Hans the Younger, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg


John the Younger was the duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg.

Biography

John was born on 25 March 1545 at Koldinghus Castle in Jutland, Denmark as the fourth child and third son of King Christian III of Denmark and Norway and his wife, Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg. When Christian III died in 1559, he left three sons. Where the eldest, Frederick II, had long ago been appointed successor to the thrones of Denmark and Norway, all three brothers were in principle equally entitled to the father's share of the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. To avoid unfortunate divisions of the royal part of the duchies, attempts were made to find suitable positions for the younger brothers elsewhere. The middle brother, Magnus, consequently, gave up his right of inheritance when Frederick II had him placed as prince-bishop of Ösel-Wiek in Livonia.
However, the plan to secure John the post of the prince-archbishop's successor in the Archdiocese of Bremen failed due to strong competition from North German princes. Other options abroad were thwarted because Denmark needed the support of the North German princes against Sweden in the Nordic Seven Years' War, and the king could not act as a competitor in acquiring lucrative offices and benefices for his brother. Consequently, Frederick had to agree to share his father's share of the duchies with his youngest brother, and allotted him a portion of the duchies with Sonderburg as his ducal seat.
He acted actively in the Danish government, for example supporting his sister-in-law, the Queen, when his nephew, Christian IV of Denmark, was underage. There were plans for him to marry the Dowager Queen in 1588 or 1589, repudiating his second, young wife. John died in Glücksburg.

Marriages and children

John married twice. Firstly, he married in Kolding on August 19, 1568 Elisabeth of Brunswick-Grubenhagen, daughter of Ernest III, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen and Princess Margarethe of Pommerania-Wolgast. They had 14 children:
  1. Dorothea of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg, married on 23 November 1589 to Frederick IV, Duke of Legnica.
  2. Christian, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Ærø
  3. Ernest of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg
  4. Alexander, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg
  5. August of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg
  6. Marie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg, Abbess of Itzehoe
  7. John Adolph, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sønderburg-Norburg
  8. Anna of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg, married on 31 May 1601 to Bogislaw XIII, Duke of Pomerania.
  9. Sophia of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg, married on 8 March 1607 to Philip II, Duke of Pomerania-Stettin
  10. Elisabeth of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg, married on 19 February 1615 to Bogislaw XIV, Duke of Pomerania.
  11. Frederick, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Norburg, married on 1 August 1627 to Juliana of Saxe-Lauenburg, daughter of Francis II, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg.
  12. Margaret of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg, married on 27 August 1603 to John VII, Count of Nassau-Siegen.
  13. Philip, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
  14. Albrecht of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg
Secondly, he married on 14 February 1588 Princess Agnes Hedwig of Anhalt, and they had nine children:
  1. Eleonore of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg
  2. Anna Sabine of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg, married on 1 January 1618 to Julius Frederick, Duke of Württemberg-Weiltingen.
  3. Johann Georg of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg
  4. Joachim Ernest, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön
  5. Dorothea Sibylle of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg
  6. Dorothea Marie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg
  7. Bernhard of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg
  8. Agnes Magdalene of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg
  9. Eleonore Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg, married on 28 February 1625 to Christian II, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg.