Editing Christian I of Denmark (section)

==Biography==
===Early years===
[[File:Dietrich & Hedwig 1704.jpg|thumb|left|Christian's parents, Dietrich and Hedwig of Oldenburg, depicted in 1704]]
''Christiern'' was born in February 1426 in [[Oldenburg (city)|Oldenburg]] in [[Northern Germany]] as the eldest son of [[Dietrich of Oldenburg|Count Dietrich of Oldenburg]] by his second wife, [[Hedvig of Holstein]] (died 1436). Christian had two younger brothers, [[Maurice V, Count of Delmenhorst|Maurice]] (1428–1464) and [[Gerhard VI, Count of Oldenburg|Gerhard]] (1430–1500), and one sister [[Adelheid of Oldenburg|Adelheid]].{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

Through his father, he belonged to the [[House of Oldenburg]], a [[comital]] family established since the 12th century in an area west of the [[River Weser]] in north-western Germany. Based on the two [[stronghold]]s of [[Oldenburg (city)|Oldenburg]] and [[Delmenhorst]], the family had gradually expanded its rule over the neighbouring [[Frisians|Frisian tribes]] of the area. Christian's father was called ''the Fortunate'' as he had reunited and expanded the family's territory. Christian's mother, Hedvig, was a daughter of [[Gerhard VI, Count of Holstein]], and a sister of [[Adolphus VIII, Count of Holstein|Adolphus, Duke of Schleswig]]. Through his mother, Christian was also a [[cognatic]] descendant of King [[Eric V of Denmark]] through his second daughter Richeza (died 1308) and also a cognatic descendant of King [[Abel of Denmark]] through his daughter Sophie. Through his father, Christian was a [[cognatic]] descendant of King [[Eric IV of Denmark]] through his daughter [[Sophia of Denmark|Sophia]]. Christian thus descended from the three surviving sons of [[Valdemar II]] and his second wife [[Berengaria of Portugal]].{{citation needed|date=July 2021}} He was also a cognatic descendant of King [[Magnus III of Sweden]].

At the death of their father in 1440, Christian and his brothers jointly succeeded Dietrich as Count of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst. Christian was raised by his uncle, Duke Adolphus of Schleswig, Count of Holstein (1401–1459) as the childless duke wished for his young nephew to become his heir, and also succeeded in having Christian elected as his successor in the [[Duchy of Schleswig]].<ref>{{cite web|url = https://de.wikisource.org/wiki/ADB:Adolf_VIII|title=  Adolf VIII|publisher =   Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie|access-date=1 June 2018}}</ref>

===King of Denmark===
[[File:C. W. Eckersberg Hertug Adolf, som afslaar Tilbudet om den danske Krone.jpg|thumb|''Duke Adolph declining the offer of the Danish throne and recommending his nephew, Count Christian of Oldenburg.'' [[History painting]] by [[Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg]], 1819.]]
[[File:Den ældste håndfæstning (9288945185).jpg|thumb|The ascension promissory of Christian I]]
[[File:King Christian I of Denmark and Queen Dorothea.jpg|thumb|King Christian I and [[Dorothea of Brandenburg|Queen Dorothea]]]]

