Southern Holstein Region

The Southern Holstein region consists of the portions of the Duchy of Holstein as it existed at the end of the Holy Roman Empire that currently lie within the boundaries of the the Kreise of Ostholstein, Stormarn, Segeberg, and Pinneberg as well as cities of Lübeck and Hamburg. (Places that currently lie within the boundaries of the the Kreise of Plön, Rendsburg-Eckernförde, Steinburg, and Dithmarschen, as well as the cities of Kiel and Neumünster are in the Northern Holstein region. Schleswig, on the northern border of that region, was not part of the Holy Roman Empire. Despite its close connection to Holstein, it is not part of the data base and adding it is at the bottom of my priority list.)

 

The starting date of the data base depends on the nation. In the nation of Schaumburgian Germany (just Pinneberg prior to 1640), the data base starts in 1485 when the Schaumburg spelling was adopted (at the expense of Schauenburg). In the nation of Danish Germany (everything else), the data base starts in 1544 when Holstein was partitioned between the King of Denmark and his two half-brothers. Because Holstein was never occupied by France during the Napoleonic Wars, I do not have to deal with the complications such occupation introduces. Therefore, I continue the data base until 1864, when Holstein fell to Austria (with Prussia receiving Schleswig).

 

Sources for the Holstein region