Christian I of Denmark

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"Christian I" redirects here. For other uses, see Christian I (disambiguation).

Christian I
King of Sweden
(more...)
Reign23 June 1457 – 23 June 1464
Coronation29 June 1457, Uppsala
PredecessorCharles VIII
SuccessorCharles VIII
Count of Oldenburg
Reign1440-1448
PredecessorDietrich I
SuccessorGerhard VI
BornFebruary 1426 (1426-02)
Oldenburg, Holy Roman Empire
Died21 May 1481(1481-05-21) (aged 55)
Copenhagen Castle
Burial
Roskilde Cathedral
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1449)​
Issue
among others...
HouseOldenburg
FatherDietrich, Count of Oldenburg
MotherHelvig of Schauenburg

Christian I (February 1426 – 21 May 1481) was a

Sweden (1457–1464). From 1460 to 1481, he was also duke of Schleswig (within Denmark) and count (after 1474, duke) of Holstein (within the Holy Roman Empire). He was the first king of the House of Oldenburg.[1]

In the

Danish Privy Council appoint Christian as king of Denmark. His subsequent accessions to the thrones of Norway (in 1450) and Sweden (in 1457) restored the unity of the Kalmar Union for a short period. In 1463, Sweden broke away from the union and Christian's attempt at a reconquest resulted in his defeat by the Swedish regent Sten Sture the Elder at the Battle of Brunkeberg in 1471.[2]

In 1460, following the death of his uncle,

Duke Adolphus of Schleswig, Count of Holstein, Christian also became Duke of Schleswig and Count of Holstein.[citation needed
]

Biography

Early years

Christian I was born in February 1426 in

Count Dietrich of Oldenburg by his second wife, Helvig of Holstein (died 1436). Christian had two younger brothers, Maurice (1428–1464) and Gerhard (1430–1500), and one sister Adelheid.[citation needed
]

Through his father, he belonged to the

cognatic descendant of King Eric IV of Denmark through his daughter Sophia. Christian thus descended from the three surviving sons of Valdemar II and his second wife Berengaria of Portugal.[citation needed] He was also a cognatic descendant of King Magnus III of Sweden
.

At the death of their father in 1440, Christian and his brothers jointly succeeded Dietrich as Count of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst. Christian was raised by his uncle, Duke Adolphus of Schleswig, Count of Holstein (1401–1459) as the childless duke wished for his young nephew to become his heir, and also succeeded in having Christian elected as his successor in the Duchy of Schleswig.[3]

King of Denmark

Duke Adolph declining the offer of the Danish throne and recommending his nephew, Count Christian of Oldenburg. History painting by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, 1819.
The ascension promissory of Christian I
King Christian I and Queen Dorothea

In January 1448, King

Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen, at which occasion his marriage with dowager queen Dorothea was also celebrated.[4]

King of Sweden and Norway

Tapestry with a portrait of Christian I

Meanwhile, Sweden had on 20 June 1448 elected

Council of the Realm was divided. In February 1449, a part of the Council declared in favour of Charles as king, but on 15 June the same year, a different group of councillors paid homage to Christian. On 20 November, Charles was crowned king of Norway in Trondheim.[citation needed
]

However, the Swedish nobility now took steps to avoid war with Denmark. In June 1450, the Swedish Council of the Realm forced Charles to renounce his claim on Norway to King Christian. In the summer of 1450, Christian sailed to Norway with a large fleet, and on 2 August he was crowned king of Norway in

hereditary monarchy, but this had become less and less a reality, as at the last royal successions, hereditary claims had been bypassed for political reasons. It was now explicitly stated that Norway, as well as Denmark, was an elective monarchy. The treaty stipulated that Denmark and Norway should have the same king in perpetuity, and that he would be elected among the legitimate sons of the previous king, if such existed.[citation needed
]

Charles Knutsson became increasingly unpopular as king of Sweden, and was driven into exile in 1457. Christian achieved his aim of being elected as king of Sweden, thus re-establishing the Kalmar Union. He received the power from temporary Swedish regents Archbishop

Kettil Karlsson Vasa, Bishop of Linköping was installed as the next regent. Charles Knutsson was recalled as King of Sweden, although he was later exiled a second time, recalled again and died during his third term as king. Christian's final attempt at regaining Sweden ended in a total military failure at the Battle of Brunkeberg (outside Stockholm) October 1471 where he was defeated by forces on Swedish regent Sten Sture the Elder (Swedish: Sten Sture den äldre). Christian maintained his claim to the Swedish kingdom up to his death in 1481.[5][6][7][8]

Duke and Count

In 1460 King Christian also became Duke of

liege lord Emperor Frederick III elevated Christian I as Count of Holstein to Duke of Holstein, thus becoming an immediate imperial vassal (see imperial immediacy).[citation needed
]

Later reign

The visit of the king of Denmark to Bergamo's Malpaga Castle, where a banquet was offered in his honour by Venetian Captain-General Colleoni.
Medal of Christian I of Denmark, made during his journey through Italy.

