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{{contradictory|about=dates of his reign as Count of Oldenburg|date=June 2024}}
<table border=1 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 align=right style=margin-left:1em>
{{short description|Scandinavian monarch under the Kalmar Union (1426–1481)}}
<caption><font size="+1">'''Christian I'''</font></caption>
{{redirect|Christian I}}
<tr valign=top><td colspan='2'>]</td></tr>
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
<tr valign=top><td>'''Reign'''<td>
{{Infobox royalty
From ], ]
| name = Christian I
<br>to ], ] in Denmark
| image = Christian I of Denmark, Norway & Sweden 1440s.jpg
<br>
| caption = Portrait at ], 15th century
<br>From ]
| succession = ]
<br>to ], ] in Norway
| moretext = (])
<br>
| reign = 1 September 1448&nbsp;– 21 May 1481
<br>] - ] in Sweden
| coronation = 28 October 1449<br />]
<tr valign=top><td>'''Coronation'''<td>] in Denmark
| cor-type = ]
<br>] in Sweden
| predecessor = ]
<tr valign=top><td>'''Royal House'''<td>]
| successor = ]
<tr valign=top><td>'''Consorts'''<td>]
| succession1 = ]
<tr valign=top><td>'''Predecessors'''<td>] in Denmark
| moretext1 = (])
<br>] in Norway
| reign1 = 13 May 1450&nbsp;– 21 May 1481
<br>
| coronation1 = 2 August 1450, ]
<br>Regents ]
| cor-type1 = ]
<br>and ] in Sweden
| predecessor1 = ]
<tr valign=top><td>'''Successors'''<td>] in Denmark and Norway
| successor1 = ]
<br>Regent ] in Sweden
| succession2 = ]
<tr valign=top><td>'''Date of Birth'''<td>]
| moretext2 = (])
<tr valign=top><td>'''Place of Birth'''<td>]
| reign2 = 23 June 1457&nbsp;– 23 June 1464
<tr valign=top><td>'''Date of Death'''<td>], ]
| coronation2 = 29 June 1457, ]
<tr valign=top><td>'''Place of Death'''<td>], ]
| predecessor2 = ]
</table>
| successor2 = Karl VIII
| succession3 = ]
| reign3 = 14 February 1440&nbsp;– 1 September 1448
| predecessor3 = ]
| successor3 = ]
| spouse = {{Marriage|]|1449}}
| issue = {{Plainlist|
* ]
* ]
* ]
}}
| issue-link = #Issue
| issue-pipe = among others...
| house = ]
| father = ]
| mother = ]
| birth_date = {{Birth-date|February 1426}}
| birth_place = ], ]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1481|05|21|1426|02|df=y}}
| death_place = ]
| burial_place = ]
}}
'''Christian I''' ''(Christiern I)'' (February 1426&nbsp;– 21 May 1481) was a ] and ]n monarch under the ]. He was ] (1448–1481), ] (1450–1481) and ] (1457–1464). From 1460 to 1481, he was also ] (within Denmark) and count (after 1474, duke) of ] (within the ]). He was the first king of the ].<ref>''] Royal families of the World, I Europe & Latin America'' {{ISBN|0 85011 023 8}} p. 68</ref>


In the ] that arose following the death of ] (1416–1448) without a direct heir, Sweden elected ] (1408{{endash}}1470) king with the intent to reestablish the union under a Swedish king. Karl was elected king of Norway in the following year. However the ] made the ] 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 1464, Sweden broke away from the union and Christian's attempt at a reconquest resulted in his defeat by the Swedish regent ] at the ] in 1471.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://strv102r.tripod.com/battleof.htm|title= Battle of Brunkeberg 1471|publisher = tripod.com|access-date=1 June 2018}}</ref>
'''Christian I of Denmark''' (] &ndash; ]), Danish monarch and union king of ] (] &ndash; ]), ] (] &ndash; ]) and ] (] &ndash; ]), under the ]. In Sweden his short tenure as ] was preceded by ]s (]s), ] and ] and succeeded by viceroy (regent) ]. Also Duke of ] and ] 1460-81.


