Johann III. (Holstein-Kiel)

Johann III. der Milde (* approx. 1297 ; † September 27, 1359 ) was Count of Holstein-Kiel (1316-1359) and Count of Holstein-Plön (1314-1359) from the house of the Counts of Schauenburg and Holstein .

Seal of Count Johann

Life

Johann III. was the son of Gerhard II and his second wife Agnes von Brandenburg . His mother was married to the Danish King Erik V. Klipping in their first marriage . This made Johann half-brother of Erik VI. Menveds of Denmark .

When his father died, his land was divided between his sons: Johann's older half-brother Gerhard IV. († 1317) received Segeberg, Johann III. Holstein-Plön. On June 7, 1314, Gerhard Johann sold almost all of his inheritance.

With his cousin Gerhard III. Johann went in league with the knighthood against the rest of the line of the house of Schauenburg. Involved was Hartwig Reventlow , who at the Siege Castle Mitgraf Adolf, the son of John II. , In 1315 killed. Johann III. then shared with Gerhard III. the property, bypassing her uncle Johann II, and received Preetz and Neumünster to round off his area . After the death of Johann II in 1321, he also received the castle in Kiel .

During the Battle of Gransee in August 1316 during the North German Margrave War , Johann stood together with Danish troops on the side of the Mecklenburg princes under Henry the Lion against the Margrave Waldemar of Brandenburg. He was temporarily taken prisoner in Brandenburg.

In the confusion after the death of Erik VI. Menveds intervened in 1319 as a half-brother of Christoph in his favor. When Christoph II was elected King of Denmark, he received Fehmarn as an inheritance. In 1326 Christoph had to face Gerhard III. flee from Holstein-Rendsburg. Johann supported his return and was pledged in 1328 by the expelled King Lolland and Falster . King Christoph II reached his return with Johann and Mecklenburg help and in 1329 ceded all of Skåne and the part of Zealand that was not pledged to Johann. Even if Christoph was officially king again, the government actually remained in Count Gerhard's hands. While trying to regain power, Christoph was captured by Gerhard. Johann triggers Christoph II again and gave him Nykøbing and Falster, where he died in 1332.

Gerhard was slain in 1340 by rebellious Jutian knights who had called on the Swedish king Magnus for help. Johann III. admitted Magnus for a fee his fortresses. After the murder of Gerhard III. With the help of Brandenburg, he put Christoph's son Waldemar IV. Atterdag on the Danish throne, to which he lost Lolland and Zealand again in 1346.

The two counts Gerhard III. and Johann III. prepared the union of Schleswig and Holstein.

Marriages and offspring

Johann was married twice. His first wife was Katharina († 1327), daughter of Duke Heinrich III of Glogau . and widow of Margrave Johann V von Brandenburg (1302-1317). From this connection emerged:

• His son and successor Adolf VII of Holstein-Kiel († 1390).
• Agnes († 1386) married Duke Erich II of Saxony-Lauenburg († 1368/1369).
• Mechthild was (after 1341) with Nikolaus III. von Werle married Prince von Wenden.
• Elisabeth was married to his brother Bernhard II .

His second wife was Merislawa von Wittenburg , daughter of Count Nikolaus von Wittenburg .

seal

(see fig.) Transcription: S (IGILLUM) * IOH (ANN) IS * D (E) I * GRA (TIA) * COMIT (IS) * HOLTZACIE * STORM (ARIE) * ET * SCOWENBORCH (Seal of Johanns von Gottes Graces Count of Holstein Stormarn and Schauenburg)

ancestry

Adolf IV. (Schauenburg and Holstein) (1205–1261) Count of Schauenburg and Holstein

Gerhard I (Holstein-Itzehoe) (1232-1290) Count of Holstein-Itzehoe

Heilwig von der Lippe

Gerhard II. (Holstein-Plön) (1254–1312) Count of Holstein-Plön

Johann I (Mecklenburg)

Elisabeth of Mecklenburg

Luitgart von Henneberg

Gerhard IV. (1277–1323) Count of Holstein-Plön

Albrecht II (Brandenburg) (~ 1150–1220) Margrave of Brandenburg

Johann I (Brandenburg) (~ 1213–1266) Margrave of Brandenburg

Mathilde von Groitzsch (1185-1225)

Agnes von Brandenburg (1257–1304) Queen of Denmark

Albrecht I (Saxony)

Jutta of Saxony (~ 1225–1266)

Agnes of Austria (1206-1226)

literature

• Kohlmann .:  Johann III. (Count of Holstein-Plön) . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 14, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1881, pp. 226-228.
• Cajus Möller: History of Schleswig-Holstein. From the oldest time to the present. Volume 1: Introduction. The Schauenburger. Rümpler, Hanover 1865.
• Carsten Porskrog Rasmussen, Elke Imberger, Dieter Lohmeier , Ingwer Momsen (ed.): The princes of the country. Dukes and Counts of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg. Wachholtz, Neumünster 2008, ISBN 978-3-529-02606-5
• Hans Gerhard Risch: The county of Holstein-Pinneberg from its beginnings until 1640 . Hamburg 1986.

predecessor	Office	successor
Johann II (Holstein-Kiel)	Count of Holstein-Kiel 1316–1359	Adolf VII (Holstein-Kiel)
Gerhard V.	Count of Holstein-Plön 1350–1359	Adolf VII (Holstein-Kiel)