How should the Duchy of Oldeburg be referenced (Country-wise) for the period 1667-1814 when it was under Danish rule

Question

Hi,

I have a dilemma and looking for some expert guidance...

I have a number of family ancestors that were from the Duchy of Oldenburg during the 1700's when it was under Danish rule. [When the main lineage of the House of Oldeburg died out in 1667 it fell to Frederik III of Denmark.]

Per WT Guidelines my preference is to add any Place names according how they would have been known at the time, so in this case: "Bockhorn, Herzogtum Oldenburg".

However, should I add "Dänemark" as the closing country - "Bockhorn, Herzogtum Oldenburg, Dänemark", or leave it without?

I am conscious that there are WikiTree+ data validation routines to check on Country being of a permitted value, so not sure what the correct approach should be.   I believe that "Dänemark" throws up a validation error, though german would be language for Oldenburg at that time.

As an example/test I have created Trant-471 with place of birth as "Bockhorn, Herzogtum Oldenburg, Dänemark".

Could a helpful expert advise at to what approach should be taken for such cases?

Many thanks

Carl

Answer 1

Even though Oldenburg was ruled by the Danish king in personal union as Count or Duke of Oldenburg, it was not part of the Kingdom of Denmark, but continued to be part of the Holy Roman Empire. This meant that the Danish king as Duke of Oldenburg (as well as Duke of Holstein) was a feudal subject of the Holy Roman Emperor.

• 1500-1773 Grafschaft Oldenburg, Heiliges Römisches Reich
• 1774-1806 Herzogtum Oldenburg, Heiliges Römisches Reich
• 1806-1808 Herzogtum Oldenburg (1806/1807 under Dutsch occupation)
• 1808-1811 Herzogtum Oldenburg, Rheinbund
• 1811-1814 Arrondissement Oldenburg, Departement der Wesermündungen, Französisches Kaiserreich (former Counties Oldenburg and Delmenhorst)
• 1811-114 Arrondissement Osnabrück, Department der Ober-Ems, Französisches Kaiserreich (South-Oldenburg)
• 1811-1814 Arrondissement Lübeck, Departement der Elbmündung, Französisches Kaiserreich (former Fürstentum Lübeck)
• 1815-1866 Großherzogtum Oldenburg, Deutscher Bund
• 1867-1870 Großherzogtum Oldenburg, Norddeutscher Bund
• 1870-1918 Großherzogtum Oldenburg, Deutsches Reich (Kaiserreich)

Comments

Remark:

The duchy consisted of two geographically separate sub-regions: Oldenburg itself and the Hochstift Lübeck (after secularization in 1803, the Principality of Lübeck with the residential city of Eutin).

The Grand Duchy of Oldenburg was a territory established by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 comprising the Duchy of Oldenburg, the Principality of Lübeck and the Principality of Birkenfeld.

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Many thanks Dieter for this information. Although I have tried to find out as much as possible from Wikipedia and other sources, none mentioned that the Danish king, as Duke of Oldenburg, would have still been considered a feudal subject of the Holy Roman Emperor.   It's so nice to finally better understand this relationship.  :)

And thanks also for the timeline of changes too.  Some of these I did manage to get right for other profiles from my research - haha!

thanks again!

Carl