Helvig of Schauenburg

Helvig of Schauenburg (German: Heilwig von Holstein) (1398–1436), also known as Hedvig of Holstein[1] and also Hedwig of Schauenburg, was a duchess of Schleswig and a countess of Holstein from the family of Schauenburg, and ancestor of the Danish Royal houses of Oldenburg and Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.

Helvig of Schauenburg
Countess of Oldenburg
Born	1398
Died	1436 (aged 37–38)
Buried	St. Lambert's Church in Oldenburg
Noble family	House of Schauenburg
Spouse(s)	Balthasar of Mecklenburg Dietrich of Oldenburg
Issue Christian I of Denmark Maurice V of Delmenhorst Gerhard VI, Count of Oldenburg Adelheid, Countess of Hohenstein and Mansfeld
Father	Gerhard VI of Holstein-Rendsburg
Mother	Catherine Elisabeth of Brunswick-Lüneburg

She was a daughter of Gerhard VI of Holstein-Rendsburg and his wife, Catherine Elisabeth of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Her brother was Adolf VIII/I, Count of Holstein/Duke of Schleswig. Through their father, they were cognatic descendants of King Eric V of Denmark while through their mother, they were cognatic descendants of King Abel of Denmark.

On 18 April 1417 Helvig was married to Prince Balthasar of Mecklenburg, who died of the plague in 1421. In 1423 she was married to Dietrich, Count of Oldenburg. From her second marriage she had the following children:

• Christian (1426–1481), who succeeded his father as Count of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst. In 1448, partly because of his mother's ancestry, he was elected King of Denmark. He also inherited the counties of Schleswig and Holstein upon the death of his childless uncle, Adolf VIII.
• Maurice V of Delmenhorst (1428–1464); when his elder brother became king, he was given the County of Delmenhorst.
• Gerhard VI of Oldenburg (1430–1500); when his eldest brother had become king, he was given the county of Oldenburg, and from his other brother's heirs he also inherited Delmenhorst in about 1483.
• Adelheid of Oldenburg (1425–1475); first married Ernest III, Count of Hohenstein (died 1454) and then in 1474 Gerhard VI, Count of Mansfeld (died 1492).