Danish Estonia
Encyclopedia
Danish Estonia refers to the territories of present-day Estonia
that were ruled by Denmark
firstly during the 13th–14th centuries and again in the 16th–17th centuries.
Denmark rose as a great military and mercantile power in the 12th century. It had an interest to end the occasional Estonian
and Couronian
pirate attacks that threatened its Baltic trade. Danish fleets attacked Estonia in 1170, 1194, and 1197. In 1206, King Valdemar II and archbishop Andreas Sunonis led a raid on Ösel island (Saaremaa
). The Kings of Denmark laid a claim on Estonia as their possession, which was recognised by the pope
. In 1219 the Danish fleet landed in the major harbor of Estonia and defeated the Estonians in the Battle of Lyndanisse
that brought Northern Estonia
under Danish reign until the Estonian uprising in 1343
, when the territories were taken over by the Teutonic Order and sold by Denmark in 1346.
In 1559 during the Livonian war
the Bishop of Ösel-Wiek
in Old Livonia sold his lands to King Frederick II of Denmark
for 30,000 thalers. The Danish king gave the territory to his younger brother Magnus who landed on Saaremaa
with an army in 1560 The whole of Saaremaa
became a Danish possession in 1573, and remained so until it was transferred to Sweden in 1645.
During the Livonian crusade
in 1218 Pope Honorius III
gave Valdemar II free hands to annex as much land as he could conquer in Estonia, additionally Albert of Riga, the leader of the Teutonic crusaders fighting the Estonians from the south visited the king and asked him to attack the Estonians from the North.
In 1219, Valdemar gathered his fleet, joined forces with the Rugian navy
led by prince Wizlav of Rügen
and landed at Northern Coast of Estonia in the Lyndanisse (now Tallinn) harbor in an Estonian province of Revala. According to the legend, the national flag of Denmark
Dannebrog was born at the time by falling from the sky during a critical moment in the fight and helped the Danes to win the Battle of Lyndanisse
against the Estonians. The date of the battle, June 15, is still celebrated as Valdemarsdag (the national "flag day") in present day Denmark.
The order of the Brothers of the Sword
had conquered Southern Estonia whilst Denmark had taken the North, and the two agreed to divide Estonia, but quarreled over the exact borders. In 1220 the King of Denmark agreed to submit southern Estonian provinces Sakala and Ugaunia
that were already conquered by Sword Brethren
. Bishop Albert submitted to Denmark the Estonian provinces of Harria, Vironia and Jerwia.
In 1227 the Livonian Brothers of the Sword
conquered all Danish territories in Northern Estonia. After their defeat in the Battle of Saule the surviving members of the order merged into the Teutonic Order of Prussia in 1237. On June 7, 1238 the Teutonic order concluded the Treaty of Stensby at a royal fortress in the south of Zealand with the Danish king Valdemar II. According to the treaty Jerwia stayed part of the Ordenstaat and Harria and Vironia were ceded back to King of Denmark as his direct dominion, the Duchy of Estonia. The first Duke of Estonia
had been appointed by Valdemar II in 1220, the title was resumed by the kings of Denmark from 1269.
Due to its status as the king's personal possession, the Duchy of Estonia was included in a nationwide Danish taxation list Liber Census Daniæ (1220–41), an important geographic and historic document. The list contains about 500 Estonian place names and names of 114 local vassals.
The capital of Danish Estonia was Reval (Tallinn), founded at the place of Lyndanisse after the invasion of 1219. The Danes built the fortress of Castrum Danorum
at Toompea Hill. Estonians still call their capital "Tallinn", which according to an urban legend derives from Taani linna (Danish town or castle). Reval was granted Lübeck
city rights (1248) and joined the Hanseatic League
. Even today, Danish influence can be seen in heraldic symbols such as the city of Tallinn's coat of arms being a shield with the Danish cross; and Estonia's coat of arms depicting a similar three lions to the Danish coat of arms.
In 1240 Valdemar II created the Bishopric of Reval
but contradictory to canon law
reserved the right to appoint the bishops of Reval to himself and his successor kings of Denmark. The decision to simply nominate the holy see of Reval was unique in the whole Catholic Church at the time and was disputed by bishops and the Pope. During the era, the election of bishops was never established in Reval and the royal rights to the bishopric and to nominate the bishops was even included in the treaty when the territoris were sold to Teutonic Order in 1346
First mentioned in 1240, the duchy was locally governed by a viceroy
appointed by the king and who functioned as his plenipotentiary. The viceroy had administrative powers, he collected the taxes and commanded the vassals and the troops in case of war. Most of the viceroys were either of Danish or Danish-Estonian nationality.
