Birkeborg
editVilla Birkeborg | |
---|---|
Alternative names | Villa Birkeborg |
General information | |
Architectural style | National Romantic style |
Address | Skodsborg Strandvej 240-246 |
Town or city | Skodsborg |
Country | Denmark |
Coordinates | 55°50′02″N 12°34′25″E / 55.833875°N 12.573507°E |
Year(s) built | 1909-1910 |
Demolished | 1966 |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Carl Harald Brummer |
Awards and prizes | Eckersberg Medal (1911) |
Birkeborg (also called Villa Birkeborg) is a former country house and mansion in Skodsborg, Rudersdal Municipality, situated on the Øresund coast north of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Designed by architect Carl Harald Brummer, the mansion was built between 1909 and 1910. Over the next 50 years, Birkeborg served as a country house and summer residence for several wealthy Copenhagen families until it was demolished in the 1960s. The property has since been converted into a recreational beach park, Birkeborg Park, renamed the Struckmann Park , in 1973.
History
editThe area on which Birkeborg was eventually constructed was originally parcelled out from the Aggershvile estate, and Birkeborg was built on the Aggershvile hill (Danish: Aggershvilebakken). The grounds of the Birkeborg estate totalled about 3 barrels of land (Danish: tønder), equal to over 16,000 square metres.
The mansion itself with adjoining pergola and pavilion was designed by architect Carl Brummer, for which he was awarded the Eckersberg Medal in 1911. In addition, an adjoining caretaker's residence was also constructed on the grounds. A grand and stately landscape garden was established on the property, designed and maintained by Danish garden architect, Erik Erstad-Jørgensen .
Birkeborg was built during World War I for a Swedish war profiteer (Danish: Gullaschbaron), Lorenz Beijers, and was a typical example of the prevailing Swedish-German architectural style, that influenced Swedish architecture after the marriage of Victoria of Baden and Gustaf V in 1881. The building featured four storeys, a roof superstructure with a tower clock and a columned colonnade facing the beach, dominating the more modest villas on Strandvejen.[1]
In 1916, shipowner and merchant, Andreas Erlandsen (1877-1943) bought Birkeborg. He used it as a summer residence until 1926, where the wealthy Artom Rand (1880-1956), director of Copenhagen Fruit Auctions acquired the mansion. Rand was married to Rigmor Rand (née Aller), the daughter of Danish publisher Carl Aller, and they lived at Birkeborg until Rand's death in 1956, whereafter Rigmor alone owned the property.[2] Rigmor was also the co-owner of the grand manor house Sophienholm on the shore of Lake Bagsværd in Lyngby, from 1926 to 1963.
In 1960, Rigmor Rand sold the propoerty to a local master builder, Arp Hansen. Shoryly afterwars, in 1961, the Danish Ministry of Culture acquired the Birkeborg property from Hansen, after which the demolition of the mansion began and was completed in 1966. In connection with the dismantling, a public recreational beach park was established on the vacated area, initially called the ‘Birkeborg Park’, however in 1973 it was renamed the Struckmann Park (Danish: Struckmannparken), named after the chairman of the Danish Society for Nature Conservation, Erick Struckmann.[3]
Architectural features
editThe building was built on an Öland stone plinth, with plastered and slightly yellowwashed facades. The roof surfaces were covered with black glazed tiles and the vertical wall of the mansard roof was covered with copper.[4]
The hall extended over two storeys and had access to the curved loggia from the living room; from the first floor, a wraparound gallery led to a balcony resting on the pillars of the loggia. The villa was situated on a slope facing the beach, offering excellent views of the Øresund strait and the Swedish coast.[4]
List of former owners
edit- 1910-1916: Lorenz Beijer, Swedish merchant.
- 1916-1926: Andreas Erlandsen, merchant and shipowner.
- 1926-1956: Artom Rand , founder, director and owner of Copenhagen Fruit Auctions .
- 1956-1960: Rigmor Rand (née Aller), widow of above.
- 1960-1961: Arp Hansen, a local master builder.
- 1961-1966: Ministry of Culture of Denmark.
Gallery
editReferences
editCitations
edit- ^ Brandt, Lauritz (13 March 1978). "Vedrørende Kystområdets planlægning: Birkeborg" (Document). Skodsborg Landowners' Association & the Building Inspectorate of Søllerød Municipality. p. 42.
- ^ Haste 1930, p. 103.
- ^ Stilling, Niels Peter, ed. (2016). Søllerødbogen 2016 [The Søllerød Book 2016] (in Danish). Holte: Historisk-Topografisk Selskab for Søllerød Kommune. pp. 120–121. ISBN 8787113961.
- ^ a b Brøchner 1912, p. 15.
Sources
edit- Brøchner, Georg (1912). Nordiscke Villaer og Hjem: Afbildninger af nordiske Arkitekters og andre Kunstneres Arbejder, Eksteriører, Interiører, Grundrids og Planer (in Danish). E. Jespersen.
- Haste, William (1930). Strandvejen: dens huse og mennesker (in Danish). H. Hagerup.
- Sørensen, C. Th. (1939). Written at Copenhagen. Om Haver (1st ed.). Emil Wienes Bogforlag: Egmont H. Petersens Kgl. Hof-Bogtrykkeri.
Artom Rand
editArtom Georg Niels Rand (29 November 1880 – 15 December 1956) was a Danish major merchant, auctioneer and fruit importer who founded and was the director of Copenhagen Fruit Auctions .
Early life and education
editCareer
editPersonal life
editHonours
edit
Lars Bay Larsen
editLars Bay Larsen (8 June 1953) is a Danish jurist and judge, who has served as the Vice President of the Court of Justice of the European Union, since 2021. He has been a Judge of the court since 2006.
Vibeke Pasternak Jørgensen
editVibeke Pasternak Jørgensen (born 13 October 1967) is a Danish diplomat, laywer and Ambassador-at-large, who serves as the current Under-Secretary of State for Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In her current position, she serves as the General counsel and chief legal officer (CLO) of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She officially represented Denmark in the genocide case Ukraine v. Russian Federation, brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in 2022.
Henriette Ellermann-Kingombe
editHenriette Ellermann-Kingombe (born 21 March 1970) is a Danish civil servant and courtier, who is the current Private Secretary and lady-in-waiting to Queen Mary of Denmark, since 2021.
Carsten Grønbech-Jensen
editCarsten Grønbech-Jensen (born 3 November 1971) is a Danish diplomat and civil servant. He is the current Permanent Representative of Denmark to the European Union, having previously served as Director of European and Arctic Policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Early life and education
editCareer
editPersonal life
editHonours
editReferences
editLisbet Zilmer-Johns
editLisbet Zilmer-Johns (born 14 August 1965) is a Danish diplomat and civil servant. She is the current Secretary of State for Foreign Policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, having previously served as Director-General of the Danish Critical Supply Agency (2020-2023) and as Permanent Representative to the Political and Security Committee of the European Union (2013-2017).
Early life and education
editCareer
editPersonal life
editMarried in 1996 to senior diplomat and ambassador Michael Zilmer-Johns.
Honours
editReferences
edit- ^ "Change in the Crown Prince Couple's Court". www.kongehuset.dk. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
Jonas Bering Liisberg
editJonas Bering Liisberg (born) is a Danish jurist, diplomat and civil servant. He is the current Secretary of State for European and the Arctic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, having previously served as Permanent Representative of Dennmark to the European Union (2019-2022) and Secretary of State for Foreign Policy (2017-2019).
Early life and education
editCareer
editPersonal life
editHonours
editAnniken Krutnes
editAnniken Ramberg Krutnes | |
---|---|
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to the United States | |
Assumed office 17 September 2020 | |
Monarch | Harald V |
Prime Minister | Erna Solberg Jonas Gahr Støre |
Preceded by | Kåre R. Aas |
Ambassador of Norway for Arctic and Antarctic Affairs | |
In office August 2016 – August 2018 | |
Monarch | Harald V |
Prime Minister | Erna Solberg |
Ambassador of Norway to the Netherlands concurrently to Luxembourg | |
In office September 2011 – July 2016 | |
Monarch | Harald V |
Prime Minister | Jens Stoltenberg Erna Solberg |
Personal details | |
Born | Asker, Norway | 15 September 1968
Residence(s) | Washington, D.C., United States |
Alma mater | University of Oslo Norwegian School of Economics |
Anniken Ramberg Krutnes (born 15 September 1968) is a Norwegian diplomat and civil servant. Since 2020, she has been the current Ambassador of Norway to the United States, the first woman to hold that position. She has previously served as Norway's Ambassador for Arctic and Antarctic Affairs (2016–2018) as well as Ambassador of Norway to the Netherlands and Luxembourg (2011–2016)
Krutnes'
Deputy Director General of the Department of Security Policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway.
Early life and education
editCareer
editconcurrently side-accredited to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
Personal life
editHonours
editReferences´
editBirgitte Nygaard Markussen
editBirgitte Nygaard Markussen (born 30 March 1963) is a Danish diplomat and civil servant. She is the current Director for Humanitarian Affairs, Civil Society and Engagement at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, having previously served as the Ambassador of the European Union to the African Union from 2020 to 2023.
Markussen has held several diplomatic positions during her career, with a particular emphasis on foreign relations with Africa. She started her career in the Danish Foreign Service, where she served as Ambassador of Denmark to Burkina Faso (2010–2012), and as the Director for Africa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (2012–2016), before joining the European External Action Service, becomming firstly the Deputy Managing Director for Africa (2016–2020), and then Foreign Policy Expoert to the European Investment Bank (2018–2020), and then EU ambassador to the African Union and the UN Economic Commission for Africa.
Early life and education
editCareer
editPersonal life
editHonours
editReferences
editMartin Bille Hermann
editMartin Bille Hermann | |
---|---|
Permanent Representative of Denmark to the OECD | |
Assumed office 1 September 2023 | |
Monarchs | Margrethe II Frederik X |
Prime Minister | Mette Frederiksen |
Preceded by | Carsten Staur |
Permanent Representative of Denmark to the United Nations | |
In office 1 September 2019 – 1 September 2023 | |
Monarch | Margrethe II |
Prime Minister | Lars Løkke Rasmussen Mette Frederiksen |
Preceded by | Ib Petersen |
Succeeded by | Christina Markus Lassen |
Ambassador of Denmark to Indonesia concurrently to Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and ASEAN | |
In office 2012–2014 | |
Monarch | Margrethe II |
Prime Minister | Lars Løkke Rasmussen Helle Thorning-Schmidt |
Preceded by | Børge Petersen |
Succeeded by | Casper Klynge |
Personal details | |
Born | Copenhagen, Denmark | 21 December 1968
Residence(s) | Bruxelles, Belgium |
Alma mater | University of Copenhagen |
Martin Bille Hermann (born 21 December 1968) is a Danish diplomat and civil servant. He is the current Permanent Representative of Dennmark to OECD, having previously served as the Permanent Representative of Denmark to the United Nations (UN) in New York, from 2019 to 2023.
Susanne Shine
editForthcomming Ambassador of Denmark to Belgium.
Lene Mandel Vensild
editForthcomming Permanent Representative of Denmark to the Political and Security Committee of the European Union (EU).
Pernille Dahler Kardel
editDanish Foreign Service
editCentral Administration of Denmark
editAgency overview | |
---|---|
Formed | 25 December 1066 |
Jurisdiction | Government of Denmark |
Headquarters | Copenhagen |
Employees | 100.855 |
Agency executive |
The Central Administration of Denmark (Danish: centraladministrationen or statsadministrationen; also known as the State Administration of Denmark) is the nationwide public administration of the Kingdom of Denmark, and is conventionally comprised of the ministerial departments and subdivisional directorates, agencies, councils and boards, under the jurisdiction of the Cabinet of Denmark, the central executive power.
The central administration is staffed by the Civil Service of Denmark (Danish: embedsværket), a permanent bureaucracy or secretariat of public officials, which supports the functions and decisions of the government through the administration of legislation, management of public appropriations, information and counselling.
Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister's Office (Denmark)
editThe Permanent Secretary of State to the Prime Minister's Office (Danish: Statsministeriets departementschef) is the highest official in the Prime Minister's Office of Denmark, and as such the most senior civil servant in the central administration of Denmark and the symbolic head of the entire civil service.
Since 1914, the Permanent Secretary has served concurrently as the Secretary of the Council of State, the privy council of Denmark.
History
editThe position was established in 1913 at the instigation of Carl Theodor Zahle, as the Permanent Secretary to the Council Presidium, the then cabinet ministry of Denmark. The inaugural holder was Erik Arup.
List of permanent secretaries
edit# | Name
(birth–death) |
Term of office | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Erik Arup
(1876–1951) |
1 January 1914 | 31 January 1916 |
2 | Frantz Dahl
(1869–1937) |
1 February 1916 | 31 March 1919 |
3 | Frederik V. Petersen
(1868–1950) |
1 April 1919 | 31 May 1938 |
4 | Andreas Møller
(1882–1954) |
1 June 1938 | 31 March 1952 |
5 | Jørgen Elkjær-Jensen
(1912–1988) |
1 April 1952 | 31 December 1964 |
6 | Eigil Jørgensen
(1927–2020) |
1 January 1965 | 31 December 1972 |
7 | Jørgen Gersing
(1927– 1987) |
1 January 1973 | 30 April 1979 |
8 | Peter Wiese
(1933–1993) |
1 May 1979 | 1993 |
9 | Ulrik Federspiel
(b. 1943) |
1993 | 1996 |
10 | Nils Bernstein
(b. 1943) |
1996 | 2005 |
11 | Karsten Dybvad
(b. 1956) |
2005 | 2010 |
11 | Christian Kettel Thomsen
(b. 1959) |
2010 | 2020 |
12 | Barbara Bertelsen
(b. 1973) |
2020 |
Sørine Godfredsen
editSørine Godfredsen (born 7 July 1967) is a Danish pastor, journalist, author, and conservative political and cultural debater and commentator, who writes for Kristeligt Dagblad and Berlingske.