In 1460, following the death of his uncle, ], Christian also became Duke of Schleswig and Count of Holstein.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}
He was born in February 1426 in ]. His father was Count ] (died ]) whom he succeeded as Count of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst. His mother was his father's second wife, Hedwig of Schleswig and Holstein (]) (died ]). Christian had two brothers, Count Moritz V of Delmenhorst (] - ]) and Count Gerhard VI of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst (] - ]), and one sister Adelheid.


==Biography==
1448 Christian was elected to the vacant Danish throne, as a cognatic descendant of King ]. The throne was firstly offered by the Statsraad to the most prominent feudal lord of Danish dominions, i.e Duke ] of Schleswig-Holstein, but (relatively old and childless) he declined and recommended his nephew.
===Early years===
''Christiern'' was born in February 1426 in ] in ] as the eldest son of ] by his second wife, ] (died 1436). Christian had two younger brothers, ] (1428–1464) and ] (1430–1500), and one sister ].{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}


Through his father, he belonged to the ], a ] family established since the 12th century in an area west of the ] in north-western Germany. Based on the two ]s of ] and ], the family had gradually expanded its rule over the neighbouring ] of the area. Christian's father was called ''the Fortunate'' as he had reunited and expanded the family's territory. Christian's mother, Hedvig, was a daughter of ], and a sister of ]. Through his mother, Christian was also a ] descendant of King ] through his second daughter Richeza (died 1308) and also a cognatic descendant of King ] through his daughter Sophie. Through his father, Christian was a ] descendant of King ] through his daughter ]. Christian thus descended from the three surviving sons of ] and his second wife ].{{citation needed|date=July 2021}} He was also a cognatic descendant of King ].
Christian soon also married ] (] - ] ]), the widow of his predecessor King ] and thus ] queen, on ] ] in ]. Dorothea and Christian had five children:


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 ].<ref>{{cite web|url = https://de.wikisource.org/ADB:Adolf_VIII|title= Adolf VIII|publisher = Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie|access-date=1 June 2018}}</ref>
# Olaf (]-])
# Knud (]-])
# ] ''(Kong Hans)'' (] - ]), Duke of ] and ], King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden
# ] (]-]), 13 years old married to the 17 years old King ]
# ] (]-]), Duke of Schleswig and Holstein, in Gottorp, later also King of Denmark and Norway


===King of Denmark===
After an intervening brief reign of another, in 1450 Christian was recognized also to succeed to the hereditary throne of ], as a cognatic descendant of King ]. The throne had originally been left vacant at the death of Christian's predecessor in Denmark, king ], and was briefly occupied in 1449 by the Swedish rival (who was not of blood of Norwegian kings), Charles Knutsson (]) who however became deposed in Norway in 1450.
] by ], 1819.]]
(At the time, Norway was the only Scandinavian kingdom which was hereditary. However, beginning from the 14th century, it had become so weak that its hereditary succession tended to follow the monarch-elections in Denmark and Sweden.)
]
Christian's mother Hedwig of Schauenburg (countess consort of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst) was a descendant, and in her issue the heiress-general, of ] (Countess consort of Holstein and Schauenburg), a daughter of ''] and Norway'' (Duchess Albert of Mecklenburg), herself the only daughter of ], Duchess Consort of Sudermannia, who was the only daughter and sole surviving child of ] and ].
]]]


