Duchy of Saxony-Lauenburg

Territory in the Holy Roman Empire
Saxony-Lauenburg
coat of arms
Consist	1296-1876
Arose from	Duchy of Saxony
Form of rule	Duchy
Ruler / government	duke
Today's region / s	DE-SH
Reichskreis	Lower Saxony Imperial Circle
Capitals / residences	Lauenburg
Dynasties	Askanier , Electorate of Hanover
Denomination / Religions	Lutheran since the Reformation
Language / n	German
Incorporated into	Kingdom of Westphalia (1810); Prussia (1876)

The Duchy of Saxony-Lauenburg was a principality in the extreme south-east of what is today Schleswig-Holstein and has been a direct imperiality since 1296, with the territorial focus in today's Duchy of Lauenburg district, which is named after it .

In addition to the core territory around Lauenburg and Ratzeburg , other territories also belonged at times, such as the Land Hadeln in the Elbe estuary , in today's district of Lüneburg the Neuhaus district north of the Elbe and the Elbmarschen with Bleckede and Artlenburg , the city of Bergedorf with the Vierlanden (today part of Hamburg ) and the state of Wehningen , which fell to Mecklenburg in 1291/1376 . The duchy was created in 1296 by dividing the remaining duchy of Saxony . The places of residence of the duchy were the cities of Ratzeburg and Lauenburg .

After the German-Danish War in 1864, Prussia and Austria took over rule in Lauenburg in a condominium until Austria ceded the Duchy of Lauenburg to the King of Prussia in the Treaty of Gastein of August 14, 1865 in return for a payment of 2.5 million thalers. The history of the duchy ended in 1876 when it became part of the Prussian province of Schleswig-Holstein .

Tower of the Lauenburg Castle

Ruling dynasties

The ruling ducal family were the Ascanians until 1689 , after which the duchy was linked by personal union first with the electorate of Hanover (1689–1803), then with the Kingdom of Denmark (1814–1864) and finally with Prussia (1865–1876). In 1876 the duchy was incorporated into the Prussian province of Schleswig-Holstein as the district of Duchy of Lauenburg .

Position in the empire

As one of the legal successors of the old tribal duchy of Saxony , the Duchy of Lauenburg had in its initial phase feudal sovereignty rights over the north Elbe county of Holstein and in the central Weser area , which could not be enforced or were sold later. In competition with the Duchy of Saxony-Wittenberg , which was also created by the division in 1296 , the Lauenburg dukes fought in vain for the electoral dignity . This fight was repeated after the Ascanians died out in Saxony-Wittenberg in 1422, this time in competition with the Wettins from the margraviate of Meissen .

Economic basics

Agriculture was the economic backbone of the duchy. In addition, the state also benefited from its location in the city triangle of Hamburg , Lübeck and Lüneburg . The transit trade between these cities provided the dukes with considerable customs revenues. The salt trade between the salt city of Lüneburg and the Baltic Sea port of Lübeck was of great importance . The salt was transported by land (now known as the " Old Salt Road ") but mainly by water. For this purpose, the rivers Stecknitz and Delvenau were expanded from 1392 to 1398 into the so-called " Stecknitz Canal ", one of the oldest artificial waterways in Europe. The palm lock built at that time is considered the oldest chamber lock on the continent. However, the high tariff income could not offset the financial expenses of the dukes, especially for their struggle for electoral dignity, so that the duchy was permanently on the verge of state bankruptcy and numerous localities were always pledged to the Hanseatic city of Lübeck as exclaves . This applies in particular to the city of Mölln , which was in Lübscher hands from 1359 to 1683.

History of the duchy

Middle Ages (until 1296)

In the 7th / 8th Century populated the sub tribe of polabians the Slav tribe of Abodrites , coming from Eastern Europe or the Balkans, the northern part of today the Duchy of Lauenburg . The southern part of the district, the so-called " Sadelbande ", on the other hand, belonged to the Saxon sphere of influence and was largely uninhabited at that time. In the year 804, Charlemagne ceded the entire northern Saxon Albingia to the allied Abodrites in order to set up a buffer zone against the Danes under their leader Göttrik . After the defeat of the Abodrites in 810, Charles changed his policy and made northern Albingia part of his Frankish empire . The Abodrites had to withdraw to their traditional settlement area. On the border between the Saxon and Slavic settlement areas, Karl set up the so-called Limes Saxoniae , which stretched from today's Lauenburg to the Kiel Fjord and ran right through the middle of today's district.

