Encyclopedia:
Schleswig,
Schleswig-Holstein,
Southern Schleswig,
South Jutland County,
Schleswig (city),
Husum (Schleswig),
Schleswig-Flensburg,
Schleswig, Iowa,
Schleswig, Wisconsin,
Angeln
Schleswig or
South Jutland (lang-da|
Slesvig; ;
Low German:
Sleswig;
North Frisian:
Slaswik or
Sleesweg) is a region covering the area about 60 km north and 70 km south of the border between
Germany and
Denmark. The region is also known archaically in
English as
Sleswick.
The area's traditional significance lies in the transfer of goods between the
North Sea and the
Baltic Sea, connecting the trade route through
Russia with the trade routes along
Rhine and the
Atlantic coast (see also
Kiel Canal).
History
Schleswig formed part of the historical
Lands of Denmark as Denmark unified out of a number of petty chiefdoms in the
8th to
10th centuries. During the early Viking Age,
Hedeby - Scandinavia's biggest trading centre - was located in this region which is also the location of the
Danevirke. This construction, and in particular its great expansion around 737 has been interpreted as an indication of the emergence of a unified Danish state.
[Michaelsen, Karsten Kjer, "Politikens bog om Danmarks oldtid", Politikens Forlag (1. bogklubudgave), 2002, 87-00-69328-6, pp. 122-123 da ]During the 10th century, ownership over the region between the
Eider River and the Danevirke became a matter of dispute between the
Holy Roman Empire and Denmark, resulting in several wars. In 974,
Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor concluded a successful campaign by erecting a fortress, which was however razed by
Sweyn Forkbeard in 983.
[Danmarkshistoriens hvornår skete det, Copenhagen: Politiken, 1966, p. 51 da ] In 1027,
Conrad II and
Canute the Great settled their mutual border at the Eider.
[Meyers Konversationslexikon, 4th edition (1885-90), entry: "Eider" http://susi.e-technik.uni-ulm.de:8080/Meyers2/seite/werk/meyers/band/5/seite/0369/meyers_b5_s0369.htmlde ] In 1115, king
Niels created his nephew
Canute Lavard - a son of his predecessor
Eric I -
Earl of Schleswig, a title used for only a short time before the recipient began to style himself
Duke.
[Danmarkshistoriens hvornår skete det, Copenhagen: Politiken, 1966, p. 65 da ] In 1230s, Southern Jutland (Duchy of Slesvig) was allotted as an appanage to
Abel Valdemarsen, Canute's great-grandson, a younger son of
Valdemar II of Denmark. Abel, having wrested the Danish throne to himself for a brief period, left his duchy to his sons and their successors, who pressed claims to the throne of Denmark for much of the next century, so that the Danish kings were at odds with their cousins, the dukes of Slesvig.
Feuds and marital alliances brought the Abel dynasty into a close connection with the German Duchy of
Holstein by the 15th century. The latter was a
fief subordinate to the
Holy Roman Empire, while Schleswig remained a Danish fief. These dual loyalties were to become a main root of the dispute the between German states and Denmark in the 19th century, when the ideas of
romantic nationalism and the
nation-state won popular support (see "
Das Lied der Deutschen"). The title
Duke of Schleswig was inherited in 1460 by the hereditary
kings of Norway who also regularly were elected kings of Denmark simultaneously, and their sons (contrary to Denmark which was not hereditary). (This was an anomaly - a king holding a ducal title, which he as king was the fount of and its liege lord - the title and anomaly survived presumably because it was already co-regally held by the king's sons.)
Conflict between Denmark and German states over Schleswig and Holstein led to the
Schleswig-Holstein Question of the 19th century. Denmark attempted to integrate the Duchy of Schleswig into the Danish kingdom in 1848, leading to an uprising of Germans who supported Schleswig's ties with Holstein. The
Kingdom of Prussia intervened and defeated Denmark in the resulting
First War of Schleswig, but was forced to return Schleswig and Holstein under pressure from the
Austrian and
Russian Empires.
Denmark again attempted to integrate Schleswig in 1864, but the
German Confederation defeated the Danes in the
Second War of Schleswig. Prussia and Austria respectively assumed administration of Schleswig and Holstein under the
Gastein Convention of
14 August 1865. However, tensions between the two powers culminated in the
Austro-Prussian War of 1866, in which victorious Prussia annexed Schleswig and Holstein, creating the
province of Schleswig-Holstein.
Two
referenda held in 1920 resulted in the partition of the region.
Northern Schleswig joined Denmark whereas
Central Schleswig voted to remain a part of Germany. In
Southern Schleswig no referendum was held as the likely outcome was apparent. The name Southern Schleswig is now used for all of German Schleswig.
Nowadays, both parts cooperate as a
Euroregion.
See also
*
Coat of arms of Schleswig*
Danevirke*
German Bight*
Jutland*
Hedeby*
History of Schleswig-Holstein*
North Frisian Islands*
Schleswig-Holstein Question*
Traditional districts of Denmark References
Category:Schleswig-HolsteinCategory:History of DenmarkCategory:History of GermanyCategory:Divided regionsda:Slesvig (område)de:Herzogtum Schleswighe:שלזוויג (מחוז)it:Schleswignds:Sleswigpl:Szlezwikpt:Schleswigru:Шлезвигzh:石勒蘇益格