In January 1448, King ] died suddenly and without natural heirs. His death resulted in the break-up of the union of the three kingdoms, as Denmark and Sweden went their separate ways and Norway's affiliation was unclear. The vacant Danish throne was first offered by the ] to Duke Adolphus of Schleswig, being the most prominent feudal lord of Danish dominions. The duke declined and recommended his nephew, Count Christian of Oldenburg. Before being elected, Christian had to promise to obey to the ], a provision in the ] of King ], that promised that in the future, the same person could never be both ruler of the ] and Denmark simultaneously. The council also demanded that Christian should marry ] queen ] (ca 1430–1495), widow of his predecessor King Christopher III. On 1 September 1448, after signing his ascension promissory, count Christian was elected to the Danish throne as king Christian I at the assembly in ]. His coronation was held on 28 October 1449, in the ] in ], at which occasion his marriage with dowager queen Dorothea was also celebrated.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://runeberg.org/dbl/4/0303.html|title=Dorothea, 1430-95, Dronning|publisher =Dansk biografisk Lexikon |access-date=1 June 2018}}</ref>
His rival Charles Knutsson having as king of Sweden aroused certain antipathy and driven to exile, Christian finally was, under the idea of ], elected ] in ], receiving power from temporary Swedish regents archbishop ] and lord ]. However, Sweden being volatile and drawn asunder by factions (benefits of union being against nationalistic benefits), his reign there ended already in ] when bishop ] was installed as the next regent. Sweden soon recalled Charles Knutsson to return to the kingship (but he was later exiled second time, then recalled and died during his third time as king). Christian's final attempt of regaining Sweden ended in a total miltary failure at ] (outside Stockholm) October ] where he was defeated by the Swedish regent ] who was supported by the Danish-Swedish nobleman's clan the ] family. Until his death 1481, Christian demanded his Swedish kingdom to subjugate again under him.


===King of Sweden and Norway===
(Christian's mother Hedwig of Schauenburg was a descendant, and in her issue the heiress-general, of ], a daughter of '']'' (Duchess consort of Mecklenburg), and thus sister of King ] (Albert of Mecklenburg). Euphemia of Sweden herself was the sister of King ] (King Magnus Eriksson) and daughter of Duke Eric of Sudermannia, the second son of ] (King Magnus Ladislaus Birgersson). In addition to the families of Holstein, Lauenburg, Wolgast, and Mecklenburg, Christian of Oldenburg was one of the few surviving descendants of ancient Swedish kings.
] with a portrait of Christian I]]
Meanwhile, Sweden had on 20 June 1448 elected ] as king. Norway was now faced with the choice between a union with Denmark or Sweden, or electing a separate king. The latter option was quickly discarded, and a power-struggle ensued between the supporters of Christian of Denmark and Karl of Sweden. The Norwegian ] was divided. In February 1449, a part of the Council declared in favour of Karl as king, but on 15 June the same year, a different group of councillors paid ] to Christian. On 20 November, Karl was crowned king of Norway in ].{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}


However, the Swedish nobility now took steps to avoid war with Denmark. In June 1450, the Swedish Council of the Realm forced Karl to renounce his claim on Norway to 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 ]. On 29 August, ] between Denmark and Norway was signed in ]. Norway had of old been a ], 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|date=July 2021}}
In ] King Christian also became Duke of ] and Count of ] (during his tenure, Holstein was ] elevated a Duchy by the Holy Roman Emperor). Christian inherited Schleswig-Holstein after a short "interregnum" as the eldest son of the sister of late Duke ], Duke of Schleswig (Southern Jutland) and Count of Holstein, of the ] ] clan, who died ] ], without children. There would have been several genealogically senior claimants of Holstein, but Christian was nephew of the incumbent, the closest relative to that very branch which had lived longest and acquired most fiefs. Christian's succession was confirmed by the Estates (nobility and representatives) of these provinces in Ribe ] ].