Early life and education
editSørine Godfredsen was born on 7 July 1967 in Hadsten, Central Jutland Region, the daughter of * and *.
She grew up in a family of four children and graduated with an examen artium in modern languages from the County Gymnasium of Hadsten in 1986.
In 1993, Godfredsen earned her journalism degree from the Danish School of Media and Journalism in Aarhus. Following a brief stint as a TV journalist at TV2 Midt/Vest in Holstebro, she moved to Brighton, completing a master's degree in media studies at the University of Sussex in 1994.
Godfredsen worked as a journalist at Det Fri Aktuelt from 1994 to 2001, covering sports, culture, and commentary. Concurrently, she pursued theology studies at the University of Copenhagen, earning a Master of Theology (cand.theol.) degree in 2004.
Career
editViews
editShe considers herself conservative, and supports christian and traditional values.
Personal life
editShe married Henrik Flødstrup, a journalist at Ekstra Bladet, on 21 May 2023.
References
editCitations
editSources
editMajorie of Scotland
editMajorie of Scotland, Countess of Pembroke (also Margery, actually Margaret; 1200 – 17 November 1244) was a Scottish princess, the third daughter of William the Lion, King of Scotland and his wife Ermengarde de Beaumont. She was a member of the House of Dunkeld by birth, and by marriage a member of the Marshal family.
Biography
editEarly life
editMarriage
editShe married Gilbert Marshal, 4th Earl of Pembroke, son of William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Isabel de Clare, 4th Countess of Pembroke, on 1 August 1235 in Berwick-upon-Tweed. He recieved with her a large dowry in Scotland, with 10000 marks and more.
Her father William the Lion, granted Marjorie the lands of Strathord and Strathearn, in free marriage. Later her cousin, Malcolm II of Scotland, granted her the lands of Pitgorno and Drumdreel in Strathmiglo, Fife, in exchange for those she had recivered from her father. King Alexander II later decreed, that these lands are to pass to the Balmerino Abbey after Marjerie’s death.
References
editCitations
editSources
editMagdalene Charlotte Hedevig Løvenskiold
editMagdalene Charlotte Hedevig Løvenskiold | |
---|---|
Lady of Løvenborg Castle | |
Born | Magdalene Charlotte Hedevig von Numsen 27 February 1731 Copenhagen |
Died | 6 May 1796 Løvenborg Castle, Holbæk | (aged 65)
Noble family | House of Løvenskiold |
Spouse(s) | Severin Leopoldus Løvenskiold |
Issue | Michael Herman Løvenskiold |
Father | Michael von Numsen, Minister of War |
Mother | Margrethe Thomasine von Ingenhaven |
Magdalene Charlotte Hedevig Løvenskiold (27 February 1731 – 6 May 1796) was a Danish noblewoman and estate owner.
Born into a newly ennobled family, Magdalene married Severin Løvenskiold, a lieutenant from the wealthy Norwegian Løvenskiold family, in 1749. A woman of influence, she played a key role in political circles, notably in the 1784 government change. Widowed in 1776, she took charge of the Løvenborg estate, implementing tough financial measures and advocating for practical farming methods. After 13 years of administration, she handed over the estate to her son, Michael Herman Løvenskiold, in 1789. Magdalene lived at Løvenborg until her death in 1796.
Biography
editEarly life and education
editMarriage
editWidowhood
editReferences
editCitations
editSources
editSophie Axelsdatter Brah
editSophie Axelsdatter Brahe (11 May 1578 – 21 December 1646) was a Danish noblewoman and estate owner.
Lady of Rosenholm Castle
René Dinesen
editRené Rosager Dinesen | |
---|---|
Ambassador of Denmark to the United Kingdom | |
Assumed office 1 September 2022 | |
Monarch | Margrethe II |
Prime Minister | Mette Frederiksen |
Preceded by | Lars Thuesen |
Ambassador of Denmark to Austria concurrently to North Macedonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Albania, the IAEA, OSCE, CTBTO and UN | |
In office 1 September 2018 – 1 September 2022 | |
Monarch | Margrethe II |
Prime Minister | Lars Løkke Rasmussen Mette Frederiksen |
Preceded by | Liselotte Plesner |
Succeeded by | Christian Grønbech-Jensen |
Ambassador of Denmark to Afghanistan | |
In office 2011–2012 | |
Monarch | Margrethe II |
Prime Minister | Lars Løkke Rasmussen Helle Thorning-Schmidt |
Preceded by | Anders Carsten Damsgaard |
Succeeded by | Niels Boel Abrahamsen |
Personal details | |
Born | Svendborg, Denmark | 13 April 1971
Spouse | Camilla Follin Dinesen |
Residence(s) | London, United Kingdom |
Alma mater | University of Copenhagen |
René Rosager Dinesen (born 13 April 1971) is a Danish diplomat and civil servant. He is the current Ambassador of Denmark to the United Kingdom, having also served as Ambassador of Denmark to South Africa (2012–2015) and Ambassador of Denmark to Afghanistan (2011–2012).
Dinesen has held several diplomatic positions during his career, including as Ambassador of Denmark to Austria (2018-2022), concurrently serving as non-resident Ambassador to North Macedonia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Albania. During his time as Danish ambassador to Austria, Dinesen also served as Resident Representative of Denmark to the International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as Permanent Representative of Denmark to OSCE, CTBTO and other UN organizations in Vienna. He was previously Deputy Permanent representative of Denmark to the United Nations (New York) and Under-Secretary of State for Consular Affairs and Public Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Early life and education
editRené Rosager Dinesen was born 13 April 1971 in Svendborg on the Island of Funen, Denmark.
In 1996, he obtained a Master of Arts in political sciences and international relations (Cand.scient.pol.) from the University of Copenhagen.
In 2017, he guest lectured the academic programmes Executive Education and Public Diplomacy at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism of the University of Southern California (USC).
Diplomatic career
editDanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
editSouth Africa
editAfghanistan
editAustria and the UN
editUnited Kingdom
editIn the 2022 ambassadorial reshuffle,
He presented the Letters of Recall of his predecessor and his own letters of Credence during an audience with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, London, on 30 November 2022.[1]
Personal life
editHonours
editJohan Garmann
editJohan Garmann, called "the Elder", (9 June 1583 – 7 February 1651) was a Danish-Norwegian councillor, land commissioner, mayor of Haderslev, factor at the Kongsberg Silver Mines, and later merchant in Bragernes, Norway.