In January 1448, King [[Christopher of Bavaria|Christopher of Denmark, Sweden and Norway]] died suddenly and without natural heirs. His death resulted in the break-up of the union of the three kingdoms, as Denmark and Sweden went their separate ways and Norway's affiliation was unclear. The vacant Danish throne was first offered by the [[Council of the Realm (Denmark)|Council of the Realm]] to Duke Adolphus of Schleswig, being the most prominent feudal lord of Danish dominions. The duke declined and recommended his nephew, Count Christian of Oldenburg. Before being elected, Christian had to promise to obey to the [[Constitutio Valdemariana]], a provision in the [[ascension promissory]] of King [[Valdemar III of Denmark]], that promised that in the future, the same person could never be both ruler of the [[Duchy of Schleswig]] and Denmark simultaneously. The council also demanded that Christian should marry [[dowager]] queen [[Dorothea of Brandenburg]] (ca 1430–1495), widow of his predecessor King Christopher III. On 1 September 1448, after signing his ascension promissory, count Christian was elected to the Danish throne as king Christian I at the assembly in [[Viborg, Denmark|Viborg]]. His coronation was held on 28 October 1449, in the [[Church of Our Lady (Copenhagen)|Church of Our Lady]] in [[Copenhagen]], at which occasion his marriage with dowager queen Dorothea was also celebrated.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://runeberg.org/dbl/4/0303.html|title=Dorothea, 1430-95, Dronning|publisher =Dansk biografisk Lexikon     |access-date=1 June 2018}}</ref>

===King of Sweden and Norway===
[[File:Christian I - Graf zu Oldenburg.jpg|thumb|left|[[Tapestry]] with a portrait of Christian I]]
Meanwhile, Sweden had on 20 June 1448 elected [[Karl Knutsson Bonde]] as king. Norway was now faced with the choice between a union with Denmark or Sweden, or electing a separate king. The latter option was quickly discarded, and a power-struggle ensued between the supporters of Christian of Denmark and Karl of Sweden. The Norwegian [[Rigsraadet|Council of the Realm]] was divided. In February 1449, a part of the Council declared in favour of Karl as king, but on 15 June the same year, a different group of councillors paid [[Homage (feudal)|homage]] to Christian. On 20 November, Karl was crowned king of Norway in [[Trondheim]].{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}

However, the Swedish nobility now took steps to avoid war with Denmark. In June 1450, the Swedish Council of the Realm forced Karl to renounce his claim on Norway to Christian. In the summer of 1450, Christian sailed to Norway with a large fleet, and on 2 August he was crowned king of Norway in [[Trondheim]]. On 29 August, [[Treaty of Bergen|a union treaty]] between Denmark and Norway was signed in [[Bergen]]. Norway had of old been a [[hereditary monarchy]], but this had become less and less a reality, as at the last royal successions, hereditary claims had been bypassed for political reasons. It was now explicitly stated that Norway, as well as Denmark, was an elective monarchy. The treaty stipulated that Denmark and Norway should have the same king in perpetuity, and that he would be elected among the legitimate sons of the previous king, if such existed.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

Karl Knutsson became increasingly unpopular as king of Sweden, and was driven into exile in 1457. Christian achieved his aim of being elected as king of Sweden, thus re-establishing the Kalmar Union. He received the power from temporary Swedish regents Archbishop [[Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna]] and lord [[Erik Axelsson Tott]]. However, Sweden being volatile and split by factions (benefits of union being against nationalistic benefits), his reign there ended in 1464 when [[Kettil Karlsson Vasa]], Bishop of Linköping was installed as the next regent. Karl Knutsson was recalled as King of Sweden, although he was later exiled a second time, recalled again and died during his third term as king. Christian's final attempt at regaining Sweden ended in a total military failure at the [[Battle of Brunkeberg]] (outside Stockholm) October 1471 where he was defeated by forces on Swedish regent [[Sten Sture the Elder]] ({{langx|sv|Sten Sture den äldre}}). Christian maintained his claim to the Swedish kingdom up to his death in 1481.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.blf.fi/artikel.php?id=43|title= Erik Axelsson Tott|publisher = Biografiskt lexikon för Finland 1. Svenska tiden |access-date=1 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://historiska-personer.nu/min-s/p403e0ae4.html|title= Kettil Vasa (Karlsson)|publisher= historiska-personer.nu|author= Christer Engstrand|access-date= 1 June 2018|archive-date= 9 September 2016|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160909144706/http://historiska-personer.nu/min-s/p403e0ae4.html|url-status= dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://sok.riksarkivet.se/sbl/Presentation.aspx?id=7922 |title=Jöns Bengtsson (Oxenstierna)|publisher =Svenskt biografiskt lexikon |access-date=1 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.tacitus.nu/svenskhistoria/statsman/sture.htm |title = Sten Sture den äldre |publisher = Tacitus.nu |author = Örjan Martinsson |access-date = 1 June 2018 |archive-date = 22 April 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220422070134/http://www.tacitus.nu/svenskhistoria/statsman/sture.htm |url-status = dead }}</ref>