Then the Saxon wave of colonization began in the Sadelbande (southern district), in which Slavs were also involved. In 1062 Ratzeburg was first mentioned as "Racesburg". The actual Ratzeburg was founded at the beginning of the 11th century by the Polish prince Ratibor (short name "Ratse"). Four years later it came to the martyrdom of Ansverus . In 1142 Heinrich the Lion established the county of Ratzeburg on the settlement area of ​​the Polabians , which included the northern part of what is now the Duchy of Lauenburg and parts of western Mecklenburg . He enfeoffed Heinrich von Badewide with the county. In 1154 Heinrich the Lion also founded the diocese of Ratzeburg ; first Ratzeburg bishop was Evermod .

In 1180 Heinrich the Lion was declared forfeit of all his fiefs at the Reichstag in Gelnhausen by Emperor Friedrich I Barbarossa and he was deposed as Duke of Saxony . Heinrich had to go into exile after a civil war that lasted until 1182. The Ascanian Bernhard I von Anhalt then received the duchy (but without Westphalia ) as a fief. Bernhard I then built the Lauenburg in 1182 . In 1201 all of northern Elbe and northern Mecklenburg came under Danish rule after the battle of Waschow ; Lauenburg was also conquered by the Danes.

In 1204 the Counts of Schwerin received from the Danes all areas of the County of Ratzeburg east of today's Schleswig-Holstein-Mecklenburg border as a reward for their support for the Danish expansion . For this, the noble gang, which had always been under the direct control of the Saxon dukes, was attached to the county. The northern and southern parts of today 's Duchy of Lauenburg district were now administratively united for the first time.

Area of ​​the new duchy around 1235, at that time still divided into the area between Lauenburg and Ratzeburg and the part Hadeln around Otterndorf

After the Battle of Bornhöved in 1227, Danish rule in northern Germany ended. Since the Counts of Ratzeburg had died out, the Ascanians as dukes of Saxony - and thus as feudal lords - could move in the county of Ratzeburg as a settled fiefdom. In 1235, Emperor Friedrich II created the new Guelph Duchy of Braunschweig-Lüneburg , which significantly weakened the position of the Ascanians. In 1260, after the death of their father Albrecht I , the brothers Johann I and Albrecht II took over the rule together.

The Ascanic Period (1296–1689)

In 1296 Albrecht II and his three nephews, the sons of Johann I , divided the Duchy of Saxony into the duchies of Saxony-Lauenburg and Saxony-Wittenberg . After he had already made a corresponding division of territory with his brother Johann (but without officially dividing the duchy), Albrecht took over the rule in Saxony-Wittenberg. Johann II. , Erich I. and Albrecht III . received Sachsen-Lauenburg. This is the actual founding date of the Duchy of Saxony-Lauenburg.

Coat of arms of Saxony-Lauenburg during the Ascanian period

In 1305, after eight years of joint rule, the three brothers divided up their duchy. Johann II took over the Bergedorf - Möllner share (Bergedorf-Möllner line), Erich I and Albrecht III. received the Ratzeburg -Lauenburger share (Ratzeburg-Lauenburger line) .

1314 was the climax of the dispute over the still customary electoral dignity between Sachsen-Lauenburg and Sachsen-Wittenberg . The fact that both duchies had the electoral vote in the German royal election resulted in a double election (voting ratio 4: 5) of the Habsburg Friedrich the beautiful and the Wittelsbacher Ludwig the Bavarian . Lauenburg voted for Ludwig.

In 1349 Sachsen-Lauenburg took part in another royal election. Thanks to his (controversial) vote, Günther von Schwarzburg received the fourth vote and thus a majority. It came to a peace alliance with Lübeck and Hamburg against the rebellious and robber nobility . Numerous fortified aristocratic residences were destroyed.

With the Golden Bull of Charles IV in 1356, the electoral dignity was institutionalized and came to Saxony-Wittenberg .

In 1359 Mölln was pledged to Lübeck . Construction of the Stecknitz Canal began in 1392 and was completed in 1398.

