Posted by Hovite
on 8/3/2011, 15:30:01, in reply to "Titles of the (entire) House of Schleswig-Holstein/Oldenburg"
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: in the duchy of Hosltein-Gottorp (renamed
: Oldenburg and later a grand duchy)
Holstein and Oldenburg are different places.
Oldenburg was (eventually) a Grand Duchy, in three parts, totalling 2058 square miles, with its capital at Oldenburg, now in the state of Lower Saxony. Delmenhorst was at first a separate county, later part of Oldenburg.
Schleswig & Holstein were duchies, immediately south of Denmark. They are now united as the state of Schleswig-Holstein.
It was Count Dietrich the Fortunate of Oldenburg who acquired Delmenhorst, Schleswig, and Holstein by marriage. He married firstly Adelaide, daughter of Otto VII, Count of Delmenhort, and secondly Hedwig, daughter of Gerhard VI, Count of Holstein and Duke of Schleswig. One of Count Dietrich's sons became King of Denmark, as Christian I. After that, the various territories were repeatedly divided, united, and shuffled.
The Holstein-Gottorp branch was founded by a younger son of Frederick I, King of Denmark. To this line belonged the later Emperors of Russia, Kings of Sweden, and Grand Dukes of Oldenburg.
The Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg branch began with a younger son of King Christian III of Denmark. It is to this line that the later Kings of Denmark and Greece belong.