Biography
editReferences
editSusanne Hyldelund
editSusanne Hyldelund | |
---|---|
Ambassador of Denmark to Germany concurrently to Switzerland and Liechtenstein | |
Assumed office 1 September 2020 | |
Monarch | Margrethe II |
Prime Minister | Mette Frederiksen |
Preceded by | Friis Arne Petersen |
State Secretary for Trade and Global Sustainability at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs | |
In office 1 August 2017 – 1 September 2020 | |
Monarch | Margrethe II |
Prime Minister | Lars Løkke Rasmussen Mette Frederiksen |
Succeeded by | Steen Hommel |
Personal details | |
Born | Kolding, Denmark | 30 June 1968
Spouse | Torben Fogh Sørensen |
Children | 2 |
Residence(s) | Berlin, Germany |
Alma mater | Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences |
Susanne Christina Hyldelund (born 30 July 1968) is a Danish diplomat and civil servant, who has served as the Ambassador of Denmark to Germany since 2020. She is concurrently serving as ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. From 2009 to 2012, she held the position of Consul General of Denmark in Shanghai.
Hyldelund has held several positions within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark during her career, including serving as served as State Secretary for Trade and Global Sustainability, from 2017 to 2020 and as Under-Secretary for the Trade Council, from 2014 to 2017.
Early life and education
editSusanne Christina Hyldelund was born on 30 July 1968 in Koldning, Jutland, Denmark.
Diplomatic career
editand from 2012 to 2014 the Head of Invest & Innovation, an arm of the Danish Foreign Ministry.
Ambassador to Germany
editIn 2020, Hyldelund assumed her first ambassadorial appointment, becoming Ambassador of Denmark to Germany. She presented her credentials to President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Bellevue Palace in Berlin on 4 November 2020. She is concurrently serving as non-resident side-accredited Ambassador of Denmark to the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein.[3]
Personal life
editShe is fluent in Danish, English, German and French.
Honours
editKirsten Malling Biering
editKirsten Malling Biering (born 19 December 1951) is a retired Danish senior diplomat and political advisor. She is currently senior advisor at the Danish Institute for International Studies and the think tank EUROPA, having previously served as Ambassador of Denmark to France (2015-2019), Sweden (2010-2015), the Netherlands (2005-2010) and Latvia (1991-1995). She has also served as Permanent Representative of Denmark to OSCE.
References
edit- ^ "King Charles Iii Receives Mrs Camilla redaktionelt stock-foto – stock-foto". Shutterstock (in Danish). Retrieved 2024-01-13.
- ^ "Botschafterin Susanne Hyldelund (Königlich Dänische Botschaft) | Wegweiser Media & Conferences GmbH". www.beschaffungskongress.de. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
- ^ Magazine, Diplomat (2020-12-20). "Denmark accredited Susanne Christina Hyldelund in Germany". Diplomat magazine. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow
editChanges to the article.
In her widowhood, she became the richest woman in Europe, extensively supporting the Danish-Norwegian realm under her spendthrift son (financing government affairs and the construction of architectural projects as the Rundetårn, Børsen and Rosenborg), as well as conducting more strategic ventures, leveraging her immense wealth to exert considerable influence on political affairs throughout Northern Europe.
When she died in 1631, contemporaries described her as "a lady of great thrift and enterprise", and the secretary to the English Ambassador, James Howell, remarked that she was the "richest Queen in Christendom".[1][2]
Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow
editSophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow | |
---|---|
Queen consort of Denmark and Norway | |
Tenure | 20 July 1572 – 4 April 1588 |
Born | 4 September 1557 Wismar |
Died | 14 October 1631 Nykøbing Castle, Falster | (aged 74)
Burial | |
Spouse | |
Issue | |
House | Mecklenburg-Schwerin |
Father | Ulrich III of Mecklenburg-Güstrow |
Mother | Elizabeth of Denmark |
Signature |
Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow (Sophia; 4 September 1557 – 14 October 1631) was Queen of Denmark and Norway by marriage to Frederick II of Denmark. She was the mother of King Christian IV of Denmark and Anne of Denmark. She was Regent of Schleswig-Holstein from 1590 to 1594.[3]
In 1572, she married her cousin, Frederick II of Denmark, and their marriage was remarkably happy.[4][5] She had little political influence during their marriage, although she maintained her own court and exercised a degree of autonomy over patronages.[6] Sophie developed an interest in astrology, chemistry, alchemy and iatrochemistry,[7] supporting and visiting Tycho Brahe on Ven in 1586 and later.[6] She has later been described as a woman "of great intellectual capacity, noted especially as a patroness of scientists".[8] She became widowed at the age of 31.
In the first few years after Frederick's death, Sophie vigorously endeavoured to consolidate her position of power. However, lacking domestic allies and faced with a power-conscious Danish nobility, this was only partially successful; while she as recognized as regent of Schleswig-Holstein, her efforts to lead the guardianship of her underage son came into direct conflict with the Danish Council of the Realm and ultimately proved unsuccessful. In 1594, she retreated to her dower estate, comprising the islands of Lolland and Falster. Despite this setback, Sophie's influence did not diminish throughout her widowhood; on the contrary, she greatly strengthened her status through enormous and ever-expanding monetary leverage.
Through the skilful management of her vast widowed estate, she amassed an enormous fortune, becoming the richest woman in Northern Europe[9] and the second wealthiest individual in Europe after Maximillian I of Bavaria.[10] From the outset, Sophie displayed exceptional enterprise and determination, implementing wide-scale agrarian reforms to increase the yield and income of her estate. Frequently disbursing funds from her "inexhaustible coffers", Sophie financially supported her son, as well as the Council of the Realm, and thereby effectively the entire Danish-Norwegian state.[11][12][13] She maintained a large lending business, earning interest, and extending loans to, among others: her son Christian IV, her son-in-law King James VI & I, her grandson Duke Frederick Ulrich of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and several other principalities of the Holy Roman Empire.[14] When she died in 1631, James Howell, secretary to the English Ambassador in Denmark, remarked that she was the "richest Queen in Christendom".[1]
Queen Sophie exerted significant political influence both domestically and internationally during her widowhood.[15] Through extensive correspondence with Protestant princes and her strategic financial dealings, she played a crucial role in shaping Danish and Northern European politics, notably during the Thirty Years' War, influencing danish peace negotiations and ultimately contributing to the Treaty of Lübeck in 1629.[16][17]
Some historians, especially earlier ones, have either disregarded Sophie or dismissed her as power-hungry, rapacious, and parsimonious.[18] However, 19th-century writers including Ellen Jørgensen considered her a woman of "unparalleled skill" and "indomitable resourcefulness".[19] Recent reassessments recognize her remarkable entrepreneurship as a dowager, and in particular her ability to entrench herself as a pervasive power in the political landscape of late Reformation Denmark and Europe.[14]
Early life
editBorn in Wismar, she was the daughter of Duke Ulrich III of Mecklenburg-Güstrow and Princess Elizabeth of Denmark (a daughter of Frederick I and Sophie of Pomerania). Through her father, a grandson of Elizabeth of Denmark, she descended from King John of Denmark, the brother of Frederick I. Like Ulrich, she had a great love of knowledge. Later, she would be known as one of the most learned Queens of the time.
