Christian, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Ærø, Date of Birth, Date of Death
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Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Ærø
Date of Birth: 
About Christian, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Ærø
- Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Ærø (26 November 1570 – 14 June 1633) was the first and only partitioned-off duke of Ærø.
- As a partitioned-off duke, he did not have sovereignty. He was the eldest son of Duke John II (1545-1622) and at his father's death, he inherited the island of Ærø.
- His father had combined the small farms on the island into three manors: Gråsten, Søbygård, and Gudsgave.
- In 1624, Christian created Voderup manor on land he had purchased from the church. Christian had intended to become Bishop of Strasbourg; however this did not happen.
- He was a Protestant, but was nevertheless canon of the cathedral chapter of Strasbourg from 1587 to 1604.
- The Catholic chapter continued to pay him the salary of an unmarried priest until c.?1619. Christian and his housekeeper Katharina Griebel (1570 in Lütjenburg – 1640 at Ærø) had a daughter: Sophie Griebel (b.
- 1600).
- To provide for her, he gave her two large houses in 1629, one in Ærøskøbing and the other on the island of Dejrø.
- She was also exempt from paying any taxes.
- After Christian's death, Katharina married his administrator, Peder Christensen Pilegaard, who then settled in Ærøskøbing as a merchant. After Christian's death, his inheritance was divided by his three surviving brothers: Frederick received Gråsten, which he sold to Philip in 1636 Philip received Ærøskøbing and Wuderup Joachim Ernest received Søbygård, which was retained by the Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön lines until they died out in 1761.Also his nephew John Christian, son of Alexander, received Gudsgave.The division of the island into many small territories resulted in a complicated tax administration and an active black market.
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