John of Denmark

John of Denmark (Johann in German or Hans in Danish) was king of Denmark and king regent of Norway (1481-1513). As the king regent of the Kalmar Union in Sweden (1497-1501) he was known merely as Hans, though his official name was John II of Sweden. In Sweden his short tenure as regent was both preceded and succeded by viceroy Sten Sture the elder.

He was born on February 2, 1455 as the son of Christian I and Dorotea av Hohenzollern-Brandenburg, daugther of Margrave Hans of Brandenburg. In 1478 he married Chistina of Saxony, grand daughter of Frederick the gentle[?] of Saxony. This produced the following offspring, Christian II of Denmark, Franciscus, Knud, and Elisabeth, who later married as princess of Brandenburg. He died on February 20, 1513.

According to the Privilege of Ripen[?] the Noble Diets of the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein were to elect a duke among the sons of the previous duke. After the death of Christian I, John does however successfully argue for electing both sons to co-dukes (in 1482), when it looked as his 10 years old brother Frederick was going to be elected. Although it was initially agreed they should govern the duchies jointly, at the majority of Frederick (in 1490) the duchies are never the less divided.