![Map SLH-1650 EN](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Map_SLH-1650_EN.png)
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg was the name of a branch line of the
House of Oldenburg as well as the name of their land. It existed from 1564 until 1668 and was a titular
duchy
A duchy, also called a dukedom, is a Middle Ages, medieval country, territory, fiefdom, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess, a ruler hierarchically second to the king or Queen regnant, queen in Western European tradition.
There once exis ...
under the
King of Denmark
The monarchy of Denmark is a constitutional political system, institution and a historic office of the Kingdom of Denmark. The Kingdom includes Denmark proper and the autonomous administrative division, autonomous territories of the Faroe ...
, rather than a true territorial dukedom in its own right. The seat of the duke was
Sønderborg. Parts of the domain were located in Denmark (in the
Duchy of Schleswig
The Duchy of Schleswig ( da, Hertugdømmet Slesvig; german: Herzogtum Schleswig; nds, Hartogdom Sleswig; frr, Härtochduum Slaswik) was a duchy in Southern Jutland () covering the area between about 60 km (35 miles) north and 70 km ( ...
), mainly on the islands of
Als
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most com ...
and
Ærø
Ærø () is one of the Danish Baltic Sea islands, and part of the Southern Denmark Region.
Since 1 January 2006 the whole of Ærø has constituted a single municipality, known as Ærø Kommune. Before that date, there were two municipalities o ...
and around
Glücksburg
Glücksburg (; da, Lyksborg) is a small town northeast of Flensburg in the district Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany and is the northernmost town in Germany.
It is situated on the south side of the Flensborg Fjord, an inlet ...
, whilst other lands were part of the Holy Roman Empire (in the
Duchy of Holstein), including the
''Ämter'' of
Plön,
Ahrensbök
Ahrensbök (Holsatian: ''Ahrensböök'') is a municipality in the district of Ostholstein, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approximately 17 km northwest of Lübeck, and 45 km southeast of Kiel.
History
Ahrensbök came in ...
, and
Reinfeld. As a result of various inheritance arrangements it fragmented into numerous small territories which were eventually absorbed into Greater Denmark in the 18th century.
History
Background
The ducal family was related to the House of
Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp
Holstein-Gottorp or Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp () is the Historiography, historiographical name, as well as contemporary shorthand name, for the parts of the duchies of Duchy of Schleswig, Schleswig and Duchy of Holstein, Holstein, also known as ...
; both belonged to the
House of Oldenburg. The duchy was created in the 16th century when King
Frederick II of Denmark
Frederick II (1 July 1534 – 4 April 1588) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Schleswig and Holstein from 1559 until his death.
A member of the House of Oldenburg, Frederick began his personal rule of Denmark-Norway at the age of ...
shared his part of the duchies of
Schleswig and
Holstein with his two brothers, each receiving a third of the royal estate in Schleswig and Holstein. Sonderburg was the portion received by Duke
John III, called "the Younger". His domain included ''inter alia'' the territories of
Sonderburg,
Norburg
Nordborg (german: Norburg), is a town with a population of 5,709 (1 January 2022),[Ærø
Ærø () is one of the Danish Baltic Sea islands, and part of the Southern Denmark Region.
Since 1 January 2006 the whole of Ærø has constituted a single municipality, known as Ærø Kommune. Before that date, there were two municipalities o ...](_blank)
,
Plön and
Ahrensbök
Ahrensbök (Holsatian: ''Ahrensböök'') is a municipality in the district of Ostholstein, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approximately 17 km northwest of Lübeck, and 45 km southeast of Kiel.
History
Ahrensbök came in ...
together with their assigned ''
Ämter'' or administrative offices. However, the division was not recognized by the local nobles, who considered it illegal, and the new duchy was managed by Duke John as a so-called ''
abgeteilter Herr'', i.e. a ruler who did not have the consent of his local landlords. So, while the Duke of Sonderburg received the ducal title and the income from the territory assigned to him, he did not have political rights in this territory. Sovereignty remained with the King of Denmark in his role as Duke of Schleswig-Holstein.
Fragmentation
![Hanstheyounger](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Hanstheyounger.jpg)
The dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg repeatedly split their possessions among their heirs, so that a variety of very small territories came into existence.
