Reformation in Denmark
Encyclopedia
The Reformation in Denmark–Norway and Holstein was the transition from Roman Catholicism to Lutheranism
in the realms ruled by the Copenhagen
-based House of Oldenburg
in the first half of the sixteenth century. After the break-up of the Kalmar Union
in 1521/1523, these realms included the kingdoms of Denmark
and Norway and the Duchies of Schleswig (a Danish fief) and Holstein (a German fief), whereby Denmark extended over today's Denmark
, Iceland
, Greenland
, Faroe islands
, Skåneland
and Gotland
in Sweden
, and Øsel
(Saaremaa) in Estonia
.
The Protestant Reformation
was initiated by Martin Luther
's 95 theses in 1517, and reached Holstein and Denmark in the 1520s. Lutheran protagonists like Hans Tausen
gained considerable support in the population and from king Christian II
, and though the latter's successor Frederick I
officially condemned the reformatory ideas, he tolerated their spread. His son Christian III
officially introduced Lutheranism in his possessions in 1528, and on becoming king in 1536 after the Count's War, Lutheranism became official in all of Denmark-Norway. The Catholic bishops were removed and arrested, and the church was reorganized based on Lutheran church orders
drawn under the aegis of Luther's friend Johannes Bugenhagen
in 1537 (Denmark-Norway) and 1542 (Holstein).
The Lutheran order established during the Protestant reformation is the common root of the Danish National Church, the Church of Norway
, the Church of Iceland
and the Church of the Faroe Islands
. It also triggered Denmark's unsuccessful involvement
in the Thirty Years' War
under Christian IV
, who led the defense of a Protestant coalition against the Catholic League
's Counter-Reformation
.
Already in 1525, Hans Tausen
, a monk
from the monastery of Antvorskov
, had begun preaching Lutheran doctrines in Viborg
. In the years hereafter, the Lutheran movement began spreading throughout the country, and although King Frederick I
had pledged in his håndfæstning
('charter') to fight against Lutheranism
, he nevertheless issued an edict to the citizens of Viborg in 1526, obliging them to protect Hans Tausen.
The Lutheran movement had its origins in Germany
, where Martin Luther
started the Protestant Reformation
when he published his 95 theses in 1517. The movement quickly gained great influence in Denmark, although humanist
s like Poul Helgesen
long tried to maintain a reform movement within the Roman Catholic Church
instead of abolishing it altogether as the Lutherans would.
During the first years of the 1530s, the King's passivity encouraged the people to attack monasteries
and churches. Former King Christian II
who had lived in exile since 1526 took advantage of the unrest and issued propaganda
writings, agitating for himself and the new Lutheran doctrine. When Frederick I died in 1533, the Council of the Realm could not come to an agreement on who should be the new king. A Roman Catholic majority preferred Frederick's 12-year-old son Hans while a minority supported Hans' half-brother Christian who as duke of Slesvig and Holsten had introduced Lutheranism there during the 1520s.
The election of a new king was postponed for a year due to the disagreement and in the meanwhile the Council of the Realm would rule and the bishop
s decide what could be preached in their respective diocese
s. Moreover, Hans Tausen was accused of heresy
and banished from Zealand but the bishop of Roskilde
called him back after only one month. Discontent with the nobility taking over control of the country through the Council made citizens from Malmø and Copenhagen
along with peasants, especially from northern Jutland
, rally around exiled King Christian II.
The Council had furthermore decided to join a Netherlandic
-Slesvigian-Holsatian alliance instead of Lübeck
which by Mayor Jürgen Wullenwever
had also been represented at the Council's meeting.
In January 1534, the city government of Malmø led by Mayor Jørgen Kock refused to comply with an order from the bishop of Lund
to expel the Lutheran preachers. Malmø had already for long been a centre of Evangelical
activities and responded to the order by occupying Malmø Castle
and arresting the overlord. In May, this rebellion was followed up by the German Count Christopher of Oldenburg
attacking Holsten. He had been hired by Koch of Malmø and Wullenwever of Lübeck to conquer Denmark, officially in order to restore King Christian II. Count Christopher's participation in the following two years of civil war
named it The Count's Feud
. The Count's main objective was not Holsten but Zealand where he sailed and he quickly gained control of all Danish territory east of the Great Belt
.