In Vironia, the main power centers were Wesenberg (Rakvere
) and Narva
, built on the site of the old Estonian fortresses of Rakovor and Rugodiv (according to the Old East Slavic chronicles). Wesenberg was granted Lübeck city rights in 1302 by King Erik Menved. Narva received these rights in 1345.
The vassals of the Danish king received fiefs per Dominum utile in exchange for military and court services. The oath of the vassals to a new king had to be sworn by a "year and a day". Most of the vassals, 80% were Germans from Westphalia
, 18% were Danes and 2% Estonians
(Clemens Esto, Otto Kivele, Odwardus Sorseferæ etc.) The chronicler Ditleb Alnpeke (1290) complains that the king of Denmark accepts Estonians as his vassals. The Danish rule was more liberal in that respect than the reign in the territories conquered by the Brothers of the Sword where no natives were allowed to become lords of fiefs. In 1248, the vassals and burgers of Reval already had a local legislative body ritterschaft.
The Danish army only visited the province occasionally. In 1240–42, Denmark went to war against Novgorod and tried to extend its rule to the land of Votians. King Valdemar sent his sons Abel and Canute to support the campaign of his vassals but did not gain any new territories. The Danish king Erik Plogpennig visited Estonia in 1249 and the Danish fleet sailed to Reval in 1268 and 1270 against Russia
n and Lithuania
n threats.
In August 1332 king Christopher II of Denmark
died and Denmark fell into political turmoil. The province in Estonia became split between a pro-Danish party led by bishop Olaf of Reval and the pro-German party led by captain Marquard Breide. After the Estonians of Harria rebelled in the St.George's Night Uprising of 1343 the Teutonic order occupied the territories. The overthrow of the Danish government came 2 days after the Order had defeated the Estonian revolt and the Danish viceroy was imprisoned in cooperation with the pro-German vassals. The castles in Reval and Wesenberg were handed over to the Order by the pro-German party on May 16, 1343 and the castle at Narva in 1345. In 1346 Estonia (Harria and Vironia) was sold for 19 000 Köln marks
to the Teutonic Order, ignoring the promise by Christopher II
in 1329 never to abandon or sell its Estonian territories. The king of Denmark even made a public statement repenting for breaking that promise and asked forgiveness from the Pope
. The shift of sovereignty from Denmark to the Teutonic Order took place on November 1, 1346
Frederick II of Denmark
bought the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek
from Prince-Bishop
Johannes V von Münchhausen. The possession was given as an appanage
to Magnus, Herzog von Holstein
, the brother of Frederick II
. Denmark ceded Wiek (Läänemaa
) to the Polish-Lithuanian Union
in exchange for Livonia
n possessions in Ösel. In 1572 Ösel was transferred to direct administration by Denmark. In 1645, it was ceded from Denmark to Sweden
by the Treaty of Brömsebro.
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
that were ruled by 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...
firstly during the 13th–14th centuries and again in the 16th–17th centuries.
Denmark rose as a great military and mercantile power in the 12th century. It had an interest to end the occasional Estonian
Oeselians
The Oeselians were a historical Finnic people inhabiting Saaremaa , an Estonian island in the Baltic Sea. They are first thought to be mentioned as early as the 2nd century BC in Ptolemy's Geography III. The Oeselians along with Curonians were known in the Old Norse Icelandic Sagas and in...
and Couronian
Courland
Courland is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland.- Geography and climate :...
pirate attacks that threatened its Baltic trade. Danish fleets attacked Estonia in 1170, 1194, and 1197. In 1206, King Valdemar II and archbishop Andreas Sunonis led a raid on Ösel island (Saaremaa
Saaremaa
Saaremaa is the largest island in Estonia, measuring 2,673 km². The main island of Saare County, it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hiiumaa island, and belongs to the West Estonian Archipelago...