Karl 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 ] and lord ]. However, Sweden being volatile and split by factions (benefits of union being against nationalistic benefits), his reign there ended in 1464 when ], Bishop of Linköping was installed as the next regent. Karl 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 ] (outside Stockholm) October 1471 where he was defeated by forces on Swedish regent ] ({{langx|sv|Sten Sture den äldre}}). Christian maintained his claim to the Swedish kingdom up to his death in 1481.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.blf.fi/artikel.php?id=43|title= Erik Axelsson Tott|publisher = Biografiskt lexikon för Finland 1. Svenska tiden |access-date=1 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://historiska-personer.nu/min-s/p403e0ae4.html|title= Kettil Vasa (Karlsson)|publisher= historiska-personer.nu|author= Christer Engstrand|access-date= 1 June 2018|archive-date= 9 September 2016|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160909144706/http://historiska-personer.nu/min-s/p403e0ae4.html|url-status= dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://sok.riksarkivet.se/sbl/Presentation.aspx?id=7922 |title=Jöns Bengtsson (Oxenstierna)|publisher =Svenskt biografiskt lexikon |access-date=1 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.tacitus.nu/svenskhistoria/statsman/sture.htm |title = Sten Sture den äldre |publisher = Tacitus.nu |author = Örjan Martinsson |access-date = 1 June 2018 |archive-date = 22 April 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220422070134/http://www.tacitus.nu/svenskhistoria/statsman/sture.htm |url-status = dead }}</ref>
Christian's personal territory was at its largest in 1460-64, 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, and the ] produced his heirs a bulwark which made other, elective monarchies to choose them, in order to preserve the union.


===Duke and Count===
King Christian died in Copenhagen on ], ], at the age of 55. He is interred at ]. Through his fourth and fifth children respectively, he was an ancestor to ], of Scotland and England, and his wife, ]. He is therefore an ancestor to the present-day British royal family, including ], Queen of ] and ]. Through his eldest surviving son, he is ancestor of Dukes of ] (later Emperors of Austria) and also of Electors of Brandenburg-Prussia. Through his youngest son, he is ancestor of kings of Denmark, Greece, Norway, some kings of Sweden, as well as Tsars of Russia.
In 1460 King Christian also became Duke of ], a Danish ], and Count of ], a ]ian subfief within the ]. Christian inherited Holstein-Rendsburg and Schleswig after a short "]" as the eldest son of the sister of late Duke ], Duke of Schleswig (Southern Jutland) and Count of Holstein, of the ] ] clan, who died 4 December 1459, without heirs. Christian's succession was confirmed by the ] (nobility and representatives) of these ] in Ribe 5 March 1460 (]). In 1474 Lauenburg's ] Emperor ] elevated Christian I as Count of Holstein to Duke of ], thus becoming an immediate imperial ] (see ]).{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}


===Later reign===
{{start box}}
] ], where a banquet was offered in his honour by Venetian Captain-General ].]]
{{succession box two to one | before1=]| title1=]| years1= | after=]| before2=]| title2=]| years2= }}
].]]
{{succession box | before = Regents
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|date=July 2021}}
''']'''
and ''']''| title = ]|years= | after = ]}}
{{end box}}


In 1474 Christian travelled two times: in April he went to ] (his stay in Lombardy is celebrated by frescoes by ] in the ]) and ], in ], where he met ]. In the autumn same year he visited ], acting as intermediary between him and future emperor ]. He stayed in ] for several months, moving to the ] in the early 1475.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}
<!-- Category -->
]
]
]
]
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]


].]]
<!-- Interwiki -->
Acting on a permission from Pope Sixtus IV in 1475 to establish a ] in Denmark, the ] was inaugurated by Christian on 1 June 1479.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}


===Death and burial===
]
]s of the ], showing amongst others Jesus carrying his cross on ].]]
]
King Christian died at ] on 21 May 1481 at the age of 55. He was interred at the ] at ], a richly decorated ] he and Queen Dorothea had erected to serve as a family sepulchral chapel for the ]. The burials of Christian I and Queen Dorothea are marked with a pair of simple stones, as the chapel itself was to be considered their ].{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}
]

]
==Legacy==
]
The dynasty he founded, the ], 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 ] and ], but also 1751–1818.<ref>''Burke's Royal Families of the World'' {{ISBN|0-85011-023-8}} p 60</ref>
]