On 4 July 1534 representatives of Jutlandic nobility and councillors met in Rye
in eastern Jutland. Here the lesser nobility forced the bishops to nominate the Lutheran Christian, Duke of Slesvig and Holsten to the kingship. When the nobility of Funen
joined them, Christian agreed and homage was paid to him as King Christian III on 18 August that year in Horsens
.
After both Funen and Jutland had rebelled and Sweden
and Prussia
had become involved in the war in Scania
, Lübeck withdrew from the struggle in January 1536, and on 6 April, Malmø surrendered, though without losing either privileges or Evangelical doctrine. After the population had starved for months, Copenhagen gave up too and Mayor Ambrosius Bogbinder committed suicide
. Like Malmø, Copenhagen did not lose its privileges either and the rebels were granted an amnesty
.
Christian III marched into Copenhagen on 6 August 1536 and six days later he carried out a coup. The three bishops who dwelt in Copenhagen were arrested and the rest were tracked down and likewise arrested. The official reason was their hesitation to elect Christian as king and other alleged criminal acts. The real reason was, however, that Christian wanted to kill two birds with one stone: carrying through a Lutheran Reformation and confiscating the bishops' properties, the profits from which was needed to cover the expenses of the recently ended civil war.
Before Christian III came to power in all Denmark-Norway after the Count's War, he had already implemented the Protestant Reformation
in his realms Haderslev
(Hadersleben) and Tørning (Tørninglen, Törninglehn), two domains in southern Jutland
which he had received in 1524. A convinced Lutheran since his encounter with Luther at the Diet of Worms
in 1521, Christian III introduced a Lutheran church order in his domains in 1528, laid out in the twenty-two Haderslev articles. In 1536, he wanted to implement a similar order for the whole kingdom. The Haderslev articles had already introduced the office of a superintendent, and the arrest of the bishops - who had not supported his election and neither were willing to bear any of his war costs - made way to the assignment of Lutheran superintendents in all of Denmark-Norway.
After the coup, Christian III had contacted Martin Luther and Johannes Bugenhagen
, whom he had first met in 1529 - both congratulated the king. His subsequent request to John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony to immediately deploy Melanchton or Bugenhagen to Denmark was denied, but the elector was willing to do so once a rough draft of a Danish Lutheran church order had been provided by Danish theologians. Christian III could thereby rely on a pool of capable Danish Lutherans who all had studied at the University of Wittenberg, among them were Peder Palladius, Jørgen Sadolin, Hans Tausen
and Frans Vormordsen.
A synode was held in Odense
where the draft was begun, and the work continued in Haderslev thereafter. The first draft was based primarily on the Haderslev articles, also on the Saxon script Unterricht der Visitatoren ("Visitators' lessons"), on Bugenhagen's Van menigherleie christliken saken ("Of several Christian matters"), on the liturgical writings of Luther and Danish liturgical writings. In April 1537, the draft was sent to Wittenberg for approval, whereupon the elector allowed Bugenhagen to depart for Denmark.
After Bugenhagen had revised and amended the draft, it was translated from Latin to Danish and presented to the rigsrådet. After a second revision by Bugenhagen, the church order was completed and signed by Christian III on 2 September 1537 as Ordinatio ecclesiastica regnorum Daniae et Norwegiae et ducatuum Slesvicencis, Holtsatiae etc. etc. ("Church order of the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway and the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein etc."). In Denmark, seven superintendancies were established, replacing the former bishoprics.
The superintendents were to meet with the king in synodes, the upper clergy with the superintendents in landemoders, and the lower with the upper clergy in kalenters, the king was to have no theological authority besides approving the superintendents, and the superintendents were not to hold fiefs or secular offices - a rule which would not be followed strictly. Likewise, Christian III would often intervene in the church's affairs.
The church order turned against the veneration of saint
s, fast day
s, celibacy
and everything else that was considered Catholic foolery, and instead it decreed church service
s to be performed in Danish
. Most monks and nuns by far were allowed to stay in their monasteries and convents (except the greyfriars
) and the priests were allowed to keep their churches until they died. Only when the last monk or nun had died was the monastery added to the property of the Crown. Thus, in spite of more fierce procedures followed especially by bishop Peder Palladius on Zealand, the Reformation became a relatively bloodless affair in Denmark.
