Resolution of the situation and its consequences for European development

In 1330-1340, several nearby and far-away rulers begun to show an interest in Estonia. As we know, Estonia belonged to Denmark at the time. In order to understand the commotion among neighbouring powers, we need to look to Danish history of the period. The kingdom was almost falling apart in the 1330s. Christopher II pawned one domain after another due to huge financial problems. The far-away Duchy of Estonia was also suitable to be offered as security for a loan.

Autor: EI
Involved dynasties of Germany, Danmark and Sweden
One of the first suitors of Estonia was Knut Porse, a nobleman who was married to the highly born Ingeborg, daughter of the Norwegian king and widow of the Swedish Duke Erik Magnusson (died in 1318). They had two sons who died in 1350. Ingeborg also had a son from her first marriage, Magnus Eriksson (born 1316) who later became the King of Sweden and Norway. These family relations are significant, because Knut Porse received the Duchy of Estonia as a fiefdom in 1329. He died the next year, in 1330, and left behind an energetic widow and three sons and heirs.

These inheritance relationships probably would not have had any effect on Estonian history, had the situation been peaceful in Denmark. However, in 1331, a battle was fought near Gottorp between Christopher II and Gerhard of Holstein where the king was defeated once again, and the next year he died in disgrace and poverty. Gerhard became the ruler. But that was not all. Namely, as far back as in 1323, Margareta, daughter of the dead king Christopher II, had been betrothed to Ludwig, the Margrave of Brandenburg and son of Ludwig, the German Emperor. The wedding was the next year. This was a very noble marriage and expected to fill the state treasury of Denmark with German riches. But things did not work out that way. First, the promised dowry, 12,000 marks or 2.8 tons of silver, had to be paid to Ludwig. It was well known that the Danish king had no such wealth. Therefore, a number of manors in Estonia were pledged to Ludwig to cover the dowry. This was small comfort to the Margrave. When Chistopher II passed away, Ludwig’s hopes of getting his dowry dwindled to nothing – a fact that must have irritated his father, the German Emperor.

When Christopher II died, he also left a number of heirs. Besides the dowry-less daughter Margareta and her two sisters, there were three sons as well. Erik, the heir to the throne, had also died in 1332 and elder son, Danish Junker Otto, bore the title of the Duke of Estonia. It has been said that Otto took after his father in his character. Thus, in 1333, he handed, with the consent of his younger brother Valdemar, the whole of Estonia over to Margrave Ludwig instead of the dowry and gave up all his rights in the area. Despite that, Valdemar assumed the title of the Heir to the Kingdom of Denmark and the Duchy of Estonia when he became of age in 1338.

As a result, by the end of the 1330s, there were a number of lawful successors laying claim to Estonia: the heirs of Knut Porse, above all Magnus, the young King of Sweden; but also Ludwig, the Margrave of Brandenburg and, first and foremost, Valdemar, the youngest son of Christopher II. Valdemar was raised by the house of the German Emperor and grew up to become a knight in the court of Emperor Ludwig. It seems reasonable to assume that Emperor Ludwig had great influence over Valdemar as a result of his upbringing.

In 1340, the Danes killed the hated Gerhard of Holstein in the castle of Randers and negotiations, conducted by Ludwig, the Margrave of Brandenburg, for the restoration of the Kingdom of Denmark began. The crown was inherited by Valdemar, the youngest son of Christopher II, whose first task was to buy back the pawned country.

Read More at : Estonia.org