Dietrich, Count of Oldenburg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dietrich of Oldenburg |
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| Predecessor | Christian V of Oldenburg |
| Successor | Christian VII |
| Spouse(s) | Countess Adelheid of Oldenburg-Delmenhorst Hedvig of Holstein |
| Issue | |
| Christian I of Denmark Maurice V of Delmenhorst Gerhard VI, Count of Oldenburg Adelheid, Countess of Hohenstein and Mansfeld |
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| Noble family | House of Oldenburg |
| Father | Christian V, Count of Oldenburg |
| Mother | Countess Agnes of Honstein |
| Born | c. 1398 |
| Died | 14 February 1440 (aged 41–42) Delmenhorst,Germany |
| Burial | Roskilde Cathedral, Roskilde, Denmark |
Dietrich of Oldenburg (born around 1398 – died 14 February 1440) was an important ruler in Northern Germany. He was a count who controlled areas called Delmenhorst and Oldenburg. People called him "Fortunatus," which means "the Lucky one," because he managed to keep Delmenhorst for his family.
Dietrich was the father of Christian I of Denmark. Christian I later became king and started the family line that still rules Denmark today.
Dietrich's Family Background
Dietrich of Oldenburg was the son of Christian V of Oldenburg. Christian V became a Count around 1398 and passed away in 1403. Dietrich's mother was Countess Agnes of Honstein.
His grandfather, Conrad I of Oldenburg, had divided his lands. These lands went to Dietrich's father and his uncle, Conrad II. Dietrich's father, Christian V, gained more power when Conrad II's son died in 1420. After this, most of the Oldenburg family's lands were under Dietrich's family branch.
Dietrich was also the great-grandson of Ingeborg of Itzehoe. She was a princess from Holstein. Through her, Dietrich was connected to the royal families of Sweden and Denmark. He was considered an heir to Kings Valdemar I of Sweden and Eric IV of Denmark.
Dietrich took over as the head of the House of Oldenburg in 1403. He is a direct ancestor of King Charles III of the United Kingdom.
Marriages and Children
When he was young, Dietrich married his distant cousin, Countess Adelheid of Oldenburg-Delmenhorst. This marriage helped to unite family lands. Countess Adelheid likely passed away in 1404.
In 1423, Dietrich married again. His second wife was Hedvig of Holstein (born between 1398–1400, died 1436). She was the daughter of Duke Gerhard VI of Schleswig and Holstein. This marriage made Dietrich's connections to the Scandinavian royal families even stronger. Hedvig was related to King Eric V of Denmark, King Haakon V of Norway, and King Magnus I of Sweden.
At that time, the countries of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden were united. This union was called the Kalmar Union. Dietrich of Oldenburg was seen as a possible claimant to the crowns of Sweden and Denmark.
Count Dietrich had three sons and one daughter who survived:
- Christian (1426–1481); He became Count after his father. Later, he became King Christian I of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. He also became Duke of Schleswig and Holstein. He started the Oldenburg royal family line in Denmark.
- Maurice V of Delmenhorst (1428–1464); When his older brother became king, Maurice was given the County of Delmenhorst.
- Gerhard VI, Count of Oldenburg (1430–1500); Two years after his oldest brother became king, Gerhard was given the County of Oldenburg. He also inherited Delmenhorst from his brother Maurice's heirs around 1483.
- Adelheid (1425–1475); She first married Ernest III, Count of Hohnstein. Later, in 1474, she married Gerhard VI, Count of Mansfeld.
Royal Descendants
Dietrich of Oldenburg is a direct ancestor of many royal families. He is the ancestor of the Danish royal family through his son Christian I. He is also a direct ancestor of the British royal family. Other royal families he is related to include the pretenders to the Kingdom of the Hellenes, the Norwegian royal family, and the last Russian czars of Romanov-Holstein-Gottorp.
