Counts of Schauenburg and Holstein

Jutland and Northernmost Germany showing Schleswig and Holstein in today's German Federal State of Schleswig-Holstein.

The Counts of Schauenburg and Holstein were titles of the Frankish Empire. The dynastic family came from the County of Schauenburg near Rinteln (district Schaumburg) on the Weser in Germany. Together with its ancestral possessions in Bückeburg and Stadthagen, the House of Schauenburg ruled the County of Schauenburg and the County of Holstein. The comital titles of Holstein were subject to the liege lord, the Dukes of undivided Saxony till 1296, and thereafter the Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg.

The counties of Schauenburg and Holstein

The County of Schaumburg originated as a medieval county, which was founded at the beginning of the 12th century. It was named after Schauenburg Castle, near Rinteln on the Weser, where the owners started calling themselves Lords (from 1295 Counts) of Schauenburg. Adolf I probably became the first Lord of Schauenburg in 1106. In 1110, Adolf I, Lord of Schauenburg was appointed by Lothair, Duke of Saxony to hold Holstein and Stormarn, including Hamburg, as fiefs.

In a battle with Denmark, however, Adolf III became prisoner of the king Valdemar II, to whom he had to give Holstein in exchange for his freedom. In 1227 Adolf III's son, Adolf IV, recovered the lost lands from Denmark. Subsequently, the House of Schaumburg were also counts of Holstein and its partitions Holstein-Itzehoe, Holstein-Kiel, Holstein-Pinneberg (till 1640), Holstein-Plön, Holstein-Segeberg and Holstein-Rendsburg (till 1460) and through the latter at times also the dukes of Schleswig.

Partitions of Holstein

Holstein partitions of 1261 and 1273

After 1261 the previously jointly ruling brothers Gerhard I and the elder John I divided the Counties of Holstein and Schauenburg (Schaumburg). Gerhard I received the Counties of Holstein-Itzehoe and Schaumburg, whereas John received the County of Holstein-Kiel. After the death of John I, his sons Adolphus V and John II reigned jointly in Holstein-Kiel. In 1273 they partitioned Holstein-Kiel and John II continued ruling over Kiel; Adolphus V the Pomeranian then received Segeberg (aka County of Stormarn). After the death of Adolphus V, Holstein-Segeberg was reincorporated into Holstein-Kiel.

Holstein partition of 1290 and reversions of 1350 and 1390

After Gerhard I's death in 1290 his three younger sons partitioned Holstein-Itzehoe and Schaumburg into three branches, with Adolph VI the Elder, the third brother, getting Holstein-Pinneberg and Schaumburg south of the Elbe, the second brother Gerhard II the Blind getting Holstein-Plön, and the fourth Henry I receiving Holstein-Rendsburg. The eldest brother John was Canon at the Hamburg Cathedral.

After the death of Gerhard II his sons Gerhard IV and his younger half-brother John III the Mild inherited and ruled in Holstein-Plön together. In 1316 the brothers militarily seized the possessions of John II the One-Eyed (d. 1321) in Holstein-Kiel, whose sons had been killed. John III the Mild, before a second-born co-ruling count in Plön, then received Kiel from the deposed John II the One-Eyed, a cousin of his father Gerhard II the Blind. Gerhard IV continued ruling Holstein-Plön as sole count.

After the death of John III's nephew Gerhard V, Count of Holstein-Plön in 1350, who had succeeded Gerhard IV, the Plön line became extinct and John III re-inherited their possessions. In 1390 his son Adolphus IX (aka VII) ruling since 1359 Kiel including Plön, died without issue and thus Nicholas (Claus) of Holstein-Rendsburg and his nephews Albert II and Gerhard VI (jointly ruling till 1397) succeeded to the territories of Holstein-Kiel and Holstein-Plön.

Holstein partition of 1397 and the extinction of the Rendsburg line in 1459

In 1390 the Holstein-Rendsburg line had assembled the larger part of the partitioned Holstein counties, to wit Kiel, Plön and Segeberg, but not Holstein-Pinneberg, which existed until 1640. Members of the Rendsburg family branch were often also simply titled as Counts of Holstein after 1390. For the Pinneberg family branch, usually residing in the County of Schaumburg, the titling after Schaumburg started to prevail.