After the death of the childless Erich III. from the Bergedorf-Möllner line, Erich IV from the Ratzeburg-Lauenburg line was able to reunite the duchy in 1401.

After the unsuccessful war against Hamburg and Lubeck (1401-1420), the Duchy lost with the Treaty of Perleberg the Vierlande and the city of Mountain Village in the two cities.

With the death of Albrecht III. In 1422 the Ascanians died out in Saxony-Wittenberg ( Electorate of Saxony ). With the claim of the Lauenburg Duke Erich V to the inheritance, there was a fight for the electoral dignity, this time against the Wettins under Friedrich I.

In 1423, King Sigismund gave the Electorate of Saxony to the Wettins (the name "Saxony" moved to what is now the region of Saxony). However, the Lauenburg dukes maintained their claim.

In 1500 the duchy became part of the Lower Saxony Imperial Circle .

The Ratzeburg Castle in 1588 with the city island behind it, including the cathedral district

In 1525 the Reformation began in Hadeln ; the Hadler church order was confirmed in 1526 by Duke Magnus I and the Hadler regional church was founded. In 1531 there was a creeping Reformation in the actual duchy, it was not promoted by the dukes. In 1554 the last Bishop of Ratzeburg ( Diocese of Ratzeburg ) became a Protestant .

Duke Franz II married Duchess Marie of Braunschweig and Lüneburg in 1582 (1566–1626)

In 1585 the Eternal Union of Knights and Landscapes came about . Büchen was the permanent venue for this trade fair .

By decree of the Lower Saxony church order by Duke Franz II, the Lauenburg regional church with consistory and general superintendent of Lower Saxony was founded in 1585 .

In 1618 the Thirty Years War began . Duke August had to put up with his numerous younger half-brothers, which impoverished the duchy in addition to the heavy war contributions. The Thirty Years' War ended in 1648. In 1656 Duke August died. He was followed by his half-brother Julius Heinrich , who had converted to Catholicism , who, as an imperial field marshal and friend of Wallenstein , had acquired large estates in Bohemia , including the Schlackenwerth rule in 1623 . Although the duke hardly resided in the duchy any more, his high Bohemian income made it possible to overcome the financial problems from the war. He was followed by his son Julius Franz in 1665 . In 1683 Mölln was released from Lübeck's pledge .

With the death of Duke Julius Franz (1689), the Ascanians died out in Saxony-Lauenburg. Although Julius Franz left two daughters and there was a female successor in the duchy, a power struggle broke out over the inheritance between Denmark ( Holstein ), Mecklenburg and the Principality of Calenberg (part of the Duchy of Braunschweig-Lüneburg ), the latter despite the Danish siege and partial destruction Ratzeburg was able to prevail in the Hamburg comparison (1693) and linked the Duchy of Lauenburg with the Principality of Calenberg in personal union. The daughters Franziska Sibylla Augusta and Anna Maria Franziska went away empty-handed, withdrew to their Bohemian estates Schloss Schlackenwerth and Schloss Reichsstadt and fought in vain throughout their lives for the recognition of their rights to the duchy or at least the Lauenburg allodial property.

Saxony-Lauenburg since the comparison between Lübeck and Kurhannover (1747)

The "Hanoverian" period (1689–1803)

The Principality of Calenberg received the electoral dignity in 1692 and was henceforth called the Electorate of Braunschweig-Lüneburg , colloquially "Kurhannover". Georg Wilhelm von Braunschweig-Lüneburg built Ratzeburg into a fortress in 1693. Denmark saw this as a provocation and began to siege and bombard Ratzeburg, which was completely destroyed in the process. In a Hamburg comparison , Georg Wilhelm committed to razing the fortress, but was able to maintain the duchy.

In 1714, Elector Georg I Ludwig became King George I of Great Britain .

The land of Hadeln (see history of Hadeln and Wursten ), which had been under imperial administration since 1689, came directly to the Electorate of Hanover in 1731 and was thus finally lost to the Duchy.

In 1740 the coinage for Lauenburg ended with the minting of half three-penny coins (half three-penny coins, i.e. 1½ pfennigs) made of copper. The coats of arms of this and the previous coins bore the Sachsenross on the coat of arms.

