County of Oldenburg
County of Oldenburg Grafschaft Oldenburg (German) | |||||||||||
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| 1108–1774 | |||||||||||
Flag (1667-1773)
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| Coat of arms (House of Oldenburg) | |||||||||||
Map of the County of Oldenburg in the Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle | |||||||||||
| Capital | Oldenburg | ||||||||||
| Government | Feudal monarchy | ||||||||||
| Count of Oldenburg | |||||||||||
• 1101–08 | Elimar I (first count) | ||||||||||
• 1773–74 | Frederick August I (last count) | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
• Created on breakup of Saxony | 1108 | ||||||||||
| 1448–54 | |||||||||||
• Part of Denmark | 1667–1773 | ||||||||||
• Raised to duchy | 1774 | ||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||
• 1662 | 62,000 | ||||||||||
• 1702 | 65,680 | ||||||||||
• 1769 | 79,071 | ||||||||||
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| Today part of | Germany | ||||||||||
The County of Oldenburg (German: Grafschaft Oldenburg) was a county of the Holy Roman Empire. From 1667-1773, it was also part of the kingdom of Denmark.
The ruling House of Oldenburg rose to European prominence in 1448, when Count Christian ascended the throne as king of Denmark and left Oldenburg to be governed by his brothers. His descendants also include the Dukes of Holstein-Gottorp.
When the main line of the House of Oldenburg became extinct in 1667, the county passed to the Danish branch, which administered it from Copenhagen. By the Treaty of Tsarskoye Selo in 1773, Denmark transferred control of Oldenburg to Frederick August I of the Holstein-Gottorp line. Subsequently, Oldenburg was elevated to a duchy in 1774.