3.3.1 Denmark: A Chronology Of Important Dates 1200-1800
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This article is from the Nordic countries FAQ, by Antti Lahelma and Johan Olofsson, with numerous contributions by others.
3.3.1 Denmark: A Chronology Of Important Dates 1200-1800
1201-1227
King Valdemar II Sejr conquers Holstein with the town of
Hamburg,which soon enough is re-captured by a united German
army. He also conquers Pomerania, and Mecklenburg, and
reestablishes the nation as a great power in northern Europe.
Soon, however, a civil war between the nobles and the king
vying for control of the country erupted.
1202-1210
The Scanian Law is written down. 50 years later it's also
transcribed to runes.
1219
King Valdemar II Sejr conquers northern Estonia. According to
the legend, the Danish flag "Dannebrogen" fell down from the
sky during this mission. [ The Dannebrog is the oldest flag in
the world still in use. All Nordic flags except the Greenland
flag are variations of the Dannebrog. ]
1253-1325
Denmark's southern border had since long been guarded by troops
under command of an Earl (Jarl), later Duke, in Schleswig
/Slesvig in Sønderjylland. The Duchy had become also a means of
providing for the expenses of younger royal princes. As the
Hansa and the German Empire expanded, the Counts of Holstein,
the Duke of Slesvig and the Hansa found a common enemy in the
king of Denmark. The result was a long row of wars where the
Dukes strived for independence from the Danish Crown.
At the same time also the Arch-bishop in Lund strived for
supremacy over the secular king, or at least for independence,
and the nobility demanded the realm to be governed by a Senate
(Danehof).
1320-32
King Christoffer II was forced to make major concessions to the
nobles and clergy at the expense of royal power, which was also
diminished by the influence of the German Hanseatic League.
1326-30 King Christoffer is replaced by an under-age king with
Count Gerhard of Holstein as regent.
The Scanian nobility (alternatively the Thing in Lund) had in
the beginning of the 1330s chosen the young Magnus Eriksson to
be king also for the Scanian provinces, after his regents had
promised to pay Count Johan of Holstein to whom Scania was
pawned. At that time Magnus Eriksson was the under-age king of
both Norway and Sweden.
1332-40
Due to the expensive but failed wars almost all rights to taxes
and custom fees are given in pawn to the creditors of the realm
(mainly the Counts of Holstein). The Danish Crown has no
incomes to speak of, and no king is appointed.
1340-75
King Valdemar IV Atterdag succeeded in restoring royal
authority.
1346
After an Estonian uprising, Denmark sells its possessions in
Northern Estonia to the Order of Teutonic Knights.
1360
Valdemar IV Atterdag re-conquers Scania.
1361
Valdemar IV Atterdag conquers Gotland.
1375
The five years old Crown Prince Olof of Norway is elected King
of Denmark, with his mother Queen Margrete of Norway as regent.
In 1380 he becomes King of Norway too. The union between
Denmark and Norway will remain until 1814.
1386
To avoid a war on the southern border, and to regain the rich
Slesvig region, Queen Margrete I (the daughter of Valdemar IV)
unites the Danish Duchy of Slesvig with the German County of
Holstein by giving Slesvig as a fief to the Counts of Holstein.
The unity between Slesvig and Holstein has remained ever since,
although the northern part of Slesvig was split of in 1920.
Until 1440 the dukes of Slesvig fails to agree with their kings
over the Duchy's duties in the realm.
1388
Margrete, Queen-widow and mother of the late King Oluf, who had
died in 1387, is acclaimed as "plenipotentiary lady and
rightful warden" for Norway and Sweden.
1389-96
Queen Margrete of Norway and Denmark unites all the Nordic
countries as a single kingdom, the Kalmar Union, under the
under-age Eric of Pomerania, who is crowned in Kalmar 1397.
1429
Duty on goods through Öresund is introduced by King Erik of
Pomerania. This becomes an important income for the Danish
Crown, and creates heaps of enemies to the State of Denmark.
1448
The house of Oldenburg (one of the branches of Counts of
Holstein) was established on the throne in the person of
Christian I and has continued to rule Denmark up to the present
day.
1460-74
King Christian I becomes Duke of the duchies of Slesvig (1460)
and Holstein (1474). Holstein and Slesvig become twin duchies
with peculiar rules for succession. In 1490-1721 both of the
duchies are split in two or more parts, one of which is held by
the king of Denmark.
15th ct
During the late 15th century male serfdom (vornedskab) was
introduced on the islands.
1523
The Kalmar Union is dissolved as the Swedes revolt after the
"Stockholm bloodbath" performed by King Christian II of
Denmark. Denmark and Norway remain united, however.
1534-36
After the death of King Frederik I, the Civil "War of the
Counts" (Grevefejden) between the rivals to throne follows. The
parties struggled mainly over two issues: for or against
Hanseatic influence and for or against a national Lutheran
State Church. After 1536 the Hansa's dominance in Denmark's
domestic politics was broken. Frederik's Lutheran son becomes
King Christian III.
1536
Reformation. Denmark becomes Lutheran.
1645
Denmark-Norway has to cede Gotland, Jämtland, Ösel and Härjedal
to Sweden in the Brömsebro peace after King Christian IV had
intervened in the Thirty Years' War. Halland is ceded for 30
years.
1658-60
In the peace treaty of Roskilde, Denmark-Norway cedes Skåne,
Halland, Blekinge, Bohuslän, and Trøndelag (i.e. the district
of Trondheim) to Sweden after a failed war against Sweden
declared by King Frederik III the year before.
After the peace treaty Sweden continues the war and besieges
Copenhagen for two years. However, this results in Trøndelag
being returned to Norway and Bornholm (after an uprising) to
Denmark.
A consequence of the disastrous war was that the monarchy was
made hereditary in 1660, and royal Autocracy was introduced in
1661. The Autocracy came to last until 1848. The high
aristocracy had lost its influence over the government.
1671-85
Religious tolerance
Catholics (1671), Jews (1684) and Calvinists (1685) were
granted rights to perform their own worship.
1675-79, 1700-21
In the "war of Scania" and later in the "Great Northern War",
Denmark tries to conquer back the territory lost in 1658 but
without success, due to pressure from the great powers of
Europe. Sweden's collapse after the Great Northern War does,
however, return Denmark some of its earlier position as a
northern power.
1702/33
The serfdom (vornedskab) is first abolished in 1702 (it was in
use only on the islands), then re-invented for all of Denmark
in 1733 under the name of stavnsbåndet - male peasants below
the age of 36 were disallowed to move from the manor without
consent of the landowner. (Less than 5% of the land was owned
by peasants.)
1721-1864
All of the Duchy of Slesvig is ruled by the King of Denmark. In
1773 Denmark formally obtains the whole of Slesvig in exchange
for Oldenburg. The Danish king also becomes Duke of Holstein
(under the German Emperor), initially only with half of the
Duchy, but from 1773 on, Holstein is united.
1781
Grand reform of farming decided. Villages were split into
separate farms, so farmers came to live closer to their land,
more distant from their neighbors.
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