Helvig of Schauenburg

Who was Helvig of Schauenburg?

Helvig of Schauenburg, also known as Hedwig of Schauenburg, was a duchess of Schleswig and a countess of Holstein from the family of Schauenburg, and ancestor of the Danish Royal houses of Oldenburg and Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.

She was a daughter of Gerhard VI of Holstein-Rendsburg and his wife, Catherine Elisabeth of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Her brother was Adolf VIII/I, Count of Holstein/Duke of Schleswig. Through their father, Helvig and Adolf were cognatic descendants of the King Eric V of Denmark.

On 18 April 1417 Helvig was married to Prince Balthasar of Mecklenburg, who died of the plague in 1421. In 1423 she was married to Dietrich, Count of Oldenburg. From her second marriage she had the following children:

Christian, who succeeded his father as Count of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst. In 1448, partly because of his mother's ancestry, he was elected King of Denmark. He also inherited the counties of Schleswig and Holstein upon the death of his childless uncle, Adolf VIII.

Maurice V of Delmenhorst; when his elder brother became king, he was given the County of Delmenhorst.

Gerhard VI of Oldenburg; when his eldest brother had become king, he was given the county of Oldenburg, and from his other brother's heirs he also inherited Delmenhorst in about 1483.