]
==Arms==
]
<gallery>
]
File:BlasonChristian Ier (1143-1167), comte d'Oldenbourg.svg|Coat of arms as Count of Oldenburg.
File:Christian I of Denmark Coat of Arms 1448-1450.svg|Coat of arms as King of Denmark, the Goths and the Wends.
File:Christian I of Denmark Coat of Arms 1457-1460.svg|Coat of arms as King of Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the Wends.
File:Blason Christian Ier de Oldenbourg (1425-1481) Roi de Suède, de Danemark et de Norvège (retouched).svg|Coat of arms as King of Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the Wends and Duke of Schleswig-Holstein.
File:Royal coats of arms of King Christian I and Queen Dorothea of Denmark.tif|alt=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)
</gallery>

==Ancestry==
{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=no |align=center
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|1= 1. '''Christian I of Denmark'''
|2= 2. ]
|3= 3. ]
|4= 4. ]
|5= 5. ]
|6= 6. ]
|7= 7. ]
|8= 8. ]
|9= 9. ]
|10= 10. ]
|11= 11. ]
|12= 12. ]
|13= 13. ]
|14= 14. ]
|15= 15. ]
}}

===Danish royal descent===
{{Tree chart/start |summary= Descent of Christian I of Denmark}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | Val | | | Val=]}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | |!}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | Val | | | Val=]}}
{{Tree chart| | | | |,|-|-|-|+|-|-|-|.}}
{{Tree chart| | | | Pa1 | | Pa2 | |Pa3| | |Pa1=]|Pa2=]|Pa3=]}}
{{Tree chart| | | | |!| | | |!| | | |!| | | }}
{{Tree chart| | | | Pa1 | | Pa2 | |Pa3| | |Pa1=]|Pa2=]|Pa3=]}}
{{Tree chart| | | | |!| | | |!| | | |!| | | }}
{{Tree chart| | | | Pa1 | | Pa2 | |Pa3| | |Pa1=]|Pa2=]|Pa3=]}}
{{Tree chart| | | | |!| | | |!| | | |!| | | }}
{{Tree chart| | | | Pa1 | | Pa2 | |Pa3| | |Pa1=]|Pa2=]|Pa3=]}}
{{Tree chart| | | | |!| | | |!| | | |!| | | }}
{{Tree chart| | | | Pa1 | | Pa2 | |Pa3| | |Pa1=]|Pa2=]|Pa3=]}}
{{Tree chart| | | | |!| | | |!| | | |!| | | }}
{{Tree chart| | | | Pa1 |y| Pa2 | |Pa3| | |Pa1=]|Pa2=]|Pa3=]}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | |!| | | | | |!| | | }}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | Hel |~|y|~| Die | | |Hel=]|Die=]}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | |!}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | Chr | | |Chr=Christian I}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | |!}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | Old | | |Old=]}}
{{Tree chart/end}}

==Issue==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Name!!Birth!!Death!!Notes
|-
|Olaf||1450||1451||
|-
|Canute||1451||1455||
|-
|]||2 February 1455||20 February 1513||King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Had issue.
|-
|]||23 June 1456||14 July 1486||Married ] in 1469. Had issue.
|-
|]||7 October 1471||10 April 1533||King of Denmark and Norway. Had issue.
|}