Numerous villages pledged to Lübeck could be redeemed in 1747.

Lauenburger Dreiling from 1740

French period (1803-1815)

In 1803 French troops occupied the duchy - with that the connection with Hanover ended. In 1805 the territory fell temporarily to Prussia and in 1806 the French occupied it again. On March 1, 1810, Sachsen-Lauenburg became part of the Kingdom of Westphalia created by Napoleon . On December 13th, the duchy was incorporated into the French Empire with other parts of Westphalia and Lübeck .

Danish period (1815–1864)

Coat of arms of the Duchy of Lauenburg from 1867 with the colors of the Hohenzollern (black and white)

Flag of the Duchy of Lauenburg

The Kingdom of Hanover , newly established at the Congress of Vienna , left the Duchy of Lauenburg "right of the Elbe" to Prussia on May 29, 1815, but retained the left Elbmarschvogtei and received the Neuhaus office back a little later. As early as June 4th, Prussia exchanged its acquisition for Swedish-Western Pomerania, which had only become Danish in 1814 . Lauenburg was linked to the Kingdom of Denmark in personal union.

As a result of the Schleswig-Holstein uprising , a democratically elected parliament was set up with the state assembly in 1848 and the Basic Law for the Duchy of Lauenburg was introduced in May 1849 . Both were abolished after Denmark regained full control of the duchies in 1851/52.

Condominium, personal union with Prussia and dissolution (1864–1876)

After Denmark's defeat in the German-Danish War , Lauenburg, Schleswig and Holstein fell under the joint rule of Prussia and Austria on October 30, 1864, due to the Peace of Vienna .

The Gastein Convention took place on August 14, 1865 . Austria ceded its rights to Lauenburg in return for financial compensation to Prussia.

On September 26, 1865, the Lauenburg estates in the Ratzeburg St. Petri Church paid homage to King Wilhelm I, who was personally present, as their Duke. The duchy was thus connected with the Prussian monarchy in personal union. The Prussian Prime Minister Otto von Bismarck was appointed "Minister for Lauenburg".

In 1871 the sovereign gave about five sevenths of the domanium to the new Lauenburg regional association , the remaining two sevenths (including Sachsenwald ) received the prince Otto von Bismarck as a donation for his services. As the Lauenburg landowner, he was a member of the Lauenburg Knights and Landscape and was able to preserve numerous rights for the Lauenburgers in negotiations with Prussia. The abolition of the manor took place in 1872.

The history of the duchy ended in 1876 with the incorporation of the duchy as the district of Duchy of Lauenburg into the Prussian province of Schleswig-Holstein . The new district was able to retain some special rights when it was incorporated, thanks to Bismarck's support. For example, the formerly ducal land and forest holdings remained property of the state communal association and did not become part of the Prussian state property.

The dukes of Saxony-Lauenburg

Ascanians (1269-1689)

• Johann II. , 1296–1305 (joint government)
• Albrecht III. , 1296–1305 (joint government)
• Erich I. , 1296–1305 (joint government)

1305 Division into the Bergedorf-Möllner and the Ratzeburg-Lauenburger line

Bergedorf-Möllner Line (1305–1401)

• John II , 1305-1321
• Albrecht IV , 1321-1343
• Johann III. , 1343-1356
• Albrecht V , 1356-1370
• Eric III. , 1370-1401

1401 to the Ratzeburg-Lauenburger line

Ratzeburg-Lauenburger line (1305-1401)

• Albrecht III. , 1305–1308 (joint government)
• Erich I. , 1305–1361 (joint government until 1308)
• Erich II. , 1361-1368
• Erich IV. , 1368-1401

1401 merged with the Bergedorf-Möllner line

Saxony-Lauenburg (1401–1689)

• Erich IV. , 1401-1411
• Erich V. , 1411-1436
• Bernhard II , 1436–1463
• John IV , 1463-1507
• Magnus , 1507-1543
• Francis I , 1543–1581
• Francis II , 1581-1619
• August , 1619-1656
• Julius Heinrich , 1656–1665
• Franz Erdmann , 1665–1666
• Julius Franz , 1666–1689

Welfs (1689-1803)

House Braunschweig-Celle (1689–1705)