===Duke and Count===
In 1460 King Christian also became Duke of [[Schleswig]], a Danish [[fief]], and Count of [[Holstein-Rendsburg]], a [[Saxe-Lauenburg]]ian subfief within the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. Christian inherited Holstein-Rendsburg and Schleswig after a short "[[interregnum]]" as the eldest son of the sister of late Duke [[Adolf VIII, Count of Holstein|Adolphus VIII]], Duke of Schleswig (Southern Jutland) and Count of Holstein, of the [[Counts of Schauenburg and Holstein|Schauenburg]] [[fürst]] clan, who died 4 December 1459, without heirs. Christian's succession was confirmed by the [[Estates of the Realm]] (nobility and representatives) of these [[stem duchies|duchies]] in Ribe 5 March 1460 ([[Treaty of Ribe]]). In 1474 Lauenburg's [[liege lord]] Emperor [[Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick III]] elevated Christian I as Count of Holstein to Duke of [[Duchy of Holstein|Holstein]], thus becoming an immediate imperial [[vassal]] (see [[imperial immediacy]]).{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

===Later reign===
[[File:Malpaga10.JPG|thumb|left|The visit of the king of Denmark to [[Bergamo|Bergamo's]] [[Malpaga Castle]], where a banquet was offered in his honour by Venetian Captain-General [[Bartolomeo Colleoni|Colleoni]].]]
[[File:Medalj över Kristian I, Nordisk familjebok.png|thumb|Medal of Christian I of Denmark, made during his journey through [[Italy]].]]
Christian's personal territory was at its largest in 1460–1464, before the loss of Sweden. However, many parts of his realm wanted to govern themselves locally, and there were constant struggles. Denmark was his most important center of power.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

In 1474 Christian travelled two times: in April he went to [[Milan]] (his stay in Lombardy is celebrated by frescoes by [[Il Romanino]] in the [[Malpaga Castle]]) and [[Rome]], in [[Italy]], where he met [[Pope Sixtus IV]]. In the autumn same year he visited [[Charles of Burgundy]], acting as intermediary between him and future emperor [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian I]]. He stayed in [[Duchy of Burgundy|Burgundy]] for several months, moving to the [[Netherlands]] in the early 1475.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

[[File:Christian den Første stifter universitetet (9288942775).jpg|thumb|left|Rendition of Christian I establishing the [[University of Copenhagen]].]]
Acting on a permission from Pope Sixtus IV in 1475 to establish a [[university]] in Denmark, the [[University of Copenhagen]] was inaugurated by Christian on 1 June 1479.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

===Death and burial===
[[File:RoskildeDomkirke-ChristianIKapelModSkibet.jpg|thumb|The Gothic [[fresco]]s of the [[Roskilde Cathedral#Chapel of the Magi|Chapel of the Magi]], showing amongst others Jesus carrying his cross on [[Via Dolorosa]].]]
King Christian died at [[Copenhagen Castle]] on 21 May 1481 at the age of 55. He was interred at the [[Roskilde Cathedral#Chapel of the Magi (Christian I's chapel)|Chapel of the Magi]] at [[Roskilde Cathedral]], a richly decorated [[chapel]] he and Queen Dorothea had erected to serve as a family sepulchral chapel for the [[House of Oldenburg]]. The burials of Christian I and Queen Dorothea are marked with a pair of simple stones, as the chapel itself was to be considered their [[sepulchral monument]].{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}