In 1572, Sophie travelled as part of her parent's entourage to Denmark. The original intention of the journey was for Frederik II of Denmark to consider 28-year-old Margaret, daughter of Philip I of Pomerania, as a possible spouse. Instead, Frederick's eyes fell on 14-year-old Sophie.[20]
Queen
editAt the age of fourteen Sophie, on 20 July 1572, married Frederick II of Denmark in Copenhagen; he was thirty-eight. She was crowned the following day.[21] They were first half-cousins, through their grandfather, Frederick I, King of Denmark and Norway. They met at Nykøbing Castle, when it had been arranged for the king to meet with Margaret of Pomerania. She was brought to Denmark by Sophie's parents, who decided to also bring their own daughter.[22] Sophie found favour with the king, who betrothed himself to her, and married her six months later.[23] King Frederick had been in love with the noblewoman Anne Corfitzdatter Hardenberg for many years, but was unable to marry her due to her being a noblewoman, not a princess, the opposition of the Danish Privy Council as well as eventually Anne herself.[22]
Despite the age difference between Sophie and Frederick, the marriage was a happy one. Queen Sophie was a loving mother, nursing her children personally during their illnesses. When Frederick was sick with malaria in 1575, she personally nursed him and wrote many worried letters to her father about his progress.[24][22] King Frederick was well known for being fond of drinking and hunting,[22] but he was a loving spouse to Sophie, writing of her with great fondness in his personal diary (where he kept careful track of where she and their children were in the country[25]) and there is no evidence of extramarital affairs on the part of either spouse.[3] Their marriage is described as having been harmonious.[3][22] All of their children were sent to live with her parents in Mecklenburg for the first years of their lives, with the possible exception of the last son, Hans, as it was the belief at the time that the parents would indulge their children too much.[22][3] She showed a keen interest in science and visited the astronomer Tycho Brahe.[3] She was also interested in the old songs of folklore.[3]
In 1588, Daniel Rodgers, a Anglo-Flemish diplomat employed for Lord Burghley as a spy to report the characters of the Danish royal family, wrote of Queen Sophie; "She is a right virtous and godly princess, who with a motherly care and great wisdom, ruleth her children".[26][27]
Matchmaker
editAround the time of Frederick's death, Sophie's most important function was as a matchmaker for her children. Her daughter, Anne of Denmark, married James VI of Scotland and became queen consort in 1589. She arranged the marriage against the will of the council. When James VI came to Denmark, she gave him a present of 10,000 dalers.[28] She was also deeply involved in the negotiations that led to the wedding of Princess Elizabeth to Henry Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. She oversaw the levying of 150,000 dalers for the two weddings and other expenses, and spent herself 50,000 on jewellery.[29]
In 1596, she arranged the marriage of her daughter Princess Augusta to John Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, which improved Denmark's connections to the north German Lutheran states. Finally, in 1602, she negotiated the marriage of Hedwig to Christian II, Elector of Saxony. She also played a key role in finding appropriate spouses for her younger sons.[29] She was the main negotiator in the marriage arrangements between her son Christian, heir to the throne, and Princess Anne Catherine of Brandenburg, whom Sophie called a "pure pearl".[30]
Widowhood and queen-dowager
editRegency
editQueen Sophie had no political power during the lifetime of her spouse.[3] When her underage son Christian IV became king in 1588, she was given no place in the regency council in Denmark itself.[3] From 1590, however, she acted as regent for the duchies of Schleswig-Holstein for her son.[3]
She organized a grand funeral for her spouse, arranged for the dowries for her daughters and for her own allowance, all independently and against the will of the council.[3] She engaged in a power struggle with the regents of Denmark and with the Council of State, which had Christian declared of age in 1593.[3] She wished the duchies to be divided between her younger sons, which caused a conflict.[3] Sophie only gave up her position the following year, 1594. In response, Sophie began securing the resources she would need to remain an influential figure within Denmark.
Landowner and successful entrepreneur
editAs dowager-queen, Sophie was entitled to 'Dowager-pension' (Danish: Livgeding, lit. 'support of life') as well as the castles that comprised her morning gift. These vast estates included Denmark's fourth-largest island Lolland, and the neighbouring island Falster, on which the castle of Nykøbing was situated, which she also received.[15] She also received Aalholm Castle, Halsted Priory, Vennerslund, Ravnsborg, and the fiefs belonging thereto. She succeeded in obtaining 30,000 rigsdaler from her late husband's liquid assets, as well as an annual income of 8,000 rigsdaler from the Sound Dues.[31] Over a number of years, her crown property on Lolland and Falster was expanded, with large properties being transferred to the widow's estate, including Corselitze and Skørringe, whose holdings on Falster totalled over 100 farm estates.[32]
During her long widowhoow, Sophie mainly devoted herself to managing her estates, where she was effectively an independent ruler. She protected the residents of her dowerlands and engaged in large-scale trade and in money-lending.[3] She took a keen interest in new agricultural technology, converted her land to large-scale farming, sold grain and cattle to northern Germany through her large established network in the principalities, built mills and was especially interested in cattle breeding, which was an important source of income during this period.[33] The still existing Queen's Warehouse in Nakskov was constructed for her in 1589–1591.[34]
The Dowager Queen Sophie managed her estates in Lolland-Falster so well, that her son could borrow money from her on several occasions for his wars.[3] She helped to fund her son Christian IV's military campaign against Sweden in 1611, the Kalmar War, and his entry into the Thirty Years War in 1615. Likewise, she also assisted her son with a loan in 1605 of 140,000 Danish rigsdaler, whereupon Christian launched a series of expeditions to Greenland. In 1614, Christian IV took out another loan of 210,000 rigsdaler from his mother.[11] In 1621, the Danish Council of the Realm obtained two loans of 100,000 and 280,000 rigsdaler respectively from the Dowager Queen, to cover the state's deficit.[35][11] The majority of the Dowager Queen's loans to her son were never repaid.[11]
