Estonia was a dominion of Denmark during Middle Ages. Between 1206 and 1645 Denmark several times ruled

over parts of Estonia.

Danish Estonia 1206 - 1346

Denmark rose as a great military and merchant power in 12th century. It had interest to end the occasional Estonian and Couronian pirate attacks that threatened its Baltic trade. Danish fleets made attacks against Estonia in 1170, 1194 and 1197. In 1206 king Valdemar II and archbishop Andreas Sunonis made a raid to Oesel (Saaremaa) island. The islanders were forced to submit and Danes built a fortress there, but they found no volunteers to man it. They burned it down themselves and left the island. However, they laid a claim to Estonia as their possession, which was recognized by the Pope. Kurland, Courland, Couronia, or Curonia, a former Baltic province of the Teutonic Order state in Livonia (ca. ... Valdemar the Victorious redirects here. ... Map of the Estonian archipelago (Saaremaa and Hiiumaa) Saaremaa (Swedish and German Ösel) is the largest island (2673 km²) belonging to Estonia. ... Map of the Estonian archipelago (Saaremaa and Hiiumaa) Saaremaa (Swedish, German Ösel, or Oesel, Latin Osilia) is the largest island (2673 km²) belonging to Estonia. ...

In 1219 king Valdemar gathered a fleet of hundreds ships against Estonians with archbishop, bishops and the army of Rugians under the prince Wizlav. They landed in Lindanisse (Tallinn) harbor in the province of Revelia (Rävala, later merged into Harria province) in northern Estonia. According to a legend, the Danish flag fell from sky in and helped to win the battle against Revelians and Harrians. (June 15 is a holiday of "Valdemarsdag" in present Denmark). The Rugians (Latin rugii) were an East Germanic tribe whose ultimate origins have been traced to Rogaland in Norway, whose population probably was the Rugii that Jordanes mentioned as a tribe that still remained in Scandza. ... The city of Tallinn is the capital city and main seaport of Estonia. ... Harju County or Harjumaa (Estonian Harju maakond or Harjumaa) is a County or maakond of Estonia on the south coast of the Gulf of Finland. ...

The Order and Denmark agreed to divide Estonia but had quarrel over the exact borders. In 1220 King of Denmark agreed to submit southern Estonian provinces Sackala and Ugaunia that were already conquered by Sword Brethren. Bishop Albert submitted to Denmark the provinces of Harria (Harju), Vironia (Viru) and Jerwia (Järva). 1227 Livonian knights conquered all Danish territories but, according to the treaty of Stensby returned Harria and Vironia to Denmark in 1238 while Jerwia was ceded to the Order. For their new colony, Danes compiled a taxation list called Liber Census Daniae (1220-1241), which is important geographic and historic document, containing about 500 Estonian place names and names of 114 local vassals. The Ugaunians (ugalased in Estonian) is one of the Finnic tribes that were called Chudes in Russian and that later formed the Estonian nation. ... The Livonian Brothers of the Sword (Latin Fratres militiae Christi, literally the brothers of the army of Christ), also known as the Christ Knights, Sword Brethren or The Militia of Christ of Livonia, was a military order started in 1202 by Albert von Buxhövden, bishop of Riga (or Prince-Bishop... Harju County or Harjumaa (Estonian Harju maakond or Harjumaa) is a County or maakond of Estonia on the south coast of the Gulf of Finland. ... The Vironians (Virulased in Estonian) is one of the Finnic tribes that later formed the Estonian nation. ... Järva County or Järvamaa (Estonian: Järva maakond or Järvamaa) is one of the counties of Estonia. ...

The capital of Danish Estonia was Reval from their invasion in 1219. Danes built a fortress there which is called Castrum Danorum in the chronicle of Henry of Livonia or Danish castle. Estonians still call their capital Tallinn, which according to one popular theory is a derivation from Taani linna, having exactly the same meaning. Danes built a big stone castle in the Domberg area. Reval became also the seat of a bishopric with was a suffragan to the archbishop of Lund. Around the castle, German settlers founded a major trading town. Reval was granted Lubeck City law (1248) and joined the Hanseatic League. The city of Tallinn is the capital city and main seaport of Estonia. ... The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia (Latvian: Indrika hronikas, Latin: Heinrici Cronicon Lyvoniae) is a historic document describing the history of Latvia and Estonia from 1180 to 1227. ... The city of Tallinn is the capital city and main seaport of Estonia. ... The Hanseatic League (German: die Hanse) was an alliance of trading cities that established and maintained a trade monopoly over most of Northern Europe and the Baltic for a time in the later Middle Ages and the Early Modern period (ie between the 13th and 17th century). ...