==See also==
* ]
* ]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite journal|first=Erik|last=Arup|author-link=Erik Arup|title=Den finansielle side af erhvervelsen af hertugdømmerne 1460–1487|trans-title=The financial side of the acquisition of the duchies 1460–1487|url=https://tidsskrift.dk/historisktidsskrift/article/view/54794/74040|journal=]|volume=4|issue=7|pages=317–388; 399–489|location=]|year=1902–1904|publisher=]|language=da}}
* {{cite journal|first=W.|last=Carstens|title=Die Wahl König Christian I. von Dänemark zum Herzog von Schleswig und Graf von Holstein im Jahre 1460.|trans-title=The election of King Christian I of Denmark as Duke of Schleswig and Count of Holstein in 1460|journal=]|volume=60|year=1931|publisher=]|location=]|language=de}}
* {{cite book|first=Troels|last=Dahlerup|title=De fire stænder. 1400–1500|trans-title=The four estates. 1400–1500.|series=]|volume=6|year=1989|location=]|publisher=] & ]|isbn=87-89068-08-4|language=da}}
* {{cite book|first=Victor|last=Hermansen|title=Christiern den Førstes højde|trans-title=The height of Christiern the First|year=1950|publisher=]|location=]|language=da}}
*{{Cite ADB|4|180|184|Christian I.|Hille, Georg|ADB:Christian I. (König von Dänemark, Norwegen und Schweden)}}
* {{cite book|first=Carsten|last=Jahnke|authorlink=Carsten Jahnke|year=2014|chapter=Two Journeys and One University: King Christian I and Queen Dorothea's Journeys to Rome and the Foundation of the University of Copenhagen|title=Denmark and Europe in the Middle Ages, c. 1000–1525: Essays in Honour of Professor Michael H. Gelting|pages=139–153|language=en}}
*{{runeberg|url=https://runeberg.org/dbl/3/0483.html|chapter=Christian I|title=]|last=Mollerup|first=William|edition=1st|volume=3|date=1889}}
* {{cite journal|first=Arne|last=Odd Johnsen|author-link=Arne Odd Johnsen|year=1947–1949|title=Kong Christian I.s forbundspakt med Karl den Dristige av Burgund og hans allierte (1467)|trans-title=King Christian I's Covenant Pact with Charles the Bold of Burgundy and his Allies (1467)|url=https://tidsskrift.dk/historisktidsskrift/article/view/50271/64994|journal=]|publisher=]|location=]|volume=11|issue=2|pages=111–131|language=no}}
* {{cite book|first=Bjørn|last=Poulsen|title=Land – by – marked: to økonomiske landskaber i 1400-tallets Slesvig|url=http://star.dcbib.dk/publikationer/024_Land_by_marked.pdf|location=]|year=1988|isbn=87-89178-00-9|language=da}}
*{{cite book |last=Platte |first=Hartmut |year= 2006 |title=Das Haus Oldenburg |publisher=Börde |location=] |isbn= 3-9810315-4-7 |language= de |ref=platte}}
*{{cite book|last1=Scocozza|first1=Benito|chapter=Christian 1.|title=Politikens bog om danske monarker|trans-title=Politiken's book about Danish monarchs|year=1997|publisher=Politikens Forlag|location=]|isbn=87-567-5772-7|pages=94–98|language=da}}
*{{NDB|3|232|233|Christian I.|Suhr, Wilhelm|12939159X}}
* {{cite journal|first=Biörn|last=Tjällén|year=2020|title=King Bottomless Empty Purse': Taxes, Avarice and Pastoral Care in the Swedish Reign of Christian I (1457–64)|journal=]|volume=46 |issue=2 |pages=172–195 |doi=10.1080/03468755.2020.1785932|doi-access=free}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Christian I of Denmark}}
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150314224944/http://kongehuset.dk/english/the-monarchy-in-denmark/The-Royal-Lineage |date=14 March 2015 }} at the website of the ]

{{S-start}}
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{{s-ttl|title=]|years=1474–1481}}
{{S-end}}

{{Monarchs of Denmark}}
{{Monarchs of Norway}}
{{Monarchs of Sweden}}
{{Monarchs of Iceland}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Christian 01 of Denmark}}
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Latest revision as of 09:28, 13 January 2025

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Scandinavian monarch under the Kalmar Union (1426–1481) "Christian I" redirects here. For other uses, see Christian I (disambiguation).

