1503–1559
Christian III
Queen Dorothea was married to Christian III.
✩ 9 July 1511 ✝ 7 October 1571 ♔ 1534-1559
Queen Dorothea
Queen Dorothea's main significance in Danish history stems from her time as queen dowager. She amassed great wealth and left a great imprint on the town of Kolding, where she had her residence.
Welcome to the story of Dorothea – a queen dowager with power, visions and impact.
German childhood
Dorothea was born as the daughter of Duke Magnus I of Saxe-Lauenburg and Duchess Katharine of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel. In 1525, she married Duke Christian of Schleswig-Holstein. She became queen in 1534, when Duke Christian was elected king, Christian III of Denmark-Norway.
Dorothea's time as queen dowager and her connection to Kolding
After Christian III's death, in 1559, Queen Dorothea had Koldinghus and Sønderborg Castle with their associated estates and land as her life estate, meaning it was her property for the duration of her life. This assured the Queen Dowager a source of income as well as suitable royal residences. Dorothea mainly resided at Koldinghus.
Dorothea had five children, among them the later Frederik II of Denmark-Norway.
Dorothea's imprint on Koldinghus and Sønderborg Castle
At Sønderborg Castle, Dorothea made modifications to the architecture of the castle and also added a castle chapel, where she had two genealogical tables installed, one for herself and one for Christian III. The chapel is the oldest preserved Lutheran royal chapel in Denmark.
At Koldinghus, Dorothea had her royal household and played a significant role in the development of the area. Among other initiatives, she had a saltworks, a grain mill and a grammar school erected. She also convinced the King, Christian III, to build a hospital in Kolding: Sct. Jørgens Hospital (St George's Hospital). The building still exists and is located on Hospitalsgade in Kolding.