Christian's personal territory was at its largest in 1460–1464, before the loss of Sweden. However, many parts of his realm wanted to govern themselves locally, and there were constant struggles. Denmark was his most important center of power.[citation needed]

In 1474 Christian travelled two times: in April he went to

Il Romanino in the Malpaga Castle) and Rome, in Italy, where he met Pope Sixtus IV. In the autumn same year he visited Charles of Burgundy, acting as intermediary between him and future emperor Maximilian I. He stayed in Burgundy for several months, moving to the Netherlands in the early 1475.[citation needed
]

Rendition of Christian I establishing the University of Copenhagen.

Acting on a permission from Pope Sixtus IV in 1475 to establish a university in Denmark, the University of Copenhagen was inaugurated by Christian on 1 June 1479.[citation needed]

Death and burial

The Gothic frescos of the Chapel of the Magi, showing amongst others Jesus carrying his cross on Via Dolorosa.

King Christian died at

sepulchral monument.[citation needed
]

Legacy

The dynasty he founded, the House of Oldenburg, remains on the throne of Denmark. It was on the throne of Norway until 1818, returning there again from 1905, and also on the throne of Sweden during Christian's reign there and those of his son and grandson, but also 1751–1818.[9]

Arms

  • Coat of arms as Count of Oldenburg.
    Coat of arms as Count of Oldenburg.
  • Coat of arms as King of Denmark, the Goths and the Wends.
    Coat of arms as King of Denmark, the Goths and the Wends.
  • Coat of arms as King of Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the Wends.
    Coat of arms as King of Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the Wends.
  • Coat of arms as King of Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the Wends and Duke of Schleswig-Holstein.
    Coat of arms as King of Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the Wends and Duke of Schleswig-Holstein.
  • Fresco of Christian I and Dorothea's coats of arms
    Coat of arms on fresco in Roskilde Cathedral, alongside Queen Dorothea's coat of arms (right)

Ancestry

Ancestors of Christian I of Denmark
8.
Agnes of Hohnstein-Heringen
11. Sophie of Brunswick
1. Christian I of Denmark
12. Henry II, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg
6. Gerhard VI, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg
13. Ingeborg of Mecklenburg
3. Helvig of Schauenburg
14. Magnus II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
7. Catherine Elisabeth of Brunswick
15. Catherine of Anhalt-Bernburg

Danish royal descent

House of Estridsen
Valdemar II of Denmark
Christopher I of DenmarkAbel, King of DenmarkEric IV of Denmark
Eric V of DenmarkSophie, Princess of Anhalt-BernburgSophia, Queen of Sweden
Richeza of DenmarkBernhard II, Prince of Anhalt-BernburgIngeborg, Countess of Holstein-Plön
Sophie of Mecklenburg-WerleBernhard III, Prince of Anhalt-BernburgGerhard IV, Count of Holstein-Plön
Catherine of Anhalt-Bernburg
Ingeborg, Countess of Oldenburg
Catherine Elisabeth of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Christian V, Count of Oldenburg
Helvig of SchauenburgDietrich, Count of Oldenburg
Christian I
House of Oldenburg

Issue

Name Birth Death Notes
Olaf 1450 1451
Canute 1451 1455
John 2 February 1455 20 February 1513 King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Had issue.
Margaret 23 June 1456 14 July 1486 Married King James III of Scotland in 1469. Had issue.
Frederick I 7 October 1471 10 April 1533 King of Denmark and Norway. Had issue.

See also

References

  1. ISBN 0 85011 023 8
    p. 68
  2. ^ "Battle of Brunkeberg 1471". tripod.com. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  3. ^ "Adolf VIII". Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  4. ^ "Dorothea, 1430-95, Dronning". Dansk biografisk Lexikon. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  5. ^ "Erik Axelsson Tott". Biografiskt lexikon för Finland 1. Svenska tiden. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  6. ^ Christer Engstrand. "Kettil Vasa (Karlsson)". historiska-personer.nu. Archived from the original on 9 September 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  7. ^ "Jöns Bengtsson (Oxenstierna)". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  8. ^ Örjan Martinsson. "Sten Sture den äldre". Tacitus.nu. Archived from the original on 22 April 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  9. ISBN 0-85011-023-8
    p 60

Bibliography

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Christian I of Denmark.
Christian I
Born: February 1426 Died: 21 May 1481
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Theodoric
Count of Oldenburg

as Christian VII
1440–1450 		Succeeded by
Preceded by King of Denmark
1448–1481 		Succeeded by
Preceded by King of Norway
1450–1481 		Vacant
Regency held by Jon Svaleson Smør
Title next held by
John
Vacant
Regency held by
Erik Axelsson Tott
Title last held by
Charles VIII
 King of Sweden
1457–1464 		Vacant
Regency held by
Kettil Karlsson (Vasa)
Title next held by
Charles VIII
Preceded by
Adolf VIII
 Count of Holstein-Rendsburg
1460–1474 		Became duke
Duke of Schleswig

1460–1481 		Succeeded by
Became duke Duke of Holstein
1474–1481
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