In Vironia, the main power centers were Wesenberg (Rakvere) and Narva, built on site on old Estonian fortresses known in Russian chronicles as Rakovor and Rugodiv, respectively. Wesenberg was granted Lubeck city rights on 1302 by king Erik Menved. Narva received these rights in 1345. Rakvere (Wesenbergh in German) is a town in North Estonia, county seat of Lääne-Viru County, 20 km south of the Gulf of Finland. ... Narva (Russian Нарва) is an Estonian city located on the Russian border. ...

The rule of Denmark was not very strong in the province. Danish army was sent to the province only occasionally. In 1240-1242 Denmark went to war against Novgorod and tried to extend its rule to the land of Votians. King Valdemar sent his sons Abel and Canute to support the campaign of his vassals but did not gain any new territories. Danish king Erik Plogpennig visited Estonia in 1249. Danish fleet sailed to Reval in 1268 and 1270 against Russian and Lithuanian threat. For the process of ballot-casting, see Vote. ... Eric IV (1216-August 9, 1250), also known as Plovpenning, was king of Denmark from 1241 until his death. ...

The local military power was based on powerful vassals of Danish king, who received big land grants in exchange of military service. Most of the vassals were Germans from Westphalia area but some (Clemens Esto, Otto Kivele, Odwardus Sorseferae etc.) were local Estonian elders. The chronicler Ditleb Alnpeke (1290) complains that king of Denmark accepts Estonians as his vassals. In 1248 the vassals and burgers of Reval already had a local legislative body ritterschaft.

While the province was split between pro-Danish party (bishop Olaf of Reval) and pro-German party (captain Marquard Breide), the Estonians of Harria started a big rebellion in 1343 (St.George's Night Uprising). The province was occupied by Livonian Order as a result. In 1346, the Danish dominions in Estonia (Harria and Vironia) were sold for 10 000 marks to Livonian Order, ignoring the promise by Chistopher II of Denmark in 1329 to never abandon or sell its Estonian territories. The king of Denmark even made public statement about "repenting" for breaking that promise and asked forgiveness from the Pope. St. ... The Livonian Brothers of the Sword (Latin Fratres militiae Christi, literally the brothers of the army of Christ), also known as the Christ Knights, Sword Brethren or The Militia of Christ of Livonia, was a military order started in 1202 by Albert von Buxhövden, bishop of Riga (or Prince-Bishop...

Danish province of Oesel

In 1560 the king of Denmark bought the Bishopric of Oesel-Wiek from the last prince-bishop. The possession was given as an appanage to the brother of the King of Denmark, Magnus Herzog von Holstein. Danmark cedes Wiek (Läänemaa) to Poland in exchange of Livonian possessions in Oesel. In 1572 Oesel was transferred to direct administration of Denmark. In 1645 Oesel was ceded from Denmark to Sweden by the Treaty of Brömsebro. Bishopric of Oesel-Wiek (in Estonian Saare-Lääne) was a semi-independent principality in what is now Saare and Lääne counties of Estonia. ... Lääne County, or Lääne maakond, is a County or maakond of Estonia. ... The Treaty of Brömsebro of August 13, 1645 ended the Torstenson War between Sweden and Denmark-Norway, which had begun in 1643. ...

Danish Governors of Estonia

• Andreas Sunonis, Archbishop of Lund , 1206, 1219 - 1221
• Saxo Aginsun 1248 - 1249
• Stigot Agison 1249
• Saxo 1254 - 1257
• Jakob Ramessun 1259
• Woghen Palissun 1266
• Siverith 1270
• Eilard von Oberch 1275 - 1279
• Odewart Lode 1279 - 1281
• Letgast 1285
• Friedrich Moltike 1287
• Johann Sialanzfar 1288
• Nils Axelsson 1296
• Nikolaus Ubbison 1298
• Johann Saxesson 1304
• Johannes Canne 1310
• Ago Saxisson 1312 - 1313
• Heinrich Bernauer 1313 - 1314
• Johannes Kanna 1323
• Heinrich Spliit 1329
• Marquard Breide 1332 - 1335
• Konrad Preen Jul 1340 - May 1343
• Bertram von Parembeke 1343
• Stigot Andersson 1344 -1346

Danish Governors of Oesel

• Heinrich Wulf 5 Mar 1562 - 1567
• Klaus von Ungern zu Dalby May 1573 - Aug 1576
• Johann von Mentz 2 Sep 1576 - 158.
• Mathias Budde 1584 - 1587
• Claes Maltesen Sehested 2 Feb 1599 - 1612
• Nils Kraggen 1612 - 1615
• Jakob Wacke 1615 - 1635
• Anders Bille 1635 - 1643
• Ebbe Ulfeld 1643 - 1645