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| Frederick III | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Portrait byDavid Klöcker Ehrenstrahl | |
| Duke of Holstein-Gottorp | |
| Reign | 31 March 1616 – 10 August 1659 |
| Predecessor | John Adolf |
| Successor | Christian Albert |
| Born | (1597-12-22)22 December 1597 Gottorf Castle |
| Died | 10 August 1659(1659-08-10) (aged 61) Tönning |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | |
| Issue Detail |
|
| House | Holstein-Gottorp |
| Father | John Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp |
| Mother | Augusta of Denmark |
Frederick III of Holstein-Gottorp (22 December 1597 – 10 August 1659) was a Duke ofHolstein-Gottorp.
Born on 22 December 1597, he was the elder son of DukeJohann Adolf of Holstein-Gottorp and PrincessAugusta of Denmark. His mother was the daughter of KingFrederick II of Denmark.
He had ambitious plans concerning the development of sea trade. With this purpose he establishedFriedrichstadt in 1621, in sympathy with city ofGlückstadt established in 1617 byChristian IV of Denmark. Furthermore, he attempted to find a commercial way toRussia andPersia that would not pass around Africa.[citation needed] For this reason, he sent on 6 November 1633 the expedition fromHamburg toMoscow under the management of a commercial agent ofOtto Brüggemann and a ducal adviser,Philipp Crusius, and withAdam Olearius as secretary.[1] On 14 August 1634, the delegation arrived at Moscow. Although it was not successful in concluding a commercial agreement with TsarMichael I of Russia, nevertheless, immediately after the return of the delegation toGottorp on 6 April 1635, Frederick began the preparation of the following expedition.[citation needed] In 1636, he sent his delegation to Persia, and in 1639,Safi of Persia sent a return delegation with presents for the Duke.[1]
The difficult task of leading the country through theThirty Years' War confronted Frederick. He tried a policy of neutrality, which meant in practice the refusal of the union withDenmark and inclinations towardSweden.[citation needed] In 1654, he hosted the recently abdicatedChristina, Queen of Sweden. She wrote to her successor to recommend two of his daughters as potential brides. Thus, he married his daughterHedvig Eleonora to KingCharles X Gustav of Sweden.[1] Since the Swedish attempt at being theGreat Power ultimately failed, Frederick's pro-Swedish policy led to the weakening of the house of Holstein-Gottorp.
Frederick as the patron of art and culture was more successful. Thus, he founded on 3 September 1642 together with PrinceLouis I of Anhalt-Köthen theFruitbearing Society. Furthermore, he contributed to the creation of theGlobe of Gottorf. The painterJürgen Ovens worked more than 30 years for him and his successorChristian Albrecht of Holstein-Gottorp.
Frederick died on 10 August 1659 in the fortress of Tönning, while the fortress was besieged in the course of theSecond Karl Gustav War between Denmark and Sweden.
He was married inDresden on 21 February 1630 to PrincessMarie Elisabeth of Saxony, daughter of ElectorJohn George I of Saxony andMagdalene Sibylle of Prussia. They had sixteen children in just over eighteen years, ten of whom lived to adulthood:
| Ancestors of Frederick III, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp |
|---|
Frederick III, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp Cadet branch of theHouse of Oldenburg Born: 22 December 1597 Died: 10 August 1659 | ||
| German nobility | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | — TITULAR — Duke ofHolstein-Gottorp 1616–1659 | Succeeded by |
| Regnal titles | ||
| Preceded by | Duke of Holstein andDuke of Schleswig 1616–1659 withChristian IV (1588–1648) Frederick III (1648–1670) | Succeeded by |