In 1397 after the death of their uncle Nicholas (Claus), with whom the nephews Albert II and the elder Gerhard VI had jointly ruled Holstein-Rendsburg, they partitioned Holstein-Segeberg (aka county of Stormarn) from Holstein-Rendsburg, with Albert receiving the new branch county in return for waiving his co-rule in Rendsburg. After Albert's death in 1403 Segeberg reverted to Rendsberg. In 1459, with the death of Adolphus XI (aka VIII), the Rendsburg branch was extinct in the male line and the nobility of Holstein-Rendburg and of Schleswig then assigned the succession to his sister's son King Christian I of Denmark, House of Oldenburg.

The last Schauenburg line ruling Schaumburg and Holstein-Pinneberg till 1640

After King Christian I of Denmark, House of Oldenburg had been chosen as heir to the County of Holstein-Rendsburg Christian ascended to the comital throne in 1460. In 1474 Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor, elevated Christian I from Count of Holstein-Rendsburg to Duke of Holstein. For his succession in the Duchy of Holstein see List of rulers of Schleswig-Holstein#House of Oldenburg (1460–1544). The Schauenburg line in the Counties of Holstein-Pinneberg and Schaumburg persisted until its extinction in the male line in 1640. This line is also known as Holstein-Schauenburg. The Counts were elevated to Princes of Schaumburg in 1619/1620, however, the Dukes of Holstein opposed the transition of that title to the County of Holstein-Pinneberg.

Schaumburg partition of 1640

After the death in 1640 of Count Otto V without children, the rule of the House of Schaumburg ended in Holstein. The County of Holstein-Pinneberg was merged under Christian IV with his royal share in the Duchy of Holstein, which is now part of the state of Schleswig-Holstein. For Christian IV and his successors see List of rulers of Schleswig-Holstein#House of Oldenburg (1640–1713)

The Principality of Schaumburg proper, however, was partitioned among the agnatic Schauenburg heirs into three parts, one incorporated into the Principality of Lüneburg of the Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg, the second becoming the County of Schaumburg-Lippe and the third continuing the name County of Schaumburg, ruled in personal union by Hesse-Cassel. All the three are now part of the state of Lower Saxony. The Sovereign Lordship of Gemen, in 1531 acquired for Schaumburg through marriage by Jobst I, and ruled by his second-born son of Jobst II (ca. 1520–1581, regnant since 1531), passed on to the family of Limburg Stirum. Gemen is in today's North Rhine-Westphalia.

House of Schauenburg

Partitions of Holstein and Schauenburg under Schauenburg rule

County of Holstein-Schauenburg (1110–1137)					Duchy of Schleswig Under domain of Schauenburg family (Holstein-Rendsburg branch) (1325–1330 and 1375–1433)
County of Holstein (1137–1143)				County of Schauenburg (1137–1143)
County of Holstein-Schauenburg (1143–1203)
Annexed by Denmark				County of Schauenburg (1203–1227)
County of Holstein-Schauenburg (1227–1261)
		Holstein-Itzehoe and Schauenburg (1261–1290)
Holstein-Segeberg (1st creation) (1273–1315)	Holstein-Kiel (1261–1390)
		Holstein-Plön (1290–1350)		Holstein-Pinneberg and Schauenburg (1290–1640)
			Holstein-Rendsburg (1290–1459)
Holstein-Segeberg (2nd creation) (1397–1403)
Annexed by Denmark