In 1620–21, Dowager Queen Sophie was the main contributor of a loan of 300,000 rigsdaler from the Danish state under Christian IV, to England under her son-in-law James VI and I.[11] The interest rate was the "extremely favourable" 6%.[36] In addition to her liquid assets amounting to millions of guilders, she also had extensive properties in the north of the Holy Roman Empire, pledged by princely creditors. The queen inspected these estates during her numerous journeys.[37]
Political influence as widow
editBecause of her great wealth, Dowager Queen Sophie was able to exercise considerable influence on both Danish domestic affairs and the international politics of Northern Europe during the reign of her son, Christian IV (reigned 1596–1648). During a period from the death of her husband in 1588 until her death forty-three years later, she was active in the political life of Denmark.[15] The queen dowager maintained a constant awareness of the current political developments in Europe and in the empire, through intensive correspondence with Protestant princes and her Mecklenburg relatives.[37]
Domestically, Sophie influenced and supported the realm through continuous financial loans. Correspondence also shows that Sophie engaged in financial discussions with her son about the levying of taxes.[38]
The Dowager Queen also had political influence internationally, as a consequence of her loans to North German principalities. During the Thirty Years' War, she lent money to several German Protestant princes, and among her creditors was her grandson Duke Frederick Ulrich of Brunswick-Lüneburg, who owed her 300,000 Danish rigsdaler,[38] as well as her son-in-law John Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, to whom she also lent 300,000 rigsdaler.[39] She also conducted financial dealings with the leader of the Catholic forces, Count Tilly, with whom she wanted to form a joint creditors' front.[40]
In 1620, her grandson-in-law, Frederick V of the Palatinate, husband to her granddaughter Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia, was deposed. The couple soon fled Prague and settled in The Hague, and during this period, Elizabeth and Sophie maintained frequent correspondence. In 1621, Queen Dowager Sophie engaged her connections in Hamburg and with "a mootherlie Caire", as described by Sir Robert Antrusther, she provided £20.000 (equivalent to approximately £4,500,000 today[41]) to support the couple's immediate needs and "to serve the present want of heere highnes", as Sophie wrote.[42]
During the latter stages of the Danish participation in the Thirty Years' War, Dowager Queen Sophie played a diplomatic role by engaging in extensive correspondence with various parties involved. She corresponded with, among others, numerous electors of the Holy Roman Empire, including John George I, Elector of Saxony, Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria, Ferdinand of Bavaria, Archbishop-Elector of Cologne, Philipp Christoph von Sötem, Archbishop-Elector of Trier and Georg Friedrich von Greiffenklau, Archbishop-Elector of Mainz, through which she established numerous declarations from German princes for their assistance in the promotion and intervention on behalf of peace, and to send delegates to participate in peace negotiations in Lübeck, which in May 1629 led to the Treaty of Lübeck, ending the Danish intervention in the Thirty Years' War.[43]
She also corresponded with Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, notably concerning her displeasure at the inadequate protection of her financial interests during the Thirty Years' War, where imperial supreme commander, Albrecht von Wallenstein, had seized the Mecklenburg territories of her debtors, and refused to pay interest or instalments on the debt.[44] Wallenstein had deposed her cousins, and loanees, John Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, and Adolphus Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1628, and Sophie provided “active support”, interceding on behalf of the dukes, and became deeply involved in the situation. She repeatedly pleaded the case before the emperor, and by exerting her influence with her son, Christian IV, she was able to secure them temporary aid.[45] Personally, she deferred interest and provided additional loans to the dukes, in addition to recieving Adolphus Frederick's wife and children at Nykøbing Castle, as the situation became unsafe in Schwerin.[46] At the end of 1629, lively but inconclusive negotiations with Vienna had taken place on the subject. Emperor Ferdinand II acquiesced to Sophie's requests and wrote several times to Wallenstein, but with no favorable outcome for the Dowager Queen.[44]
Later life
editShe often visited Mecklenburg, and attended the wedding of her daughter, Princess Hedwig, to Christian II, Elector of Saxony, in Dresden in 1602. She travelled with her family to Bützow in March 1624, to attend the funeral of her son, Ulrik, Prince-Bishop of Schwerin. In 1603 she became involved in an inheritance dispute with her uncle, which remained unsolved at his death in 1610.[3] In 1608, she managed to soften the punishment of Rigborg Brockenhuus, and in 1628, she was one of the influential people who prevented her son from having her grandson's lover, Anne Lykke, accused of witchcraft.[3]
Death, fortune and inheritance disputes
editAt the end of September 1631, Christian IV arrived in Nykøbing. The Queen Dowager was seriously ill and was attended by the royal physician, Dr. Henning Arsenius. On October 3, the keys to the castle were handed over to the king's sister, Duchess Augusta, “because there is nothing more to hope for now than certain death”. Sophie died the following day.[48]
When Sophie died in 1631 at Nykøbing Falster, at the age of seventy-four, she was the richest woman in Europe.[40] She left three children, Christian, Hedwig and Augusta, four had died before her. All three attended the funeral, said to be conducted with great splendour. Her body was brought from Nykøbing via Vordingborg to Copenhagen, and a solemn funeral service took place in the Church of Our Lady on 13 November 1631. The next day the body was taken to Roskilde Cathedral, and laid to rest in the Chapel of the Magi, beside her long-deceased husband.[49]
Fortune and inheritance
editSophie left an absolutely enormous inheritance, which was valued at well over 5.5 million Danish rigsdaler,[50][40] an amount difficult to convert to the present day, but at the time it was equivalent to approximately 10 times the annual government revenue of the Danish-Norwegian state, compared to the period 1620–1622.[51] In 1775, historian Johann Heinrich Schlegel estimated that the liquid assets of her fortune in 1631, was equivalent to 27 tons of gold in 1775.[52] Corrected for inflation, her combined fortune would thus be equivalent to several billions of pounds.
