Treaty of Speyer (1544)
Encyclopedia
The Treaty of Speyer or Peace of Speyer was signed on May 23, 1544 between Denmark
and the Holy Roman Empire
during a diet
of the Holy Roman Empire in Speyer
, Germany
. Danish king Christian III
had imposed heavy tolls on the Sound
and two other channels between the North Sea
and the Baltic sea
, in an effort to end the Dutch dominance of trade in the Baltic region
. Under pressure from Holy Roman Emperor Charles V
, he agreed to exempt the Dutch ships from these tolls and give them free and unfettered access to the Baltic. In the treaty, Charles V also recognized Christian III as the rightful king of Denmark, and promised not to provide military support to his rival Christian II
. The Treaty of Speyer dictated Christian III's foreign policy for the rest of his life. He kept Denmark at peace, refusing to involve the country in Protestant-Catholic
conflicts such as the Schmalkaldic War
of 1546. The Dutch would continue to dominate Baltic trade for another two centuries.
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...
and the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
during a diet
Reichstag (Holy Roman Empire)
The Imperial Diet was the Diet, or general assembly, of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire.During the period of the Empire, which lasted formally until 1806, the Diet was not a parliament in today's sense; instead, it was an assembly of the various estates of the realm...
of the Holy Roman Empire in Speyer
Speyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
, 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...
. Danish king 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:...
had imposed heavy tolls on the Sound
Oresund
The Sound , is the strait that separates the Danish island Zealand from the southern Swedish province of Scania. Its width is just at the narrowest point between Helsingør, Denmark, and Helsingborg, Sweden...
and two other channels between the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
and the Baltic sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, in an effort to end the Dutch dominance of trade in the Baltic region
Baltic region
The terms Baltic region, Baltic Rim countries, and Baltic Rim refer to slightly different combinations of countries in the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea.- Etymology :...
. Under pressure from Holy Roman Emperor Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
, he agreed to exempt the Dutch ships from these tolls and give them free and unfettered access to the Baltic. In the treaty, Charles V also recognized Christian III as the rightful king of Denmark, and promised not to provide military support to his rival Christian II
Christian II of Denmark
Christian II was King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden , during the Kalmar Union.-Background:...
. The Treaty of Speyer dictated Christian III's foreign policy for the rest of his life. He kept Denmark at peace, refusing to involve the country in Protestant-Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
conflicts such as the Schmalkaldic War
Schmalkaldic League
The Schmalkaldic League was a defensive alliance of Lutheran princes within the Holy Roman Empire during the mid-16th century. Although originally started for religious motives soon after the start of the Protestant Reformation, its members eventually intended for the League to replace the Holy...
of 1546. The Dutch would continue to dominate Baltic trade for another two centuries.