Table of rulers

Ruler		Born	Reign	Death	Ruling part	Consort	Notes
Adolph I		?	1106–1130	13 November 1130	Schauenburg (with Holstein since 1110)	Hildewa before 1128 four children	First count of Schauenburg, in 1110 becomes count of Holstein.
Adolph II		c.1128	1130–1137 1143-1164	6 July 1164	Holstein	Mechthild of Schwarzburg-Käfernburg before 1160 one son	In 1137 Henry of Badewide occupied Holstein.
			1130–1164		Schauenburg
Henry of Badewide		?	1137–1143	1164	Holstein	A relative of the King of Denmark before 1164 at least two children	Non-dynastic. Restrained in 1139 to Wagria.
Adolph II		c.1128	1143–1164	6 July 1164	Schauenburg and Holstein	Matilda of Schwarzburg-Käfernburg before 1160 one son	Reunites Holstein and Schauenburg.
Regency of Matilda of Schwarzburg-Käfernburg (1164-1174)							Count of Schauenburg and Holstein, ceding the latter to Valdemar II in 1203 in order to be released from his captivity.
Adolph III		1160	1164–1203	3 January 1225	Schauenburg and Holstein	Adelaide of Assel 1182 no children Adelaide of Querfurt Before 10 May 1189 four children
			1203–1225		Schauenburg
Valdemar II of Denmark		9 May or 28 June 1170	1203–1208	28 March 1241	Holstein	Dagmar of Bohemia 1205 one son Berengaria of Portugal 1214 four children	From the House of Estridsen. Non-dynastic as invader of Holstein. Probably delivered the rule of Holstein to the count of Orlamunde.
Albert I		c.1184	1208–1227	before 22 October 1245	Holstein	Hedwig of Thuringia 1211 no children	From the House of Ascania, he's generally included in the numbering of the counts as I. Count of Weimar-Orlamünde, as Albert II, from 1206, he appears since 1208 with the additional title of Count of Holstein, holding residence at Stormarn.
Adolph IV		Before 1205	1225–1227	8 July 1261	Schauenburg	Heilwig of Lippe 1223 four children	Count of Holstein by military victory over Valdemar II; he later resigned and became a monk.
			1227–1238		Schauenburg and Holstein
Regency of Heilwig of Lippe (1238-1243)							Sons of Adolph IV, ruled jointly on their first years of rule, under regency of their mother. In 1261, they divided their possessions: John received Holstein-Kiel; Gerhard received Holstein-Itzehoe and also the county of Schauenburg. After Gerhard's death in 1290 his sons partitioned Holstein-Itzehoe and Schaumburg into three branches, with Adolph getting Holstein-Pinneberg and Schaumburg, Gerhard getting Holstein-Plön, and Henry getting Holstein-Rendsburg.
John I		1229	1238–1261	20 April 1263	Schauenburg and Holstein	Elisabeth of Saxe-Wittenberg 1249 or 1250 four children
			1261–1263		Holstein-Kiel
Gerhard I		1232	1238–1261	21 December 1290	Schauenburg and Holstein	Elizabeth of Mecklenburg 1250 eleven children Alexia of Montferrat 1282 no children
			1261–1290		Holstein-Itzehoe and Schauenburg
John II the One-Eyed		1253	1263–1316	1321	Holstein-Kiel	Margareta of Denmark 1276 two children	Sons of John I, ruled jointly. In 1273 divided the land: John II kept Holstein-Kiel; Adolph received Holstein-Segeberg. After the death of Adolph in 1308 without descendants, Holstein_Segeberg returned to Holstein-Kiel. In 1316, John II was deposed by his cousin John III from Holstein-Plön.
Adolph V the Pomeranian		1252	1263–1273	10 April or 11 November 1308	Holstein-Kiel	Euphemia of Pomerania-Wolgast 1273 or 1278 one child
			1273–1308		Holstein-Segeberg
Gerhard II the Blind		1254	1290–1312	28 October 1312	Holstein-Plön	Ingeborg of Sweden 12 December 1275 four children Agnes of Brandenburg 1293 one child	First son of Gerhard I, ruled in -Plön.
Adolph VI the Elder		1256	1290–1315	13 May 1315	Holstein-Pinneberg and Schauenburg	Helen of Saxe-Lauenburg 14 February 1294 seven children	Second son of Gerhard I, ruled in -Pinneberg and also received Schauenburg.