The Dowager Queen had left no actual testament, but in a letter to her son King Christian, she had declared that her three living children should receive a sizeable pre-legacy, a non-distributable portion (Danish: forlods), the rest to be divided according to law[49], with the exception of a few bequests, including to Sorø Academy.[53] The prelegacy consisted of all silverware in the Queen's chambers at Nykøbing Castle, all royal gold in her possession and her personal jewellery, clothes and linen, which were given to her daughters. The gold was divided equally between the king and his two sisters. This pre-distribution took place on 4 December 1631 at Nykøbing, a month after her funeral.[54]
After the distribution of the prelegacy, the main estate itself was to be divided. The assets consisted of outstanding capital, interest, considerable cash, jewellery, coins and sizeable collateralized territories in Mecklenburg - her dowerlands of Lolland and Falster reverted to the Crown. Her jewellery and valuables alone are believed to be worth over a million rigsdaler, and were stored in 45 large wooden chests.[55] Actively engaged in money lending to the end, a considerable part of Sophie's assets consisted of her outstanding capital. The largest borrower was her son, Christian IV, who in 1631 owed his mother more than a million Danish rigsdaler. In addition, other family members such as her grandsons, Frederick III, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp owed almost 600,000 rigsdaler, Frederick Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg over 300,000 rigsdaler, and her cousins, John Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, and Adolphus Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, each owed 220,000 rigsdaler and almost 140,000 rigsdaler, respectively. The city of Rostock itself also had an unpaid debt of 20,000 rigsdaler.[56]
Furthermore, there was considerable interest to be recovered from her European lending business. In total, this amounted to well over 215,000 rigsdaler, including interest from Albrecht von Wallenstein, who owed the Queen 63,000 rigsdaler for his time as mortgage holder of the Duchy of Mecklenburg.[57]
Claims and disputes
editUpon Sophie's death, a dispute quickly arose over her inheritance.[58] As news of Sophie's demise spread across Northern Europe, several German principalities began dispatching envoys to Copenhagen to negotiate and settle inheritance claims.[48] By letter of 31 December 1631, Christian IV summoned all heirs for the division of the main estate, and scheduled this for the following April (in 1632) at Nykøbing Castle, Falster. Altogether, the inheritance settlement was completed by June 1632, although not without controversy.[59]
Some initial disputes even required imperial intervention. During the process of recording all the valuables Sophie left behind, it became known that her daughter, Duchess Augusta, retained one of the two original handwritten inventories of the estate, from when she was handed the keys to Nykøbing Castle. Since amicable means of obtaining the inventory from the Duchess failed, an imperial mandate from Ferdinand II, was issued to her, dated 5 November 1635, in Vienna.[60]
Discussions on the distribution of the estate primarily concerned the extent of inheritance rights for the grandchildren of Sophie, more specifically the offspring of Sophie's two predeceased daughters Anne and Elizabeth. Her grandson, Charles I of England, ordered the English court to enter into mourning,[61] and immediately deployed an ambassador extraordinaire, Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester, to the Danish court to offer condolences, and claim part of the inheritance.[62] Sophie's granddaughter, Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia, also wanted a part of the inheritance. Unlike her brother Charles, she had not inherited from her mother, Anne of Denmark, and therefore argued that she should receive part of her brother's inheritance from their late grandmother. Initially Charles was accepting of this, but after he found out the vast size of the inheritance, totalling over 430.000 rigsdaler, he changed his mind.[63] However, Christian IV quickly appropriated most of their inheritance, claiming that what he had seized only served to pay part of the English debt from 1620.[64]
During the spring of 1632, several representatives from Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Prussia, Holstein-Gottorp and Mecklenburg, began to arrive at the Danish Court to lodge inheritance demands on behalf of Elizabeth of Denmark's children. Ultimately, the majority of the princial heirs of the body were denied inheritance because they were simultaneously debtors of her estate. This included Charles I, the Dukes of Holstein-Gottorp, Brunswick-Lüneburg, Mecklenburg-Güstrow, and Mecklenburg-Schwerin, but with some exceptions, such as her daughter, Hedwig of Denmark, Electress of Saxony, who recieved the outstanding Mecklenburg assets, totalling over 360.000 rigsdaler.[65] Most accepted this settlement, while others disputed it fiercly. In particular, Sophie Hedwig, Countess of Nassau-Dietz and Hedwig, Duchess of Pomerania made tenacious demands, and wistfully lamented that they were left empty-handed due to their brother, Frederick Ulrich's debt, from which they themselves had not benefited.[66]
The disputes over inheritance persisted long after Sophie's passing.[48] In 1654, over 20 years after her death, William Frederick, Prince of Nassau-Dietz, the son of the aforementioned Countess of Nassau-Diez and Count Ernest Casimir I, launched an appeal to recover his mother’s share of Queen Sophia's inheritance. A Danish envoy was dispatched from the court of Sophie's grandson, Frederick III, and an favorable settlement was negotiated between the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Nassau-Diez.[67]
In the end, Christian IV emerged as the unsurpassed principal beneficiary of Sophie's disposable fortune, but he quickly squandered the inheritance on costly wars with Sweden, his eldest son's wedding and construction activities.[68]
Character and legacy
editSophie of Mecklenburg was initially described as a 'prudent and capable' woman[69], but reserved and uninterested in political power.[70] However, this changed dramatically in her widowhood, when she became an assertive figure in conflicts with the Council of the Realm. This transformation earned her descriptions such as ‘a fury of a mother’[71] and, later in life, a "confident old lady".[72]
Contemporary and historical portrayal
editContemporary accounts of Sophie's character are divergent, though largely positive in nature, especially from foreign observers. The majority of the limited contemporaneous sources portray her positively. When she died in 1631, observers described her as "a lady of great thrift and enterprise", and the secretary to the English Ambassador in Denmark, James Howell, remarked that she was the "richest Queen in Christendom".[1][73]
However, domestic political power dynamics have resulted in a more negative perception of her character, which has left its mark on Danish history.[74] Because of her significant wealth and consequent influence, and undoubtedly exacerbated by earlier disputes with the Council of the Realm about the maturity and regency of Christian IV, she was viewed by some contemporary Danish nobles as being cynical, greedy and avaricious. Later, predominantly male historians echoed these sentiments, dismissing Sophie as having an "economic sense that bordered on avarice,"[75] an "imperious character,"[76] and describing her as rapacious and in the grip of her emotions, with a bitter passion, a violent combativeness, and a fierce temperament.[74][33]
Sophie's legacy has largely been overshadowed by the story of Frederick II's youthful love affair with the noblewoman Anne Hardenberg. The royal couple's relationship has even been portrayed as unhappy, including by the Danish author H.F. Ewald , who wrote a number of historical novels, including Anna Hardenberg (1880), which brought this flawed narrative into many Danish homes. Likewise, her claim to the role of guardian (and regent) has been "judged negatively" by earlier historians.[18]
Modern characterization and reappraisals
editRecent reevaluations of Sophie’s life present her in a much more nuanced light. She is now acknowledged as intelligent, industrious and strategic, and determined to consolidate her political influence in the Danish-Norwegian realm, after the Council of the Realm rejected her as guardian of her son in 1588 - something she successfully achieved through immense financial leverage.[74]