A Danish translation of the Latin Ordinatio ecclesiastica was approved by the rigsrådet as a law in 1539. Bugenhagen left Denmark during the same year, but returned in 1542 to mediate negotiations with the gentry of Holstein, who had delayed the implementation of the church order there. On 9 March 1542, the Schleswig-Holsteinische Kirchenordnung ("Church order of Schleswig-Holstein") was approved by the landtag
in Rendsburg
after a revision by Bugenhagen. Implementation of the church order in Norway proved more difficult, and even more so in Iceland
, where it was implemented only in 1552 after the execution of bishop Jon Arason
in 1550, and contested by the local population until the seventeenth century.
In addition to working on the Danish church order, Bugenhagen also crowned Christian III and his wife Dorothea with a Lutheran ritual on 12 August 1537, the king's thirty-fourth birthday and the first anniversary of the arrest of the Catholic bishops. The coronation as well as the inauguration of the superintendents, which was also performed by Bugenhagen, took place in Our Lady's Church in Copenhagen
. Also in 1537, the University of Copenhagen
, closed since the Count's War, was modelled by Bugenhagen after Wittenberg was re-opened as a Lutheran university. In 1550, the "Christian III Bible" was first printed, a translation of Luther's Bible by Christiern Pederson on behalf of Christian III. In 1556, Peder Palladius published the "Altar Book", a compendium of Lutheran lithurgy, which however did not become binding in all of Denmark.
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
in the realms ruled by the Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
-based House of Oldenburg
House of Oldenburg
The House of Oldenburg is a North German dynasty and one of Europe's most influential Royal Houses with branches that rule or have ruled in Denmark, Russia, Greece, Norway, Schleswig, Holstein, Oldenburg and Sweden...
in the first half of the sixteenth century. After the break-up of the Kalmar Union
Kalmar Union
The Kalmar Union is a historiographical term meaning a series of personal unions that united the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway , and Sweden under a single monarch, though intermittently and with a population...
in 1521/1523, these realms included the kingdoms of Denmark
Kingdom of Denmark
The Kingdom of Denmark or the Danish Realm , is a constitutional monarchy and sovereign state consisting of Denmark proper in northern Europe and two autonomous constituent countries, the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic and Greenland in North America. Denmark is the hegemonial part, where the...
and Norway and the Duchies of Schleswig (a Danish fief) and Holstein (a German fief), whereby Denmark extended over today's Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, Faroe islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
, Skåneland
Skåneland
Skåneland or Skånelandene are terms used in historical contexts in Scandinavia to describe the area on the southern and south-western part of the Scandinavian peninsula, which under the Treaty of Roskilde was transferred from Denmark to Sweden. It corresponds to the provinces of Blekinge,...
and Gotland
Gotland
Gotland is a county, province, municipality and diocese of Sweden; it is Sweden's largest island and the largest island in the Baltic Sea. At 3,140 square kilometers in area, the region makes up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area...
in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and Øsel
Saaremaa
Saaremaa is the largest island in Estonia, measuring 2,673 km². The main island of Saare County, it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hiiumaa island, and belongs to the West Estonian Archipelago...
(Saaremaa) in Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
.
The Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
was initiated by Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
's 95 theses in 1517, and reached Holstein and Denmark in the 1520s. Lutheran protagonists like Hans Tausen
Hans Tausen
Hans Tausen , the protagonist of the Danish Reformation, was born at Birkende on Funen in 1494 and died in Ribe in 1561.- Life :...
gained considerable support in the population and from king Christian II
Christian II of Denmark
Christian II was King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden , during the Kalmar Union.-Background:...
, and though the latter's successor Frederick I
Frederick I of Denmark
Frederick I of Denmark and Norway was the King of Denmark and Norway. The name is also spelled Friedrich in German, Frederik in Danish, and Fredrik in Swedish and Norwegian...
officially condemned the reformatory ideas, he tolerated their spread. His son Christian III
Christian III of Denmark
Christian III reigned as king of Denmark and Norway. He was the eldest son of King Frederick I and Anna of Brandenburg.-Childhood:...
officially introduced Lutheranism in his possessions in 1528, and on becoming king in 1536 after the Count's War, Lutheranism became official in all of Denmark-Norway. The Catholic bishops were removed and arrested, and the church was reorganized based on Lutheran church orders
Church Order (Lutheran)
The Church Order or Church Ordinance means the general ecclesiastical constitution of a State.The early Evangelical Church attached less importance to ecclesiastical ritual than the pre-Reformation Church had done...
drawn under the aegis of Luther's friend Johannes Bugenhagen
Johannes Bugenhagen
Johannes Bugenhagen , also called Doctor Pomeranus by Martin Luther, introduced the Protestant Reformation in the Duchy of Pomerania and Denmark in the 16th century. Among his major accomplishments was organization of Lutheran churches in Northern Germany and Scandinavia...
in 1537 (Denmark-Norway) and 1542 (Holstein).
