John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg
John the Younger or John of Denmark was the duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg.
John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg
Escutcheon of John the Younger in the chapel of Sønderborg Castle.
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg was the name of a branch line of the House of Oldenburg as well as the name of their land. It existed from 1564 until 1668 and was a titular duchy under the King of Denmark, rather than a true territorial dukedom in its own right. The seat of the duke was Sønderborg. Parts of the domain were located in Denmark, mainly on the islands of Als and Ærø and around Glücksburg, whilst other lands were part of the Holy Roman Empire, including the Ämter of Plön, Ahrensbök, and Reinfeld. As a result of various inheritance arrangements it fragmented into numerous small territories which were eventually absorbed into Greater Denmark in the 18th century.
Coat of arms of the Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg
The Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg was founded by John III and fragmented after his death into numerous mini-states