). The Kings of Denmark laid a claim on Estonia as their possession, which was recognised by the pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
. In 1219 the Danish fleet landed in the major harbor of Estonia and defeated the Estonians in the Battle of Lyndanisse
Battle of Lyndanisse
The Battle of Lyndanisse was a battle which helped King Valdemar II of Denmark establish the territory of Danish Estonia during the Northern Crusades. Valdemar II defeated the Estonians at Lyndanisse , during the Northern Crusades, by orders from the Pope...
that brought Northern Estonia
Northern Estonia
Northern Estonia denotes a region of Estonia including Harju County and Virumaa. The region was ruled by Denmark in the 13th century until the St. George's Night Uprising....
under Danish reign until the Estonian uprising in 1343
St. George's Night Uprising
St. George’s Night Uprising in 1343–1346 was an unsuccessful attempt by the indigenous Estonian population in the Duchy of Estonia, the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek, and the insular territories of the State of the Teutonic Order to annihilate the Danish and German rulers and landlords, who had conquered...
, when the territories were taken over by the Teutonic Order and sold by Denmark in 1346.
In 1559 during the Livonian war
Livonian War
The Livonian War was fought for control of Old Livonia in the territory of present-day Estonia and Latvia when the Tsardom of Russia faced a varying coalition of Denmark–Norway, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland.During the period 1558–1578,...
the Bishop of Ösel-Wiek
Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek
The Bishopric of Ösel–Wiek was a semi-independent Roman Catholic prince-bishopric in what is now Saare, Hiiu and Lääne counties of Estonia.The bishopric was created as a state of Holy Roman Empire on 1 October 1228, by Henry, King of the Romans...
in Old Livonia sold his lands to King Frederick II of Denmark
Frederick II of Denmark
Frederick II was King of Denmark and Norway and duke of Schleswig from 1559 until his death.-King of Denmark:Frederick II was the son of King Christian III of Denmark and Norway and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg. Frederick II stands as the typical renaissance ruler of Denmark. Unlike his father, he...
for 30,000 thalers. The Danish king gave the territory to his younger brother Magnus who landed on Saaremaa
Saaremaa
Saaremaa is the largest island in Estonia, measuring 2,673 km². The main island of Saare County, it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hiiumaa island, and belongs to the West Estonian Archipelago...
with an army in 1560 The whole of Saaremaa
Saaremaa
Saaremaa is the largest island in Estonia, measuring 2,673 km². The main island of Saare County, it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hiiumaa island, and belongs to the West Estonian Archipelago...
became a Danish possession in 1573, and remained so until it was transferred to Sweden in 1645.
Duchy of Estonia
The Duchy of Estonia ( ), was a direct dominion of the King of Denmark from 1219 until 1346 when it was sold to the Teutonic order and became part of Ordenstaat.During the Livonian crusade
Livonian Crusade
The Livonian Crusade refers to the German and Danish conquest and colonization of medieval Livonia, the territory constituting modern Latvia and Estonia, during the Northern Crusades...
in 1218 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...
gave Valdemar II free hands to annex as much land as he could conquer in Estonia, additionally Albert of Riga, the leader of the Teutonic crusaders fighting the Estonians from the south visited the king and asked him to attack the Estonians from the North.
In 1219, Valdemar gathered his fleet, joined forces with the Rugian navy
Principality of Rugia
The Principality of Rugia or Principality of Rügen was a Danish principality consisting of the island of Rügen and the adjacent mainland from 1168 until 1325. It was governed by a local dynasty of princes of the Wizlawiden dynasty...
led by prince Wizlav of Rügen
Rügen
Rügen is Germany's largest island. Located in the Baltic Sea, it is part of the Vorpommern-Rügen district of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.- Geography :Rügen is located off the north-eastern coast of Germany in the Baltic Sea...
and landed at Northern Coast of Estonia in the Lyndanisse (now Tallinn) harbor in an Estonian province of Revala. According to the legend, the national flag of Denmark
Flag of Denmark
The national flag of Denmark, Dannebrog is red with a white Scandinavian cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side...
Dannebrog was born at the time by falling from the sky during a critical moment in the fight and helped the Danes to win the Battle of Lyndanisse
Battle of Lyndanisse
The Battle of Lyndanisse was a battle which helped King Valdemar II of Denmark establish the territory of Danish Estonia during the Northern Crusades. Valdemar II defeated the Estonians at Lyndanisse , during the Northern Crusades, by orders from the Pope...
against the Estonians. The date of the battle, June 15, is still celebrated as Valdemarsdag (the national "flag day") in present day Denmark.
The order of the Brothers of the Sword
Livonian Brothers of the Sword
The Livonian Brothers of the Sword were a military order founded by Bishop Albert of Riga in 1202. Pope Innocent III sanctioned the establishment in 1204. The membership of the order comprised German "warrior monks"...
had conquered Southern Estonia whilst Denmark had taken the North, and the two agreed to divide Estonia, but quarreled over the exact borders. In 1220 the King of Denmark agreed to submit southern Estonian provinces Sakala and Ugaunia
Ugaunia
Ugandi was an independent country between the east coast of Lake Võrtsjärv and west coast of Lake Pskov, bordered by Vaiga, Mõhu, Nurmekund, Sakala, Tālava, and The Principality of Pskov. Ugandi had an area of approximately 3000 hides...
that were already conquered by Sword Brethren
Livonian Brothers of the Sword
The Livonian Brothers of the Sword were a military order founded by Bishop Albert of Riga in 1202. Pope Innocent III sanctioned the establishment in 1204. The membership of the order comprised German "warrior monks"...
. Bishop Albert submitted to Denmark the Estonian provinces of Harria, Vironia and Jerwia.
In 1227 the Livonian Brothers of the Sword
Livonian Brothers of the Sword
The Livonian Brothers of the Sword were a military order founded by Bishop Albert of Riga in 1202. Pope Innocent III sanctioned the establishment in 1204. The membership of the order comprised German "warrior monks"...
conquered all Danish territories in Northern Estonia. After their defeat in the Battle of Saule the surviving members of the order merged into the Teutonic Order of Prussia in 1237. On June 7, 1238 the Teutonic order concluded the Treaty of Stensby at a royal fortress in the south of Zealand with the Danish king Valdemar II. According to the treaty Jerwia stayed part of the Ordenstaat and Harria and Vironia were ceded back to King of Denmark as his direct dominion, the Duchy of Estonia. The first Duke of Estonia
Duke of Estonia
The first duke of Estonia was appointed in 1220 by Valdemar II after Danish conquest of Estonia during Livonian crusade. The title was resumed by the kings of Denmark since 1269...
had been appointed by Valdemar II in 1220, the title was resumed by the kings of Denmark from 1269.
Due to its status as the king's personal possession, the Duchy of Estonia was included in a nationwide Danish taxation list Liber Census Daniæ (1220–41), an important geographic and historic document. The list contains about 500 Estonian place names and names of 114 local vassals.
The capital of Danish Estonia was Reval (Tallinn), founded at the place of Lyndanisse after the invasion of 1219. The Danes built the fortress of Castrum Danorum
Castrum Danorum
Toompea Castle is a castle on the limestone hill of Toompea in the central part of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, which for a time was also one of the names for the whole settlement of Tallinn during the times of Danish Estonia in the 13th and 14th centuries.The first wooden castle...
at Toompea Hill. Estonians still call their capital "Tallinn", which according to an urban legend derives from Taani linna (Danish town or castle). Reval was granted Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
city rights (1248) and joined 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...
. Even today, Danish influence can be seen in heraldic symbols such as the city of Tallinn's coat of arms being a shield with the Danish cross; and Estonia's coat of arms depicting a similar three lions to the Danish coat of arms.
In 1240 Valdemar II created the Bishopric of Reval
Bishopric of Reval
The Bishopric of Reval was created in Duchy of Estonia by Valdemar II of Denmark in 1240. Contradictory to canon law Valdemar II reserved the right to appoint the bishops of Reval to himself and his successor kings of Denmark. The decision to simply nominate the holy see of Reval was unique in the...
but contradictory to canon law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
reserved the right to appoint the bishops of Reval to himself and his successor kings of Denmark. The decision to simply nominate the holy see of Reval was unique in the whole Catholic Church at the time and was disputed by bishops and the Pope. During the era, the election of bishops was never established in Reval and the royal rights to the bishopric and to nominate the bishops was even included in the treaty when the territoris were sold to Teutonic Order in 1346
First mentioned in 1240, the duchy was locally governed by a viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
appointed by the king and who functioned as his plenipotentiary. The viceroy had administrative powers, he collected the taxes and commanded the vassals and the troops in case of war. Most of the viceroys were either of Danish or Danish-Estonian nationality.
In Vironia, the main power centers were Wesenberg (Rakvere
Rakvere
Rakvere is a town in northern Estonia and the county seat of Lääne-Viru County, 20 km south of the Gulf of Finland.-History:The earliest signs of human settlement dating back to the 3rd-5th centuries AD have been found on the present theatre hill. Probably to protect that settlement, a wooden...
) and Narva
Narva
Narva is the third largest city in Estonia. It is located at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, by the Russian border, on the Narva River which drains Lake Peipus.-Early history:...
, built on the site of the old Estonian fortresses of Rakovor and Rugodiv (according to the Old East Slavic chronicles). Wesenberg was granted Lübeck city rights in 1302 by King Erik Menved. Narva received these rights in 1345.
The vassals of the Danish king received fiefs per Dominum utile in exchange for military and court services. The oath of the vassals to a new king had to be sworn by a "year and a day". Most of the vassals, 80% were Germans from Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
, 18% were Danes and 2% Estonians
Estonians
Estonians are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting, primarily, the country of Estonia. They speak a Finnic language known as Estonian...
(Clemens Esto, Otto Kivele, Odwardus Sorseferæ etc.) The chronicler Ditleb Alnpeke (1290) complains that the king of Denmark accepts Estonians as his vassals. The Danish rule was more liberal in that respect than the reign in the territories conquered by the Brothers of the Sword where no natives were allowed to become lords of fiefs. In 1248, the vassals and burgers of Reval already had a local legislative body ritterschaft.
The Danish army only visited the province occasionally. In 1240–42, Denmark went to war against Novgorod and tried to extend its rule to the land of Votians. King Valdemar sent his sons Abel and Canute to support the campaign of his vassals but did not gain any new territories. The Danish king Erik Plogpennig visited Estonia in 1249 and the Danish fleet sailed to Reval in 1268 and 1270 against Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n threats.
In August 1332 king Christopher II of Denmark
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...
died and Denmark fell into political turmoil. The province in Estonia became split between a pro-Danish party led by bishop Olaf of Reval and the pro-German party led by captain Marquard Breide. After the Estonians of Harria rebelled in the St.George's Night Uprising of 1343 the Teutonic order occupied the territories. The overthrow of the Danish government came 2 days after the Order had defeated the Estonian revolt and the Danish viceroy was imprisoned in cooperation with the pro-German vassals. The castles in Reval and Wesenberg were handed over to the Order by the pro-German party on May 16, 1343 and the castle at Narva in 1345. In 1346 Estonia (Harria and Vironia) was sold for 19 000 Köln marks
Mark (weight)
The mark was originally a unit of mass for gold and silver common throughout western Europe, and was equal to 8 troy ounces . Variations throughout the Middle Ages were, however, considerable.Later, the weight called "mark" was generally half-a-pound...
to the Teutonic Order, ignoring the promise by 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...
in 1329 never to abandon or sell its Estonian territories. The king of Denmark even made a public statement repenting for breaking that promise and asked forgiveness from the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
. The shift of sovereignty from Denmark to the Teutonic Order took place on November 1, 1346
Danish province of Øsel
In 1559 during the Livonian warLivonian War
The Livonian War was fought for control of Old Livonia in the territory of present-day Estonia and Latvia when the Tsardom of Russia faced a varying coalition of Denmark–Norway, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland.During the period 1558–1578,...
Frederick II of Denmark
Frederick II of Denmark
Frederick II was King of Denmark and Norway and duke of Schleswig from 1559 until his death.-King of Denmark:Frederick II was the son of King Christian III of Denmark and Norway and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg. Frederick II stands as the typical renaissance ruler of Denmark. Unlike his father, he...
bought the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek
Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek
The Bishopric of Ösel–Wiek was a semi-independent Roman Catholic prince-bishopric in what is now Saare, Hiiu and Lääne counties of Estonia.The bishopric was created as a state of Holy Roman Empire on 1 October 1228, by Henry, King of the Romans...
from Prince-Bishop
Prince-Bishop
A Prince-Bishop is a bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more secular principalities, usually pre-existent titles of nobility held concurrently with their inherent clerical office...
Johannes V von Münchhausen. The possession was given as an appanage
Appanage
An apanage or appanage or is the grant of an estate, titles, offices, or other things of value to the younger male children of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture...
to Magnus, Herzog von Holstein
Magnus of Livonia
Magnus of Holstein was a Prince of Denmark and a member of the House of Oldenburg. As a vassal of Ivan IV of Russia, he was the titular King of Livonia from 1570 to 1578.-Early life:...