She is chiefly remembered for her impressive financial acumen and as the eternal source of pecuniary support for her son's, Christian IV, endeavors.[12] She funded some of the greatest Renaissance constructions in Denmark, including Rundetårn, Børsen, and Rosenborg Castle[77], and also subsidized the rebuilding and expansion of Frederiksborg Castle as well as the restoration of Kronborg following the 1629 fire, that destroyed much of it.[77][78]
Although often described as avaricious, this view has since been firmly rejected. As early as 1910, Ellen Jørgensen and Johanne Skovgaard, in their work on Danish queens, emphasized that "Queen Sophie (...) can hardly justifiably be accused of having been mean or ungenerous. Her financial sense was of an active rather than a passive nature, and the significant profits were due to an enterprise that was abundant in initiative rather than in anxious frugality". She funded considerable charitable causes in her estate, notably the construction of hospitals and substantial grants to schools.[79]
Historian G.L. Baden , in his History of the Kingdom of Denmark, succinctly described Sophie as truly "talented".[80] Danish historian Benito Scocozza describes her management of the dower estate as having a “firmness and ruthlessness that hardly made her popular on the islands (Lolland and Falster)”.[81] Other historians note that she "she initiated a significant streamlining of agriculture with the abolition of peasant farms in favour of manor farming".[82] Under her authority, "the dowerlands became her little principality, where she was dedicated to the welfare of her subjects and protected them from external enemies and local bailiffs".[82]
Sophie is now recognized as "arguably the most prominent landowner of the era". Upon the death of her husband, she "stepped forward authoritatively"[83], and with "tremendous energy" she engaged in a "bitter struggle" to secure her children's economic and political future.[84] Her ability to conduct "able politicking" even influenced her daughter Anne, Queen of Scotland and England, as noted in Nadine Akkermann's 2013 book on court cultures in the early Middle Ages.[85] Literary historian John Leeds Barroll , also describes her as "a highly gifted woman".[86]
- Dronningmølle, a town in North Zealand where she constructed a royal watermill, is named after her.[87]
Faith and interests
editSophie was a fervent lutheran protestant. Raised by strongly Protestant parents, Sophie was particularly influenced by her attachment to orthodox lutheranism and her animosity towards the "calvinistic religion", which she considered to be the work of the devil.[88] She and her husband were markedly anti-Catholic and supported the teachings of Niels Hemmingsen, but their primary focus was on ensuring religious stability and conformity in Denmark rather than engaging in detailed theological debate.[89]
Sophie’s intellectual interests were diverse. She was highly erudite, with a particular affinity for books of a theological nature, but she also had a strong interest in folk culture and songs. She occupies a very special place in history as the driving force behind Anders Sørensen's ‘Hundred Song Book’ (Danish: Hundredvisebogen) from 1591, Europe's first ever printed collection of traditional ballads.[90][91]
In addition to her literary pursuits, Sophie was actively involved in extensive correspondence and gift exchanges, described as favoring "a certain magnanimity in gifts". She was referred to as a "splendid lady" who exchanged gifts with various German princely houses and even with the Emperor and the Imperial Court in Prague and Vienna.[92]
Issue
editSophie and Frederick had seven children:
Name | Portrait | Birth | Death | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Elizabeth of Denmark | 25 August 1573 | 19 June 1625 | She married on 19 April 1590 Henry Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. They had 10 children. | |
Anne of Denmark | 12 December 1574 | 2 March 1619 | She married on 23 November 1589 King James VI of Scotland (later also King James I of England). They had 7 children. | |
Christian IV, King of Denmark and Norway | 12 April 1577 | 28 February 1648 | He married firstly on 27 November 1597 Anne Catherine of Brandenburg. They had 7 children.
He married secondly, morganatically, Kirsten Munk. They had 12 children. Christian had at least 5 other illegitimate children. | |
Ulrik of Denmark | 30 December 1578 | 27 March 1624 | He became last Bishop of the old Schleswig see (1602–1624),
He became Ulrich II as Administrator of the Prince-Bishopric of Schwerin (1603–1624). He married Lady Catherine Hahn-Hinrichshagen. | |
Augusta of Denmark | 8 April 1580 | 5 February 1639 | She married on 30 August 1596 John Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp. They had 8 children. | |
Hedwig of Denmark | 5 August 1581 | 26 November 1641 | She married on 12 September 1602 Christian II, Elector of Saxony. The marriage was childless | |
John of Denmark, Prince of Schleswig-Holstein | 9 July 1583 | 28 October 1602 | He was betrothed to Tsarevna Ksenia (Xenia) daughter of Boris Godunov, Tsar of Russia, but died before the marriage could take place. |
Ancestry
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References
editCitations
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{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ a b Olesen, Bernhard (1889). "Dronning Sophies Portrætter på Frederiksborg og Mauritshuis" [Portraits of Queen Sophie at Frederiksborg and Mauritshuis] (PDF). Illustreret Tidende. 40 (14): 226 – via Royal Library, Denmark.
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- ^ a b Friis 1901, p. 138.
- ^ Carøe 1912
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- ^ Schlegel 1775, p. 149.
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- ^ Schlegel 1775, p. 147-149.
- ^ Schlegel 1775, p. 148.
- ^ Olsen, Rikke Agnete (2005). Kongerækken [List of Kings]. Lindhardt og Ringhof. ISBN 87-595-2525-8. OCLC 255289738.
- ^ Schlegel 1775, p. 152.
- ^ Schlegel 1775, p. 143.
- ^ Office, Great Britain Public Record (1864). Calendar of State Papers and Manuscripts, Relating to English Affairs, Existing in the Archives and Collections of Venice, and in Other Libraries of Northern Italy: 1629-1632. Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts and Green. p. 569.
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- ^ Akkerman 2011, p. 37.
- ^ Hull 1993, p. 47.
- ^ Schlegel 1775, p. 154.
- ^ Schlegel 1775, p. 156.
- ^ Schlegel 1775, p. 159-160.
- ^ "Dronning Sophie | Kongernes Samling". www.kongernessamling.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- ^ Hougaard, O.; Wedderkop Hedegaard, A., eds. (1918). "Nykøbing-Falster". Købstæderne i Lolland-Falsters Stift (PDF) (in Danish) (I.-VII. ed.). Odense: Dansk Handel & Industri Forlag. pp. 15–17.
- ^ Jørgensen & Skovgaard 1910, p. 121.
- ^ Helleberg, Maria (2016-09-08). Et herregårdsliv - Brahetrolleborg (in Danish). Lindhardt og Ringhof. ISBN 978-87-11-49004-4.
- ^ Poulsen, Vagn; Lassen, Erik (1973). Dansk kunsthistorie: Lassen, E. [and others] Rigets mænd lader sig male, 1500-1750 (in Danish). Politiken. p. 146. ISBN 978-87-567-1603-1.
- ^ Repplier, Agnes (1906-11-01). "His Reader's Friend". The Atlantic. ISSN 2151-9463. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
- ^ a b c "DRTV - På sporet af dronningerne: Sophie af Mecklenburg, 1557-1631". www.dr.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 2024-09-11.
- ^ "Sophie – født 1557". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon | Lex (in Danish). 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- ^ Liisberg, Henrik Carl Bering (1891). Christian IV, Danmarks og Norges konge (in Danish). Bojesen.
- ^ a b "Sophie af Mecklenburg - Dansk dronning 1572-1631 - Lex". Den Store Danske | Lex (in Danish). 2024-09-12. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- ^ Nykøbing Falster Turistforenings (2020). "I Dronning Sophies fodspor" (PDF). nykobingfalster.dk. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ Jørgensen & Skovgaard 1910, p. 136-138.
- ^ Baden, G. L. (Gustav Ludvig) (1829). Danmarks riges historie [History of the Kingdom of Denmark] (in Danish). New York Public Library. Kjøbenhavn, J.H. Schubothe. p. 435.
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- ^ "Sophie af Mechlenburg (1557-1631) – Kongegrave" (in Danish). Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- ^ Danmarks riges historie: 1588-1699 af J.A. Fridericia (in Danish). Gyldendalske boghandel. 1907. pp. 10–11.
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- ^ "Hundredvisebogen". Dansk litteraturs historie | Lex (in Danish). 2020-05-29. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
- ^ Dahlerup, Pil (2024-01-30). Dansk litteratur. Middelalder 2. Verdslig litteratur (in Danish). Lindhardt og Ringhof. ISBN 978-87-27-13007-1.
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