The Lutheran order established during the Protestant reformation is the common root of the Danish National Church, the Church of Norway
Church of Norway
The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, established after the Lutheran reformation in Denmark-Norway in 1536-1537 broke the ties to the Holy See. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith...
, the Church of Iceland
Church of Iceland
The National Church of Iceland, or Þjóðkirkjan, formally called the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland, is the state church in Iceland. Like the established churches in the other Nordic countries, the National Church of Iceland professes the Lutheran branch of Christianity. Its head is the...
and the Church of the Faroe Islands
Church of the Faroe Islands
The Church of the Faroe Islands was a diocese of the Lutheran Church of Denmark until it became independent on 29 July 2007, as the smallest of the world's few remaining state churches....
. It also triggered Denmark's unsuccessful involvement
Treaty of Lübeck
Treaty or Peace of Lübeck ended the Danish intervention in the Thirty Years' War . It was signed in Lübeck on 22 May 1629 by Albrecht von Wallenstein and Christian IV of Denmark, and on 7 June by Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor. The Catholic League was formally included as a party...
in the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
under Christian IV
Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV was the king of Denmark-Norway from 1588 until his death. With a reign of more than 59 years, he is the longest-reigning monarch of Denmark, and he is frequently remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious and proactive Danish kings, having initiated many reforms and projects...
, who led the defense of a Protestant coalition against the Catholic League
Catholic League (German)
The German Catholic League was initially a loose confederation of Roman Catholic German states formed on July 10, 1609 to counteract the Protestant Union , whereby the participating states concluded an alliance "for the defence of the Catholic religion and peace within the Empire." Modeled...
's Counter-Reformation
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation was the period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent and ending at the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648 as a response to the Protestant Reformation.The Counter-Reformation was a comprehensive effort, composed of four major elements:#Ecclesiastical or...
.
Spread of reformatory ideas
Hans Tausen
Hans Tausen , the protagonist of the Danish Reformation, was born at Birkende on Funen in 1494 and died in Ribe in 1561.- Life :...
, a monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
from the monastery of Antvorskov
Antvorskov
Antvorskov was the principal Scandinavian monastery of the Roman Catholic Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, located about one kilometer south of the town of Slagelse on Zealand, Denmark....
, had begun preaching Lutheran doctrines in Viborg
Viborg, Denmark
Viborg , a town in central Jutland, Denmark, is the seat of both Viborg municipality and Region Midtjylland. Viborg is also the seat of the Western High Court, the High Court for the Jutland peninsula...
. In the years hereafter, the Lutheran movement began spreading throughout the country, and although King Frederick I
Frederick I of Denmark
Frederick I of Denmark and Norway was the King of Denmark and Norway. The name is also spelled Friedrich in German, Frederik in Danish, and Fredrik in Swedish and Norwegian...
had pledged in his håndfæstning
Håndfæstning
Håndfæstning , Håndfestning , Handfeste , were names for documents issued from the 13th to the 17th century in Scandinavia and Germany , e.g. the charters that were signed by Danish and Norwegian kings, and sometimes also by Swedish kings...
('charter') to fight against Lutheranism
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
, he nevertheless issued an edict to the citizens of Viborg in 1526, obliging them to protect Hans Tausen.
The Lutheran movement had its origins in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, where Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
started the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
when he published his 95 theses in 1517. The movement quickly gained great influence in Denmark, although humanist
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
s like Poul Helgesen
Poul Helgesen
Poul Helgesen was a Danish Carmelite, a humanist and historian.-Life:...
long tried to maintain a reform movement within the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
instead of abolishing it altogether as the Lutherans would.