After the death of Duke John in 1622, the duchy was divided among those sons who were legal heirs and the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg produced several collateral lines. The names of the individual lines added the name of their respective ''Residenz'' town to the family line. The sons of Duke Alexander — a son of Duke John — also received or acquired some territories outside of Schleswig-Holstein to sustain themselves.
Some of the newly created sub-duchies only had a few square kilometres of land and their masters were merely
titular dukes. These new lines sometimes only lasted for a short time before their estates passed to other lines as a result of inheritance or bankruptcy, or even went back to the Danish royal house.
# The House of ''Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg'' was continued by
Duke Alexander, who resided at
Sønderborg Castle. After a bankruptcy in 1667 the Sonderburg portion of the duchy reverted to the King of Denmark. The cadet lines that emerged from this line included the following:
## The line of
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Franzhagen
The Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Franzhagen line was a short-lived name of the main line of the ducal house of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg, after its bankruptcy in 1667. The name is derived from the Franzhagen Castle in Schulendorf in the duch ...
based on
Franzhagen Castle
The Franzhagen Castle - also known as ''Franzgarten'' or ''Franzhof'' was a castle near the present-day Schulendorf in southern Schleswig-Holstein. Before its destruction in 1716 it was owned by the dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg.
The ca ...
near
Schulendorf
Schulendorf is a municipality in the district of Lauenburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after ...
, founded by Duke Hans Christian.
## The so-called ''Catholic line'' of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg, founded by Duke Alexander Henry.
## The line of
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Wiesenburg 240px , Wiesenburg Castle in Saxony gave its name to this branch of the ducal family
The House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Wiesenburg was one of the many cadet branches of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg, itself a junior line of t ...
based on
Wiesenburg Castle
The Wiesenburg Castle (german: Burg Wiesenburg or ) is a castle located in the Wiesenburg district of Wildenfels, Germany, on a hill overlooking the eastern shore of the Mulde river. The castle protects the bridge across the Mulde to Schönau and ...
in Saxony, founded by Duke Philip Louis.
## The line of
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg
The House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg () was a branch of the dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg of the House of Oldenburg. The line descended from Alexander, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg. Like all of the secondary ...
, founded by Duke
Ernest Günther who resided in the
Augustenburg Palace
Augustenborg Palace (or Augustenborg Castle; da, Augustenborg Slot, german: Schloss Augustenburg) is a Rococo-style palace in the southwestern part of Augustenborg, Als Island, Denmark, overlooking Augustenborg Fjord. The palace owes its name t ...
. The line became extinct in 1931, its most famous member being
Augusta Victoria
, house = Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg
, father = Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein
, mother = Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Dolzig Palace ...
, the last German Empress.
## The line of
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck
The House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck (Schleswig-Holstein-Beck or Beck for short) was a line of the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg branch of the House of Oldenburg. It consisted of August Philipp, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Bec ...
, founded by Duke
Augustus Philip. The following branch later emerged from this line:
### The younger line of the House of
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, now usually referred to as the
House of Glücksburg. Founded in 1825 by a descendant of John III, Duke
Frederick William. Family members of this branch up to the present day are members of the European aristocracy and include the current royal houses of
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
and
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
, as well as
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from El ...
, the prince consort of Queen
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
.
# The older line of ''
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg'', founded by Duke
Philip
Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...
, who resided in
Glücksburg Castle
Glücksburg Castle (German: Schloss Glücksburg, Danish: ''Lyksborg Slot'') is one of the most significant Renaissance castles in Northern Europe. The castle was the headquarters of the ducal lines of the house of Glücksburg and temporarily served ...
in
Glücksburg
Glücksburg (; da, Lyksborg) is a small town northeast of Flensburg in the district Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany and is the northernmost town in Germany.
It is situated on the south side of the Flensborg Fjord, an inlet ...
. The line died out in 1779.
# The line of
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Ærø, founded by Duke
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
, who resided in
Ærøskøbing
Ærøskøbing () is a town in central Denmark, located in Ærø Municipality on the island of Ærø. The suffix - købing means a trade town in the languages that derive from Old Norse.
Ærøskøbing's houses and streets are delicately restore ...
. Duke Christian died without descendants in 1633 and his estate was divided amongst the other sons of John III.
