Duchy of Holstein
Duchy of Holstein | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1474–1864 | |||||||||
Location and borders of the Duchy of Holstein by 1789 | |||||||||
| Status |
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| Capital | Glückstadt | ||||||||
| Common languages | German, Low German, Danish | ||||||||
| Religion | Lutheran | ||||||||
| Government | Feudal Monarchy | ||||||||
| Duke | |||||||||
• 1474–1481 | Christian I (first) | ||||||||
• 1863–1864 | Christian IX (last) | ||||||||
| Historical era | Early Modern | ||||||||
| 5 March 1460 | |||||||||
| 14 February 1474 | |||||||||
| 1 February 1864 | |||||||||
| 30 October 1864 | |||||||||
| Currency | Rigsdaler | ||||||||
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The Duchy of Holstein (German: Herzogtum Holstein; Danish: Hertugdømmet Holsten) was the northernmost state of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the present German state of Schleswig-Holstein. It originated when King Christian I of Denmark had his County of Holstein-Rendsburg elevated to a duchy by Emperor Frederick III in 1474. Members of the Danish House of Oldenburg ruled Holstein – jointly with the Duchy of Schleswig – for its entire existence.
From 1490 to 1523 and again from 1544 to 1773 the Duchy was partitioned between various Oldenburg branches, most notably the dukes of Holstein-Glückstadt (identical with the Kings of Denmark) and Holstein-Gottorp. The duchy ceased to exist when the Kingdom of Prussia annexed it in 1866 after the Austro-Prussian War.