Christian IV of Denmark

Christian IV
Portrait by Pieter Isaacsz, c. 1612
King of Denmark and Norway (more...)
Reign	4 April 1588 – 28 February 1648
Coronation	29 August 1596 Copenhagen Cathedral
Predecessor	Frederick II
Successor	Frederick III
Supervisor of Hamburg
Reign	1621–1625
Mayor	Sebastian of Bergen
Born	12 April 1577 Frederiksborg Palace
Died	28 February 1648(1648-02-28) (aged 70) Rosenborg Castle
Burial	Roskilde Cathedral
Spouses	Anne Catherine of Brandenburg ​ ​ (m. 1597; died 1612)​ Kirsten Munk ​ (m. 1615)​
Issue among others...	Christian, Prince-Elect of Denmark Frederick III, King of Denmark Ulrich Morganatic and illegitimate: Sophie Elisabeth Pentz Leonora Christina Ulfeldt Valdemar Christian of Schleswig-Holstein Elisabeth Augusta Lindenov Christiane Sehested Hedevig Ulfeldt Dorothea Elisabeth Christiansdatter Christian Ulrik Gyldenløve Hans Ulrik Gyldenløve Ulrik Christian Gyldenløve
House	Oldenburg
Father	Frederick II of Denmark
Mother	Sofie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Religion	Lutheran
Signature

Christian IV (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 until his death in 1648. His reign of 59 years and 330 days is the longest in Scandinavian history.^[1]

A member of the House of Oldenburg, Christian began his personal rule of Denmark-Norway in 1596 at the age of 19. He is remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious, and proactive Danish-Norwegian kings, having initiated many reforms and projects. Christian IV obtained for his kingdoms a level of stability and wealth that was virtually unmatched elsewhere in Europe.^[2] He engaged Denmark-Norway in numerous wars, most notably the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), which devastated much of Germany, undermined the Danish economy, and cost Denmark-Norway some of its conquered territories.^[3] He rebuilt and renamed the Norwegian capital Oslo as Christiania after himself, a name used until 1925.^[4]