# The line of
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön
The Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön (german: Herzogtum Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön), also ''Schleswig-Holstein-Plön'', ''Holstein-Plön'' or just ''Duchy of Plön'', was a small sub-duchy (''Teilherzogtum'') created by the p ...
founded in 1623 by Duke
Joachim Ernest, residing in
Plön Castle in
Plön. The line died out in 1761. From it the following branches emerged:
## The line of
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön-Rethwisch The ducal line of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön-Rethwisch descended from the line of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön. It was founded by Joachim Ernest II (born 5 October 1637; died 5 October 1700) who as the third son of the Duke of Plön, ...
founded by
Joachim Ernest II, resident in
Rethwisch Rethwisch or Rehtwisch may refer to:
Places
* Rethwisch, Stormarn, a municipality in the Stormarn district, Schleswig-Holstein
* Rethwisch, Steinburg, a municipality in Steinburg district, Schleswig-Holstein
* Rethwisch, a village in the municip ...
. This line died out as early as 1729.
## The younger line of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Norburg founded by Duke
Augustus of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön-Norburg. This line was reunited with the Duchy of Plön by Duke
Joachim Frederick in 1706.
# The older line of
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Norburg
The sub-duchy of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Norburg emerged as a collateral line of the House Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg. The region of Nordborg (also: ''Norburg'' or ''Nordburg'') is on the island of Als.
Historic overview
Around 1580 the ...
, founded by Duke
John Adolphus
John Adolphus (1768–1845) was an England, English barrister and historian.
Life
Born 7 August 1768, he was of German background. His grandfather had been domestic physician to Frederick the Great, and wrote a French romance, ''Histoire des D ...
, resident at
Nordborg Castle
Nordborg Castle ( da, Nordborg Slot) is a small castle which lies on the southern side of Nordborg Lake (''Nordborg Sø'') in Nordborg on the island of Als in Sønderborg Municipality, Denmark. The castle premises are currently used by Nordbor ...
on the island of
Alsen. After going bankrupt in 1669 it was repossessed by the Plön branch in 1679.
In 1668, the king of Denmark confiscated Sonderburg because of excessive debt. Several of the lines that had split off from Sonderburg continued to exist, however. From the money that was left after all debts were paid, the last duke of Sonderburg bought properties in Franzhagen near
Schulendorf
Schulendorf is a municipality in the district of Lauenburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after ...
; henceforth the line was known as Franzhagen.
Genealogy
The dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg form a line of the
House of Oldenburg; it consists of the male-line descendants of Duke John the Younger. The current royal houses of Denmark and Norway belong to the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg line.
Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg
*
John the Younger (1564–1622)
*
Alexander (1622–1627)
*
John Christian (1627–1653)
*
Christian Adolphus (1653–1668)
See also
*
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
*
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck
The House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck (Schleswig-Holstein-Beck or Beck for short) was a line of the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg branch of the House of Oldenburg. It consisted of August Philipp, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Bec ...
*
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg
The House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg () was a branch of the dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg of the House of Oldenburg. The line descended from Alexander, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg. Like all of the secondary ...
*
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön
The Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön (german: Herzogtum Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön), also ''Schleswig-Holstein-Plön'', ''Holstein-Plön'' or just ''Duchy of Plön'', was a small sub-duchy (''Teilherzogtum'') created by the p ...
*
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Norburg
The sub-duchy of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Norburg emerged as a collateral line of the House Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg. The region of Nordborg (also: ''Norburg'' or ''Nordburg'') is on the island of Als.
Historic overview
Around 1580 the ...
*
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön-Rethwisch The ducal line of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön-Rethwisch descended from the line of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön. It was founded by Joachim Ernest II (born 5 October 1637; died 5 October 1700) who as the third son of the Duke of Plön, ...
Sources
Family tree of the House of Glücksburg* O. Hauser, W. Hunke, W. Müller: ''Das Haus Glücksburg und Europa''. Verlag Mühlau, 1988.
External links
*
ttps://web.archive.org/web/20060514095620/http://www.geschichte-s-h.de/vonabisz/bilder/gottorf3_600.gif Map of Schleswig-Holstein with an overview of the various administrative regions
{{authority control
1668 disestablishments
Sonderburg
*
states and territories established in 1564