During the first years of the 1530s, the King's passivity encouraged the people to attack monasteries
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
and churches. Former King Christian II
Christian II of Denmark
Christian II was King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden , during the Kalmar Union.-Background:...
who had lived in exile since 1526 took advantage of the unrest and issued propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
writings, agitating for himself and the new Lutheran doctrine. When Frederick I died in 1533, the Council of the Realm could not come to an agreement on who should be the new king. A Roman Catholic majority preferred Frederick's 12-year-old son Hans while a minority supported Hans' half-brother Christian who as duke of Slesvig and Holsten had introduced Lutheranism there during the 1520s.
The election of a new king was postponed for a year due to the disagreement and in the meanwhile the Council of the Realm would rule and the bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s decide what could be preached in their respective diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
s. Moreover, Hans Tausen was accused of heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
and banished from Zealand but the bishop of Roskilde
Roskilde
Roskilde is the main city in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark on the island of Zealand. It is an ancient city, dating from the Viking Age and is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network....
called him back after only one month. Discontent with the nobility taking over control of the country through the Council made citizens from Malmø and Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
along with peasants, especially from northern Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
, rally around exiled King Christian II.
The Council had furthermore decided to join a Netherlandic
Seventeen Provinces
The Seventeen Provinces were a personal union of states in the Low Countries in the 15th century and 16th century, roughly covering the current Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, a good part of the North of France , and a small part of Western Germany.The Seventeen Provinces were originally held by...
-Slesvigian-Holsatian alliance instead of Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
which by Mayor Jürgen Wullenwever
Jürgen Wullenwever
Jürgen Wullenwever was burgomaster of Lübeck from 1533 to 1535, a period of religious, political and trade turmoil.-Biography:Wullenwever was probably born at Hamburg in 1492...
had also been represented at the Council's meeting.
Election of Christian III and Count's Feud
Diocese of Lund
-External links:* from Nordisk Familjebok, in Swedish...
to expel the Lutheran preachers. Malmø had already for long been a centre of Evangelical
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
activities and responded to the order by occupying Malmø Castle
Malmö Castle
Malmö Castle is a fortress located in Malmö, Scania, in southern Sweden. The first castle was founded in 1434 by King Eric of Pomerania. This structure was demolished in early 16th century, and a new one was built in its place 1530s by King Christian III of Denmark...
and arresting the overlord. In May, this rebellion was followed up by the German Count Christopher of Oldenburg
Christopher of Oldenburg
Christopher of Oldenburg . German Count, regent in Eastern Denmark during the Count's War 1534–36 which was named after him....
attacking Holsten. He had been hired by Koch of Malmø and Wullenwever of Lübeck to conquer Denmark, officially in order to restore King Christian II. Count Christopher's participation in the following two years of civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
named it The Count's Feud
Count's Feud
The Count's Feud , also called the Count's War, was a civil war that raged in Denmark in 1534–36 and brought about the Reformation in Denmark...
. The Count's main objective was not Holsten but Zealand where he sailed and he quickly gained control of all Danish territory east of the Great Belt
Great Belt
The Great Belt is a strait between the main Danish islands of Zealand and Funen . Effectively dividing Denmark in two, the Belt was served by the Great Belt ferries from the late 19th century until the islands were connected by the Great Belt Fixed Link in 1997–98.-Geography:The Great Belt is the...
.
On 4 July 1534 representatives of Jutlandic nobility and councillors met in Rye
Old Rye
Old Rye is a small town in eastern Jutland, Denmark, with a population of 1,317 .Rye was a very important market town in medieval Denmark. In 1534 AD, St. Søren's Church in Rye was the setting of the Election of Christian III as king of Denmark...
in eastern Jutland. Here the lesser nobility forced the bishops to nominate the Lutheran Christian, Duke of Slesvig and Holsten to the kingship. When the nobility of Funen
Funen
Funen , with a size of 2,984 km² , is the third-largest island of Denmark following Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy, and the 163rd largest island of the world. Funen is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 454,358 inhabitants . The main city is Odense, connected to the...
joined them, Christian agreed and homage was paid to him as King Christian III on 18 August that year in Horsens
Horsens
Horsens is a Danish city in east Jutland. It is the site of the council of Horsens municipality. The city's population is 53,807 and the Horsens municipality's population is 82,835 ....
.