Christian I
Portrait at Frederiksborg Castle, 15th century
King of Denmark (more...)
Reign1 September 1448 – 21 May 1481
Coronation28 October 1449
Copenhagen Cathedral
PredecessorChristopher III
SuccessorJohn
King of Norway (more...)
Reign13 May 1450 – 21 May 1481
Coronation2 August 1450, Trondheim
PredecessorKarl I
SuccessorJohn
King of Sweden (more...)
Reign23 June 1457 – 23 June 1464
Coronation29 June 1457, Uppsala
PredecessorKarl VIII
SuccessorKarl VIII
Count of Oldenburg
Reign14 February 1440 – 1 September 1448
PredecessorDietrich I
SuccessorGerhard VI
BornFebruary 1426 (1426-02)
Oldenburg, Holy Roman Empire
Died21 May 1481(1481-05-21) (aged 55)
Copenhagen Castle
BurialRoskilde Cathedral
Spouse Dorothea of Brandenburg ​ ​(m. 1449)​
Issue
among others...
HouseOldenburg
FatherDietrich, Count of Oldenburg
MotherHedvig of Holstein

Christian I (Christiern I) (February 1426 – 21 May 1481) was a German noble and Scandinavian monarch under the Kalmar Union. He was king of Denmark (1448–1481), Norway (1450–1481) and 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.

In the power vacuum that arose following the death of King Cristopher (1416–1448) without a direct heir, Sweden elected Karl Knutsson (1408–1470) king with the intent to reestablish the union under a Swedish king. Karl was elected king of Norway in the following year. However the counts of Holstein made 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 1464, 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.

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.

Biography

Early years

Christiern was born in February 1426 in Oldenburg in Northern Germany as the eldest son of Count Dietrich of Oldenburg by his second wife, Hedvig of Holstein (died 1436). Christian had two younger brothers, Maurice (1428–1464) and Gerhard (1430–1500), and one sister Adelheid.

Through his father, he belonged to the House of Oldenburg, a comital family established since the 12th century in an area west of the River Weser in north-western Germany. Based on the two strongholds of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst, the family had gradually expanded its rule over the neighbouring Frisian tribes of the area. Christian's father was called the Fortunate as he had reunited and expanded the family's territory. Christian's mother, Hedvig, was a daughter of Gerhard VI, Count of Holstein, and a sister of Adolphus, Duke of Schleswig. Through his mother, Christian was also a cognatic descendant of King Eric V of Denmark through his second daughter Richeza (died 1308) and also a cognatic descendant of King Abel of Denmark through his daughter Sophie. Through his father, Christian was a 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. 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.

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 Christopher of Denmark, Sweden and Norway died suddenly and without natural heirs. His death resulted in the break-up of the union of the three kingdoms, as Denmark and Sweden went their separate ways and Norway's affiliation was unclear. The vacant Danish throne was first offered by the Council of the Realm to Duke Adolphus of Schleswig, being the most prominent feudal lord of Danish dominions. The duke declined and recommended his nephew, Count Christian of Oldenburg. Before being elected, Christian had to promise to obey to the Constitutio Valdemariana, a provision in the ascension promissory of King Valdemar III of Denmark, that promised that in the future, the same person could never be both ruler of the Duchy of Schleswig and Denmark simultaneously. The council also demanded that Christian should marry dowager queen Dorothea of Brandenburg (ca 1430–1495), widow of his predecessor King Christopher III. On 1 September 1448, after signing his ascension promissory, count Christian was elected to the Danish throne as king Christian I at the assembly in Viborg. His coronation was held on 28 October 1449, in the Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen, at which occasion his marriage with dowager queen Dorothea was also celebrated.

King of Sweden and Norway

Tapestry with a portrait of Christian I

Meanwhile, Sweden had on 20 June 1448 elected Karl Knutsson Bonde as king. Norway was now faced with the choice between a union with Denmark or Sweden, or electing a separate king. The latter option was quickly discarded, and a power-struggle ensued between the supporters of Christian of Denmark and Karl of Sweden. The Norwegian Council of the Realm was divided. In February 1449, a part of the Council declared in favour of Karl as king, but on 15 June the same year, a different group of councillors paid homage to Christian. On 20 November, Karl was crowned king of Norway in Trondheim.

