Denmark–Norway
Denmark, 1536–1814. Draft, not yet reviewed
Denmark–Norway was a 16th-to-19th-century multi-national and multi-lingual real union consisting of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Kingdom of Norway (including the then Norwegian overseas possessions: the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, and other possessions), the Duchy of Schleswig, and the Duchy of Holstein. From 1536/1537, Denmark and Norway formed a personal union that would eventually develop into the 1660 integrated state called Denmark–Norway by modern historians, at the time sometimes referred to as the "Twin Kingdoms". Prior to 1660, Denmark–Norway was de jure a constitutional and elective monarchy in which the King's power was somewhat limited; in that year it became one of the most stringent absolute monarchies in Europe, and was shortly thereafter, in 1665, formalized by an absolutist constitution, the King's Law. The Dano-Norwegian union lasted until 1814, when the Treaty of Kiel decreed that Norway (except for the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Greenland) be ceded to Sweden.
Seat of power: Copenhagen
Rulers
Christian III of Denmark
Monarch of Denmark, 1534–1559
He established Lutheranism as the state religion within his realms as part of the Protestant Reformation, and was the first King of Denmark–Norway. During his reign, Christian formed close ties between the church and the crown.
Portrait of Christian III of Denmark: Jacob Binck, Public domain, file
Frederick II of Denmark
Monarch of Denmark, 1559–1588
The remainder of Frederick II's reign was a period of tranquillity, in which king and nobles prospered. During his reign, many building projects were begun, including additions to the royal castles of Kronborg at Elsinore and Frederikborg Castle at Hillerød.
Portrait of Frederick II of Denmark: Hans Knieper, Public domain, file
Christian IV of Denmark
Monarch of Denmark, 1588–1648
He is remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious, and proactive Danish-Norwegian kings, having initiated many reforms and projects. He engaged Denmark–Norway in numerous wars, most notably the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), which devastated much of Germany, undermined the Danish economy, and cost Denmark–Norway some of its conquered territories.
Portrait of Christian IV of Denmark: Pieter Isaacsz, Public domain, file
Frederick III of Denmark
Monarch of Denmark, 1648–1670
He instituted absolute monarchy in Denmark–Norway in 1660, confirmed by law in 1665 as the first in Western historiography. As king, he fought losing wars against Sweden.
Portrait of Frederick III of Denmark: Paul Prieur, Public domain, file
Christian V of Denmark
Monarch of Denmark, 1670–1699
Christian fortified the absolutist system against the aristocracy by accelerating his father's practice of allowing both Holstein nobles and Danish and Norwegian commoners into state service. As king, he wanted to show his power as absolute monarch through architecture, and dreamed of a Danish Versailles.
Portrait of Christian V of Denmark: Karel van Mander III, Public domain, file
Frederik IV of Denmark
Monarch of Denmark, 1699–1730
He was King of Denmark and Norway from 1699 until his death.
Portrait of Frederik IV of Denmark: Unidentified painter, Public domain, file
Christian VI of Denmark
Monarch of Denmark, 1730–1746
He was the first king of the Oldenburg dynasty to refrain from entering in any war. During his reign both compulsory confirmation (1736) and a public, nationwide school system (1739) were introduced.
Portrait of Christian VI of Denmark: Johann Salomon Wahl, Public domain, file
Frederick V of Denmark
Monarch of Denmark, 1746–1766
His ministers marked his reign by the progress of commerce and the emerging industry. They also avoided involving Denmark–Norway in the European wars of his time.
Portrait of Frederick V of Denmark: Carl Gustaf Pilo, Public domain, file
Christian VII of Denmark
Monarch of Denmark, 1766–1808
He was affected by mental illness and was only nominally king for most of his reign. From 1770 to 1772, his court physician Johann Friedrich Struensee was the de facto ruler of the country and introduced progressive reforms signed into law by the king.
Portrait of Christian VII of Denmark: Alexander Roslin, Public domain, file
Frederick VI of Denmark
Monarch of Denmark, 1808–1839
He was the last king of Denmark–Norway. His tenure as regent is highlighted by the abolition of stavnsbånd, the end of hanging as a capital punishment in the kingdom, and the withdrawal of Dano-Norwegian involvement in the transatlantic slave trade.
Portrait of Frederick VI of Denmark: Friedrich Carl Gröger, Public domain, file
Culture
- Denmark–Norway had several colonies, namely the Danish Gold Coast, Danish India (the Nicobar Islands, Serampore, Tharangambadi), and the Danish West Indies.
- The kings always used the style "King of Denmark and Norway, the Wends and the Goths".
- The administration used two official languages, Danish and German, and for several centuries, both a Danish Chancellery and German Chancellery existed.
- Nyhavn was constructed by King Christian V from 1670 to 1675, dug by Danish soldiers and Swedish prisoners of war from the Dano-Swedish War 1658–1660.
Picture
Immortalised as Elsinore in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Kronborg is one of the most important Renaissance castles in Northern Europe.
Image: ArildV, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.