After both Funen and Jutland had rebelled and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
had become involved in the war in Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
, Lübeck withdrew from the struggle in January 1536, and on 6 April, Malmø surrendered, though without losing either privileges or Evangelical doctrine. After the population had starved for months, Copenhagen gave up too and Mayor Ambrosius Bogbinder committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. Like Malmø, Copenhagen did not lose its privileges either and the rebels were granted an amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
.
The Reformation
Before Christian III came to power in all Denmark-Norway after the Count's War, he had already implemented the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
in his realms Haderslev
Haderslev
Haderslev is a town and municipality on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula in south Denmark. Also included is the island of Årø as well as several other smaller islands in the Little Belt. The municipality covers and has a population of 56,414 . Its mayor is Jens Christian Gjesing,...
(Hadersleben) and Tørning (Tørninglen, Törninglehn), two domains in southern Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
which he had received in 1524. A convinced Lutheran since his encounter with Luther at the Diet of Worms
Diet of Worms
The Diet of Worms 1521 was a diet that took place in Worms, Germany, and is most memorable for the Edict of Worms , which addressed Martin Luther and the effects of the Protestant Reformation.It was conducted from 28 January to 25 May 1521, with Emperor Charles V presiding.Other Imperial diets at...
in 1521, Christian III introduced a Lutheran church order in his domains in 1528, laid out in the twenty-two Haderslev articles. In 1536, he wanted to implement a similar order for the whole kingdom. The Haderslev articles had already introduced the office of a superintendent, and the arrest of the bishops - who had not supported his election and neither were willing to bear any of his war costs - made way to the assignment of Lutheran superintendents in all of Denmark-Norway.
After the coup, Christian III had contacted Martin Luther and Johannes Bugenhagen
Johannes Bugenhagen
Johannes Bugenhagen , also called Doctor Pomeranus by Martin Luther, introduced the Protestant Reformation in the Duchy of Pomerania and Denmark in the 16th century. Among his major accomplishments was organization of Lutheran churches in Northern Germany and Scandinavia...
, whom he had first met in 1529 - both congratulated the king. His subsequent request to John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony to immediately deploy Melanchton or Bugenhagen to Denmark was denied, but the elector was willing to do so once a rough draft of a Danish Lutheran church order had been provided by Danish theologians. Christian III could thereby rely on a pool of capable Danish Lutherans who all had studied at the University of Wittenberg, among them were Peder Palladius, Jørgen Sadolin, Hans Tausen
Hans Tausen
Hans Tausen , the protagonist of the Danish Reformation, was born at Birkende on Funen in 1494 and died in Ribe in 1561.- Life :...
and Frans Vormordsen.
A synode was held in Odense
Odense
The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...
where the draft was begun, and the work continued in Haderslev thereafter. The first draft was based primarily on the Haderslev articles, also on the Saxon script Unterricht der Visitatoren ("Visitators' lessons"), on Bugenhagen's Van menigherleie christliken saken ("Of several Christian matters"), on the liturgical writings of Luther and Danish liturgical writings. In April 1537, the draft was sent to Wittenberg for approval, whereupon the elector allowed Bugenhagen to depart for Denmark.
After Bugenhagen had revised and amended the draft, it was translated from Latin to Danish and presented to the rigsrådet. After a second revision by Bugenhagen, the church order was completed and signed by Christian III on 2 September 1537 as Ordinatio ecclesiastica regnorum Daniae et Norwegiae et ducatuum Slesvicencis, Holtsatiae etc. etc. ("Church order of the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway and the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein etc."). In Denmark, seven superintendancies were established, replacing the former bishoprics.