However, the Swedish nobility now took steps to avoid war with Denmark. In June 1450, the Swedish Council of the Realm forced Karl to renounce his claim on Norway to 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 Trondheim. On 29 August, a union treaty between Denmark and Norway was signed in Bergen. Norway had of old been a 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.

Karl 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 Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna and lord Erik Axelsson Tott. However, Sweden being volatile and split by factions (benefits of union being against nationalistic benefits), his reign there ended in 1464 when Kettil Karlsson Vasa, Bishop of Linköping was installed as the next regent. Karl 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.

Duke and Count

In 1460 King Christian also became Duke of Schleswig, a Danish fief, and Count of Holstein-Rendsburg, a Saxe-Lauenburgian subfief within the Holy Roman Empire. Christian inherited Holstein-Rendsburg and Schleswig after a short "interregnum" as the eldest son of the sister of late Duke Adolphus VIII, Duke of Schleswig (Southern Jutland) and Count of Holstein, of the Schauenburg fürst clan, who died 4 December 1459, without heirs. Christian's succession was confirmed by the Estates of the Realm (nobility and representatives) of these duchies in Ribe 5 March 1460 (Treaty of Ribe). In 1474 Lauenburg's 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).

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.

In 1474 Christian travelled two times: in April he went to Milan (his stay in Lombardy is celebrated by frescoes by 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.

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.

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 Copenhagen Castle on 21 May 1481 at the age of 55. He was interred at the Chapel of the Magi at Roskilde Cathedral, a richly decorated chapel he and Queen Dorothea had erected to serve as a family sepulchral chapel for the House of Oldenburg. The burials of Christian I and Queen Dorothea are marked with a pair of simple stones, as the chapel itself was to be considered their sepulchral monument.

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.

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. Conrad I, Count of Oldenburg
4. Christian V, Count of Oldenburg
9. Ingeborg of Holstein-Plön
2. Dietrich, Count of Oldenburg
10. Dietrich V, Count of Hohnstein-Heringen
5. 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. Hedvig of Holstein
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
Henry II, Count of Holstein-RendsburgCatherine of Anhalt-BernburgIngeborg, Countess of Oldenburg
Gerhard VI, Count of Holstein-RendsburgCatherine Elisabeth of Brunswick-LüneburgChristian V, Count of Oldenburg
Hedvig of HolsteinDietrich, 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. Burke's Royal families of the World, I Europe & Latin America 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. Burke's Royal Families of the World ISBN 0-85011-023-8 p 60

Bibliography

External links

Christian IHouse of OldenburgBorn: February 1426 Died: 21 May 1481
Regnal titles
Preceded byTheodoric Count of Oldenburg
as Christian VII
1440–1450 		Succeeded byGerhard VI
Preceded byChristopher III King of Denmark
1448–1481 		Succeeded byJohn
Preceded byKarl King of Norway
1450–1481 		VacantRegency held by Jon Svaleson SmørTitle next held byJohn
VacantRegency held by
Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna
and Erik Axelsson TottTitle last held byKarl VIII 		King of Sweden
1457–1464 		VacantRegency held by
Kettil Karlsson (Vasa)Title next held byKarl VIII
Preceded byAdolf VIII Count of Holstein-Rendsburg
1460–1474 		Became duke
Duke of Schleswig
1460–1481 		Succeeded byJohn I and
Frederick I
Became duke Duke of Holstein
1474–1481
Monarchs of Denmark
Knýtlinga
c. 916 – 1042
Fairhair
1042–1047
Estridsen
1047–1375
Bjälbo
1376–1387
Estridsen
1376–1412
Pomerania
1397–1439
Palatinate-Neumarkt
1440–1448
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1448–1863
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since 1863
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