Valdemar II of Denmark

The kingdom

Wire of the king Valdemar Large the, and brother and successor of his brother Knut in 1202. Valdemar II was born on June 28th, 1170. Duke of Southern Jutland ( Schleswig ) since 1191, he becomes king de Danemark with dead of his Knút brother.

On the internal plan, it continued the policy followed by his father and his brother and controls in close agreement with the Church. The archbishop Absalon had discharged from his many offices on wire of his first cousin Sune Ebbesen Hvide died in 1186: Peder Sunesen controlled évêché of Roskilde of 1191 with 1214 whereas his/her brother Anders Sunesen succeeds Absalon as archbishop of Lund of 1201 with 1228. The two brothers were moreover one after the other Chancellor of the kingdom until Anders become leprous gives up this office in 1223. A last brother, Sunesen Jacob, accepted the title of prince and the island of Møn in stronghold.
Valdemar published the first catalog of the land registers known in Denmark (Jordebog) in 1231, which makes it possible nowadays to be made a very precise image of the social structures and power struggles of the kingdom at that time.

Foreign policy

Valedemar II intervenes in Norway where Erling Steinveg the king of Baglers pays homage in 1204 to him. The intervention of wire of Sune Ebbesen, cousins of the Absalon Archbishop, in Sweden to support the king Sverker II of Sweden, son-in-law of Sunesen Ebb, shows the defeat and the death of three of them the January 31st 1208 with the battle of Lena in Västergötland.

As from 1210, it continues the conquest of the Estonia named by Danish Estland and triumph definitively of the resistance of pagan at the time of the Bataille of Lyndanisse () close to future the Tallinn (Reval) the June 15th 1219. According to the legend, a red fabric flame with a white cross would have fallen from the sky to most extremely of the combat; it was raised by Valdemar and it is as from this day that this standard known under the name of Danebrog became the national flag of Denmark.

In Germany, after having obtained from the Emperor Frederic II of the Holy roman Empire the confirmation of the conquests made by his/her brother between the Eider duck and the Elba Valdemar continues its expansion policy. Like duke of South Jutland while fighting against the count Adolphe III of Holstein, Valdemar had already made the conquest of the Holstein and Lubeck as of 1201. In 1203 the count Adolphe III must give up to him like ransom the Lauenbourg.

On the coast of the North Sea, the Dithmarschen, kind of country community under the suzerainty of the bishop of Bremen, are subjected to the Danish influence. In 1208, the Danes base Harburg on left bank of the Elba and in 1216 it occupy Hamburg. This fast expansion is partly explained by the conflict between Otton IV and its candidate Frederic II which tears Germany.

The king of Denmark east then to the apogee of its power when the May 6th 1223 it is made to prisoner with his oldest son the Co-king Valdemar III during a hunting in the island of Lyo by its vassal count Henri de Schwerin. The two Danish princes are held with the Mecklembourg. Hamburg and Lubeck were immediately lost.

Although the Emperor Frederic II rejected this félonie publicly, it did not do anything to release the king. It had to be waited until 1225 so that Jacob of Møn can join together the ransom of: 45000 marks of money necessary to the delivery of the sovereign and of his son.

Valdemar II wanted to take again the fight and to invade Germany of North but its army was crushed the July 22nd 1227 with the battle of Bornhöved by the united forces of Lubeck and feudal of the area under the command of the count Adolphe IV of Holstein.

This defeat ruined forever the Danish hopes of domination of the Baltic and the kingdom preserved its conquests only the island of Rügen, part of Mecklembourg and Estland (Estonia).

Last years

King Valdemar Sejr, is at the origin of the Code Jutland board in 1241, It makes moreover codify the Danish Loi S, and sets up a tax Inventaire of sound kingdom. He dies on March 28th, 1241 with Vordingborg.

Family and descent

After the death of his son Valdemar III Co-king de Danemark of 1215 to 1231, the king proclaimed Erik heir elder wire to its second marriage and equipped the juniors by personal strongholds. Valdemar II had married:

In 1205, Margareta of Bohemia known as Dagmar dead on May 24th, 1212 girl of Ottokar Ier of Bohemia of which:

: * Valdemar III of Denmark born in 1209 Co-king de Danemark.

dead Berengere of Portugal on March 27th, 1221 girl of King Sanche Ier of Portugal

: * Eric IV of Denmark born in 1216 crown prince in 1231

: *Sophie of Denmark born in the 1217 dead on November 2nd, 1247 marries in 1225 of the margrave Jean Ier de Brandebourg

: * Abel of Denmark born in 1218 duke of Schleswig in 1231

: * Christophe Ier of Denmark duke of Lolland and Falster in 1231

Of his/her concubine Helene Guttormsdotter it had in addition:

: * Knut duke of Estland (Estonia) in 1219, of Blekinge in 1232, and of dead Lolland on November 15th, 1260

It had finally nonknown woman:

: * Niels Ier duke of Halland in 1216 died in 1218

Sources

Scandinavian People with the Middle Ages. Lucien Musset PUF (1951)

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