Holstein-Gottorp - Definition and Overview

Holstein-Gottorp was a duchy consisting of areas within Schleswig and Holstein, in present-day Denmark and Germany. It was extant from 1544, when it was ceded to Adolf, the brother of King Christian III of Denmark, to 1773, from when on it was held again in personal union with the Danish crown.

The dukes of Holstein-Gottorp conducted a successful dynastic policy, two effects of which were the Swedish House of Holstein-Gottorp (reigning from 1751 until 1818) and the Russian Imperial Family of Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov (reigning briefly in 1762 and then from 1796 until 1918).

Dukes of Holstein-Gottorp

• 1544-1586 : Adolf
• 1586-1587 : Frederick II
• 1587-1590 : Philip
• 1590-1616 : John Adolf
• 1616-1659 : Frederick III
• 1659-1694 : Christian Albert
• 1694-1702 : Frederick IV
• 1702-1739 : Charles Frederick
• 1739-1762 : Charles Peter Ulrich (later Peter III of Russia)
• 1762-1773 : Paul (later Paul of Russia)