• Georg Wilhelm , 1689–1705 (Duke of Braunschweig-Lüneburg)

Hanover House (1705–1803)

• Georg I. Ludwig , 1705–1727 (Elector of Braunschweig-Lüneburg , from 1714 as Georg I, King of Great Britain )
• Georg II. , 1727–1760 (King of Great Britain and Elector of Braunschweig-Lüneburg )
• George III , 1760–1803 (King of Great Britain and Elector of Braunschweig-Lüneburg )

French occupied, 1803–1805
to Prussia , 1805–1806
French occupied, 1806–1810
to the Kingdom of Westphalia , 1810
to the French Empire , 1810–1814

The dukes of Lauenburg

Oldenburg (1814–1864)

• Frederick I , 1814–1839 (as Frederick VI King of Denmark )
• Christian I , 1839–1848 (as Christian VIII King of Denmark)
• Frederick II , 1848–1863 (as Frederick VII King of Denmark)
• Christian II , 1863–1864 (as Christian IX King of Denmark)

In the Schleswig-Holstein uprising , the German Confederation appointed Heinrich von Wintzingerode as imperial administrator in the duchy.

House of Hohenzollern (1865–1876)

• Wilhelm I , 1865–1876 (King of Prussia 1861–1888, German Emperor 1871–1888)
• Otto von Bismarck appointed by Kaiser Wilhelm II when he left, asked in a letter of March 20, 1890 not to use this title.

More people

• Rudolf Maximilian von Sachsen-Lauenburg (1596–1647), colonel in the Thirty Years War

literature

• Patriotic archive for the Duchy of Lauenburg .
  • Volume 1, Ratzeburg 1857 ( full text )
  • Volume 2, Ratzeburg 1860 ( full text )
  • Volume 3, Ratzeburg 1863 ( full text ).
• Johann Friedrich Burmester: Contributions to the church history of the Duchy of Lauenburg . Ratzeburg 1832 ( digitized version ).
• Adolf von Duve : Information on the most important things in the history of the state and the conditions of the residents of the Duchy of Lauenburg from prehistory to the end of the year 1851 ... H. Linsen, 1857.
• Alfred Kamphausen: Duchy of Lauenburg ( German Land - German Art ). Munich / Berlin 1959.
• Peter von Kobbe : History and description of the country of the Duchy of Lauenburg . ( Digitized version of the 3rd part, Altona 1837 ).
• Eckardt Opitz (ed.): Duchy of Lauenburg: the country and its history. A manual. Neumünster 2003.
• Eckardt Opitz: Otto von Bismarck and the integration of the Duchy of Lauenburg into the Prussian state (= Friedrichsruher contributions. Volume 15). Friedrichsruh 2001.
• Eckardt Opitz (Ed.): Biographical Lexicon of the Duchy of Lauenburg. Husum Printing and Publishing Company, Husum 2015, ISBN 978-3-89876-778-1 .

Web links

Commons : Sachsen-Lauenburg  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Patriotic Archive for the Duchy of Lauenburg , Vol. 1 - 3 (1857, 1860, 1863)
• Archive of the Association for the History of the Duchy of Lauenburg , Vol. 1 - 9 (1884 - 1910)

Individual evidence

1. ^ Johann Friedrich Burmester: Contributions to the church history of the Duchy of Lauenburg. Self-published, Ratzeburg 1832, p. 14.
2. ^ Johann Friedrich Burmester: Contributions to the church history of the Duchy of Lauenburg. Self-published, Ratzeburg 1832, p. 16.
3. ^ Cordula Bornefeld: The dukes of Saxony-Lauenburg. In: The princes of the country: dukes and counts of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg [De slevigske hertuger; German]. Published by Carsten Porskrog Rasmussen on behalf of the Society for Schleswig-Holstein History, Wachholtz, Neumünster 2008, ISBN 978-3-529-02606-5 , pp. 373–389, here p. 379.
4. ^ Gerhard Schön: German coin catalog 18th century, Lauenburg No. 13, 14 .
5. ↑ Basic Law for the Duchy of Lauenburg
6. ↑ Law regarding the union of the Duchy of Lauenburg with the Prussian monarchy v. June 23, 1876 (GS.p. 169)
7. ↑ Die Welt, October 26, 1999