former's death in 1397.
Regency of Catherine Elisabeth of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Henry III, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg and Prince-Bishop of Osnabrück (1404–1413) | Died without descendants. Passed the land to his brothers.
Henry II |  | 1397
First son of Gerhard II and Catherine Elisabeth of Brunswick-Lüneburg | 5 August 1404 – 28 May 1427 | Duchy of Schleswig | Unmarried | 28 May 1427
Flensburg
aged 29-30
Adolph |  | 1401
Second son of Gerhard II and Catherine Elisabeth of Brunswick-Lüneburg | 28 May 1427 – 4 December 1459  | Duchy of Schleswig | Matilda
before 1433
no children

Margareta of Mansfeld
1433
no children  | 4 December 1459
Bad Segeberg
aged 57-58 | Sons of Gerhard II, ruled jointly in Holstein-Rendsburg. As Gerhard also wanted to rule in Schleswig he claimed (unsuccessfully) this duchy for himself against his brother. Adolph was the mightiest vassal of Danish crown at his time, gaining royal Danish recognition in 1440. After Adolph's death his patrimony is annexed by Denmark.
Gerhard III |  | 1404
Third son of Gerhard II and Catherine Elisabeth of Brunswick-Lüneburg | 28 May 1427 – 24 July 1433 | Agnes of Baden
2 June 1432
Baden
ten children  | 24 July 1433
Emmerich am Rhein
aged 28-29
Rendsburg and Schleswig were annexed to Denmark; with the Rendsburg patrimony the Danish formed the Duchy of Holstein

## Under domain of Oldenburg[edit]

Further information: List of rulers of Schleswig-Holstein § The House of Oldenburg

In 1459, after the annexation of both Schleswig and Holstein, Christian I of Denmark created two separate states: the Duchy of Schleswig and Duchy of Holstein, to be ruled by two different branches of the House of Oldenburg over the next few centuries. In 1864, following the Second Schleswig War, the Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein became an occupied territory of the German Confederation and two years later, following the Austro-Prussian War, part of the new Prussian Province of Schleswig-Holstein.

## See also[edit]

* List of Danish monarchs
* List of rulers of Schleswig-Holstein

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ Esben Albrectsen, "Das Abel-Geschlecht und die Schauenburger als Herzöge von Schleswig", Marion Hartwig and Frauke Witte (trls.), in: Die Fürsten des Landes: Herzöge und Grafen von Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg [De slevigske hertuger; German], Carsten Porskrog Rasmussen (ed.) on behalf of the Gesellschaft für Schleswig-Holsteinische Geschichte, Neumünster: Wachholtz, 2008, pp. 52–71, here p. 52. ISBN 978-3-529-02606-5
2. ^ Second rule not as Duke, but as King ruling over Schleswig.
3. ^ "Albrectsen 2008 p. 52"
4. ^ "Albrectsen 2008 p. 52"
5. ^ Christopher I of Denmark recognised him as ruler only in 1260.
6. ^ Eric V of Denmark recognised him as ruler only in 1283.