Henry I		1258	1290–1304	5 August 1304	Holstein-Rendsburg	Heilwig of Bronckhorst 1289 four children	Third son of Gerhard I, ruled in -Rendsburg.
Gerhard III the Great		1292	1304–1340 1326–1330	1 April 1340	Holstein-Rendsburg Schlewig	Sophia of Werle 1315 four children	Profited from the minority of the duke of Schleswig to take over the duchy to himself, but handed it over in 1330.
Adolph (VII)		c.1276	1308–1315	1315	Holstein-Segeberg	Luitgard of Mecklenburg 1315 no children	Son of John II, succeeded his uncle Adolph V at Segeberg. Died assassinated and without heirs.
Gerhard IV		1254	1312–1323	1323	Holstein-Plön	Anastasia of Schwerin 30 July 1313 two children	Sons of Gerhard II, ruled jointly. In 1316, John III deposed John II of Holstein-Kiel and took over the duchy, leaving sole rule of Plön to his brother Gerhard IV. John III also served, alongside Gerhard III, as lord ruling in guardianship the Danish Duchy of Schleswig 1332–1340.
John III the Mild		1297	1312–1316	27 September 1359	Holstein-Plön	Catherine of Głogów 25 December 1317 or 27 January 1319 three children Miroslawa of Schwerin-Wittenburg 1327 three children
			1316–1359		Holstein-Kiel
Adolph VII		1295 or 1297	1315–1354	9 October 1354	Holstein-Pinneberg and Schauenburg	Hedwig of Schwalenberg by 1301 three children Helwig of Lippe 1322 eight children
Gerhard V		1315	1323–1350	22 September 1350	Holstein-Plön	Unmarried	After his death, his uncle John III, ruler of -Kiel and previous co-ruler in -Plön, reunites both lands.
Nicholas I		1321	1340–1397 1375–1386	8 May 1397	Holstein-Rendsburg Schleswig	Elisabeth of Brunswick-Lüneburg 1354 one child	Nicholas and Henry ruled jointly as sons of Gerhard III. In 1375 they inherited the Duchy of Schleswig from the House of Estridsen. In 1384, with the death of his brother, Nicholas associated his nephews (Gerhard and Albert, sons of Henry) to power. In 1386 he abdicated of Schleswig to his older nephew Gerhard, who assumed alone this lands. In 1390 Nicholas inherited Holstein-Kiel. After Nicholas' death in 1397, the co-ruling nephews, Gerhard and Albert, divided the land.
Henry II of Iron		1317	1340–1384 1375–1384	1384	Holstein-Rendsburg Schleswig	Matilda of Lippe one child Ingeborg of Mecklenburg-Schwerin before 1374 four children
Adolph VIII the Younger		After 1301	1354–1370	13 October 1370	Holstein-Pinneberg and Schauenburg	Unmarried
Adolph IX the Mild		1327	1359–1390	26 January 1390	Holstein-Kiel	Anne of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 4 December 1362 or 21 September 1365 no children	Received from inheritance of his father -Kiel and also -Plön, incorporated in 1350. After his death in 1390 without descendants, -Kiel and its patrimony is inherited by Holstein-Rendsburg.
Otto I		1330	1370–1404	After 16 March 1404	Holstein-Pinneberg and Schauenburg	Mechtild of Brunswick-Lüneburg 25 June 1368 ten children
Gerhard VI		1367	1386–1404 1397–1404	5 August 1404	Schleswig Holstein-Rendsburg	Catherine Elisabeth of Brunswick-Lüneburg 1390 six children	Co-rulers in Rendsburg with their uncle Nicholas since 1384. After the abdication of Nicholas in Schleswig, Gerhard took over the duchy, and assumed Rendsburg only after the former's death. Gerhard's brother Albert revived in 1397 the duchy of Segeberg, making official the new division, but after his death in 1403, Segeberg merged again in Rendsburg, still in hands of Gerhard, who died in the following year.
Albert II		1369	1397–1403	28 September 1403	Holstein-Segeberg	Agnes of Saxe-Lauenburg before 23 March 1399 no children
Henry III		c.1372	1404–1421	February 1421	Holstein-Rendsburg	Unmarried	Also Prince-Bishop of Osnabrück as Henry I (1402–1410), and regent in Schleswig.