, the brother of Frederick II
Frederick II of Denmark
Frederick II was King of Denmark and Norway and duke of Schleswig from 1559 until his death.-King of Denmark:Frederick II was the son of King Christian III of Denmark and Norway and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg. Frederick II stands as the typical renaissance ruler of Denmark. Unlike his father, he...
. Denmark ceded Wiek (Läänemaa
Lääne County
Lääne County , or Läänemaa , is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is located in western Estonia and borders Baltic Sea to the north, Harju County to the north-east, Rapla County to the east, Pärnu County to the south, and the island counties of Saare and Hiiu to the west...
) to the Polish-Lithuanian Union
Polish-Lithuanian Union
The term Polish–Lithuanian Union sometimes called as United Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania refers to a series of acts and alliances between the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania that lasted for prolonged periods of time and led to the creation of the Polish–Lithuanian...
in exchange for Livonia
Livonia
Livonia is a historic region along the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It was once the land of the Finnic Livonians inhabiting the principal ancient Livonian County Metsepole with its center at Turaida...
n possessions in Ösel. In 1572 Ösel was transferred to direct administration by Denmark. In 1645, it was ceded from Denmark to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
by the Treaty of Brömsebro.
Danish Governors of Ösel
- Heinrich Wulf 5 March 1562 – 1567
- Klaus von Ungern zu Dalby May 1573 – August 1576
- Johann von Mentz 2 September 1576 – 1584
- Mathias Budde 1584–1587
- Claes Maltesen Sehested 2 February 1599 – 1612
- Nils Kraggen 1612–15
- Jakob Wacke 1615–35
- Anders BilleAnders BilleAnders Bille was the Danish Rigsmarsk, the officer leading the entire armed forces of Denmark, from 1642.From 1635 to 1643 he was the Governor of Ösel ....
1635–43 - Ebbe Ulfeld 1643–45
See also
- Swedish EstoniaSwedish EstoniaThe Duchy of Estonia , also known as Swedish Estonia, was a dominion of the Swedish Empire from 1561 until 1721, when it was ceded to Russia in the Treaty of Nystad, following its capitulation in the Great Northern War. The dominion arose when the northern parts of present-day Estonia were united...
- Northern CrusadesNorthern CrusadesThe Northern Crusades or Baltic Crusades were crusades undertaken by the Christian kings of Denmark and Sweden, the German Livonian and Teutonic military orders, and their allies against the pagan peoples of Northern Europe around the southern and eastern shores of the Baltic Sea...
- First Swedish CrusadeFirst Swedish CrusadeFirst Swedish Crusade is a legendary military expedition presumably in the 1150s that has traditionally been seen as the conquest of Finland by Sweden, with pagan Finns converting to Christianity. According to the legend, the crusade was conducted by King Eric IX of Sweden...
, Second Swedish CrusadeSecond Swedish CrusadeThe Second Swedish Crusade was a Swedish military expedition to areas in present-day Finland by Birger jarl in the 13th century. As a result of the crusade, Finland became permanently part of Sweden for the next 550 years.-Year of the crusade:...
and Third Swedish CrusadeThird Swedish CrusadeThe Third Swedish Crusade was a Swedish military expedition to Karelia in 1293, an area controlled by Novgorod. As the result of the attack, Viborg Castle was established and western Karelia remained under Swedish rule for over 400 years.... - History of EstoniaHistory of EstoniaEstonia was settled near the end of the last glacial era, beginning from around 8500 BC. Before the German invasions in the 13th century proto-Estonians of the Ancient Estonia worshipped the spirits of nature...
- History of FinlandHistory of FinlandThe land area that now makes up Finland was settled immediately after the Ice Age, beginning from around 8500 BCE. Most of the region was part of the Kingdom of Sweden from the 13th century to 1809, when it was ceded to the Russian Empire, becoming the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland. The...
- History of LatviaHistory of LatviaThe History of Latvia began when the area which is today Latvia was settled following the end of the last glacial period, around 9000 BC. Ancient Baltic peoples appeared during the second millennium BC and four distinct tribal realms in Latvia's territories were identifiable towards the end of the...
- History of LithuaniaHistory of LithuaniaThe history of Lithuania dates back to at least 1009, the first recorded written use of the term. Lithuanians, a branch of the Baltic peoples, later conquered neighboring lands, establishing the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and in the 13th century the short-lived Kingdom of Lithuania. The Grand Duchy...