| Danish superintendencies established in 1537 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Area | See | Superintendent |
| Zealand | Roskilde Roskilde Roskilde is the main city in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark on the island of Zealand. It is an ancient city, dating from the Viking Age and is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network.... |
Peder Palladius |
| Funen Funen Funen , with a size of 2,984 km² , is the third-largest island of Denmark following Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy, and the 163rd largest island of the world. Funen is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 454,358 inhabitants . The main city is Odense, connected to the... -Lolland Lolland Lolland is the fourth largest island of Denmark, with an area of 1,243 square kilometers . Located in the Baltic sea, it is part of Region Sjælland... -Falster Falster Falster is an island in south-eastern Denmark with an area of 514 km² and 43,398 inhabitants as of 1 January 2010. Located in the Baltic sea, it is part of Region Sjælland and is administered by Guldborgsund Municipality... |
Odense Odense The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen... |
Georg Viburg |
| Jutland Jutland Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German... (part) |
Vendelbo/Ålborg | Peder Thom |
| Jutland Jutland Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German... (part) |
Århus | Matthias Lang |
| Jutland Jutland Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German... (part) |
Ribe Ribe Ribe , the oldest extant Danish town, is in southwest Jutland and has a population of 8,192 . Until 1 January 2007, it was the seat of both the surrounding municipality, and county... |
Johann Vandal |
| Jutland Jutland Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German... (part) |
Viborg Viborg, Denmark Viborg , a town in central Jutland, Denmark, is the seat of both Viborg municipality and Region Midtjylland. Viborg is also the seat of the Western High Court, the High Court for the Jutland peninsula... |
Jacob Scaning |
| Scania Scania Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the... |
Lund Lund -Main sights:During the 12th and 13th centuries, when the town was the seat of the archbishop, many churches and monasteries were built. At its peak, Lund had 27 churches, but most of them were demolished as result of the Reformation in 1536. Several medieval buildings remain, including Lund... |
Frans Vormordsen |
The superintendents were to meet with the king in synodes, the upper clergy with the superintendents in landemoders, and the lower with the upper clergy in kalenters, the king was to have no theological authority besides approving the superintendents, and the superintendents were not to hold fiefs or secular offices - a rule which would not be followed strictly. Likewise, Christian III would often intervene in the church's affairs.
The church order turned against the veneration of saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s, fast day
Fast Day
Fast Day was a holiday observed in some parts of the United States between 1670 and 1991."A day of public fasting and prayer", it was traditionally observed in the New England states. It had its origin in days of prayer and repentance proclaimed in the early days of the American colonies by Royal...
s, celibacy
Celibacy
Celibacy is a personal commitment to avoiding sexual relations, in particular a vow from marriage. Typically celibacy involves avoiding all romantic relationships of any kind. An individual may choose celibacy for religious reasons, such as is the case for priests in some religions, for reasons of...
and everything else that was considered Catholic foolery, and instead it decreed church service
Church service
In Christianity, a church service is a term used to describe a formalized period of communal worship, often but not exclusively occurring on Sunday, or Saturday in the case of those churches practicing seventh-day Sabbatarianism. The church service is the gathering together of Christians to be...
s to be performed in Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
. Most monks and nuns by far were allowed to stay in their monasteries and convents (except the greyfriars
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
) and the priests were allowed to keep their churches until they died. Only when the last monk or nun had died was the monastery added to the property of the Crown. Thus, in spite of more fierce procedures followed especially by bishop Peder Palladius on Zealand, the Reformation became a relatively bloodless affair in Denmark.
Landtag
A Landtag is a representative assembly or parliament in German-speaking countries with some legislative authority.- Name :...
in Rendsburg
Rendsburg
Rendsburg is a town on the River Eider and the Kiel Canal in the northeastern part of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the capital of the Kreis of Rendsburg-Eckernförde. As of 2006, it had a population of 28,476.-History:...
after a revision by Bugenhagen. Implementation of the church order in Norway proved more difficult, and even more so in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, where it was implemented only in 1552 after the execution of bishop Jon Arason
Jón Arason
Jón Arason was an Icelandic Roman Catholic bishop and poet, who was executed in his struggle against the imposition of the Protestant Reform in Iceland.-Background:...
in 1550, and contested by the local population until the seventeenth century.
In addition to working on the Danish church order, Bugenhagen also crowned Christian III and his wife Dorothea with a Lutheran ritual on 12 August 1537, the king's thirty-fourth birthday and the first anniversary of the arrest of the Catholic bishops. The coronation as well as the inauguration of the superintendents, which was also performed by Bugenhagen, took place in Our Lady's Church in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. Also in 1537, the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
, closed since the Count's War, was modelled by Bugenhagen after Wittenberg was re-opened as a Lutheran university. In 1550, the "Christian III Bible" was first printed, a translation of Luther's Bible by Christiern Pederson on behalf of Christian III. In 1556, Peder Palladius published the "Altar Book", a compendium of Lutheran lithurgy, which however did not become binding in all of Denmark.