Adolph X		1375	1404–1426	9 October 1426	Holstein-Pinneberg and Schauenburg	Helena of Hoya 1378 three children
Regencies of Catherine Elisabeth of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Henry III, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg and Prince-Bishop of Osnabrück (1404–1413), in Schleswig							Died without descendants. Passed the land to his brothers.
Henry IV		1397	1404–1427 1421–1427	28 May 1427	Schleswig Holstein-Rendsburg	Unmarried
Otto II		1400	1426–1464	2 June 1464	Holstein-Pinneberg and Schauenburg	Elisabeth of Hohnstein 1418 ten children
Adolph XI		1401	1427–1459	4 December 1459	Holstein-Rendsburg and Schleswig	Matilda before 1433 no children Margareta of Mansfeld 1433 no children	Sons of Gerhard VI, ruled jointly in Holstein-Rendsburg. As Gerhard also wanted to rule in Schleswig he claimed (unsuccessfully) this duchy for himself against his brother. Adolph was the mightiest vassal of Danish crown at his time, gaining royal Danish recognition in 1440. After Adolph's death his patrimony is annexed by Denmark.
Gerhard VII		1404	1427–1433	24 July 1433	Holstein-Rendsburg and Schleswig	Agnes of Baden 2 June 1432 Baden ten children
Adolph XII		1419	1464–1474	9 October 1474	Holstein-Pinneberg and Schauenburg	Irmgard of Hoya 1459 no children	First son of Otto II. Left no descendants.
Eric I		1420	1474–1492	24 or 25 March 1492	Holstein-Pinneberg and Schauenburg	Heba of East Frisia 1476 no children	Second son of Otto II. Left no descendants.
Otto III		1426	1492–1510	1510	Holstein-Pinneberg and Schauenburg	Unmarried	Third son of Otto II. Left no descendants.
Anton I		1439	1510–1526	22 December 1526	Holstein-Pinneberg and Schauenburg	Sophia of Saxe-Lauenburg 29 November 1492 no children Anna of Schönburg before 25 September 1497 no children	Sixth son of Otto II and the fourth ruling. Left no descendants.
John IV		1449	1526–1527	30 March 1527	Holstein-Pinneberg and Schauenburg	Cordula of Gehmen 1482 one child
Jobst I		1483	1527–1531	5 June 1531	Holstein-Pinneberg and Schauenburg	Maria of Nassau-Dietz 1506 eight children
Adolph XIII		19 January 1511	1531–1544	20 September 1556	Holstein-Pinneberg and Schauenburg	Unmarried	Joint rule with his brother John IV. Abdicated in 1544. Later he became Archbishop of Cologne as Adolph III (1547–1556).
John V		1512	1531–1544	1560	Holstein-Pinneberg and Schauenburg	Elisabeth of East Frisia 1558 no children	Joint rule with his brother Adolphus XIII. Abdicated in 1544.
Otto IV		1517	1544–1576	21 December 1576	Holstein-Pinneberg and Schauenburg	Maria of Pomerania-Stettin before 1545 four children Ursula of Brunswick-Lüneburg 1558 three children	In 1559 he officially began the Reformation in Schauenburg and Holstein-Pinneberg.
Adolph XIV		27 February 1547	1576–1601	2 July 1601	Holstein-Pinneberg and Schauenburg	Elisabeth of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel 6 May 1583 Wolfenbüttel one child
Ernest		24 September 1569	1601–1622	17 January 1622	Holstein-Pinneberg and Schauenburg	Hedwig of Hesse-Kassel 11 September 1597 Schmalkalden ten children	Brother of Adolphus XIV. Was elevated to "Prince of Schaumburg" in 1619.
Jobst Herman		6 October 1593	1622–1635	5 November 1635	Holstein-Pinneberg and Schauenburg	Catherine Sophia of Brunswick-Harburg (1577-1665) no children	Cousin of his predecessor. Died without descendants.
Otto V		1 March 1614	1635–1640	15 November 1640	Holstein-Pinneberg and Schauenburg	Unmarried	Cousin of his predecessor. Died without descendants.

See also

• House of Schaumburg
• List of Rulers of Schleswig-Holstein

External links

• Marek, Miroslav. "List of rulers of Holstein". Genealogy EU.
• Marek, Miroslav. "Genealogy of Schauenburg". Genealogy EU.
• (in German) Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein