Eric I, Duke of Mecklenburg
Encyclopedia
Eric I, Duke of Mecklenburg (born: after 1359, probably in 1365; died: 26 July 1397 in Visby
) was Duke of Mecklenburg.
Eric was the eldest son of Albert III, Duke of Mecklenburg and Richardis, a daughter of Count Otto I
of Schwerin.
He married on 12 or 13 February 1396 Sophie, the daughter of Duke Bogislaw VI
of Pomerania-Wolgast. They had no children.
His father attempted to consolidate his position as King of Sweden in 1364 and again in 1386. Queen Margaret I of Denmark
intervened and defeated Albert in the battle of Åsle, in the vicinity of Falköping
, in 1389. Albert and Eric were captured during this battle. They were released in 1395, after three years of negotiations involving Hinrich Westhof and Johann Niebur, the mayors of Lübeck
.
Later that year, Albert tasked Eric with the reconquest of Gotland
. In the summer of 1396, Eric landed on the island with an army and in the spring of 1397, he defeated Sven Sture, who then had to swear allegiance to Albert III. Also in 1307, the kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden were united by the Kalmar Union
, cementing the position of Queen Margaret I.
Eric died of the plague in 1397 in Visby (on Gotland) and was buried in the St. Mary's Church in Visby.
Visby
-See also:* Battle of Visby* Gotland University College* List of governors of Gotland County-External links:* - Visby*...
) was Duke of Mecklenburg.
Eric was the eldest son of Albert III, Duke of Mecklenburg and Richardis, a daughter of Count Otto I
Otto I, Count of Schwerin
Otto I of Schwerin was a son of Count Gunzelin VI and Richardis of Tecklenburg. In 1327, he succeeded his father as Count of Schwerin.Otto was married to Princess Mathilda of Werle, a daughter of John III of Werle. They had a daughter:...
of Schwerin.
He married on 12 or 13 February 1396 Sophie, the daughter of Duke Bogislaw VI
Bogislaw VI, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw VI, Duke of Pomerania was duke of Pomerania-Wolgast.In 1365, after the death of his father, Bogislaw IV, he ruled Pomerania jointly with his brother Wartislaw VI. As they were both minors, they stood under the guardianship of their uncle Bogislaw V, who died in 1374...
of Pomerania-Wolgast. They had no children.
His father attempted to consolidate his position as King of Sweden in 1364 and again 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...
intervened and defeated Albert in the battle of Åsle, in the vicinity of Falköping
Falköping
Falköping is a locality and the seat of Falköping Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 15,821 inhabitants in 2005.-History:The city of Falköping most likely emerged during the 15th century but earlier the town was an important site of pilgrimage due to its 12th century church...
, in 1389. Albert and Eric were captured during this battle. They were released in 1395, after three years of negotiations involving Hinrich Westhof and Johann Niebur, the mayors of 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...
.
Later that year, Albert tasked Eric with the reconquest of Gotland
Gotland
Gotland is a county, province, municipality and diocese of Sweden; it is Sweden's largest island and the largest island in the Baltic Sea. At 3,140 square kilometers in area, the region makes up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area...
. In the summer of 1396, Eric landed on the island with an army and in the spring of 1397, he defeated Sven Sture, who then had to swear allegiance to Albert III. Also in 1307, the kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden were united by the Kalmar Union
Kalmar Union
The Kalmar Union is a historiographical term meaning a series of personal unions that united the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway , and Sweden under a single monarch, though intermittently and with a population...
, cementing the position of Queen Margaret I.
Eric died of the plague in 1397 in Visby (on Gotland) and was buried in the St. Mary's Church in Visby.