Holstein's free farmers of the old Saxon lands (the Holsten and the Stormarn) keep their own leaders, the overboden, through whom the count raises the levy and holds the land assembly; Wagria's settlers answer to the count's castles.
The count rules Lübeck and his new town of Hamburg through his advocates. In 1188 Wirad of Boizenburg organised the new town of Hamburg for him. Count Adolf of Dassel ruled the whole county as his deputy in 1189-90. None of the officers of 1 January 1200 is named in the sources used here.
Who he is
- Name
- not pinned by name for 1 January 1200
- Title
- the overboden (chief men of the land-folk) of Holstein and Stormarn; the count's advocates (Vögte) at Lübeck, Hamburg and his castles
- Confidence
- low
Overlord
Count Adolf III
What it holds
- the count's advocacies at Lübeck, Hamburg, Segeberg, Plön, Itzehoe
How things stand that morning
In office under Adolf III.
Military
The overboden lead the farmers' levy.
Places of note
- Lübeck: the count's advocate
- Hamburg: the count's advocate; Wirad of Boizenburg founded the new town in 1188
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Office described from the general literature; no 1200 names found.
On the map: No separate ground.
Primary sources for Holstein
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Annals of Stade, by Albert of Stade, Albert of Stade (about 1240 to 1256). A world chronicle written at Stade in the 1240s from older Stade and Bremen annals. Read online
- Chronicle of the Slavs, by Arnold of Lübeck, Arnold of Lübeck (about 1209 to 1210). Arnold continues Helmold and writes from Lübeck, close to Danish, Welf and Baltic affairs. Read online
- Chronicle of the Slavs, by Helmold of Bosau, Helmold of Bosau (about 1167 to 1172). Background only. Read online
- The Danish annals of Lund, Ryd and other houses (12th and 13th centuries; Lund continued to 1307, Ryd to 1288). Short dated entries from Lund, the archbishop's seat, and from Ryd in Schleswig. Read online
- Deeds of the Danes, Saxo Grammaticus (about 1185 to 1208). Saxo was writing at Lund in 1200 under Absalon, who died in March 1201, and his last books are an insider's history of Valdemar I and Knud VI to 1185: the Wendish wars, the taking of Rügen, the submission of Pomerania in 1185, the Danish fleet, Absalon's power and the Danish quarrel with the Empire. Read online
- Charter books of Lübeck and of Hamburg (documents to 1226 (Lübeck vol. 1) and to 1300 (Hamburg vol. 1)). The charters of the two north German towns and of the archbishops of Bremen and Hamburg. Read online
- The Danish diplomatarium: charters and letters concerning Denmark, with Danish translation (documents of 789 to 1448; the online edition is continuing). Twenty-seven documents are dated to 1200: Innocent III's letters of February and March 1200 to Philip Augustus and Queen Ingeborg and his order for the interdict on France, Otto IV's letter to the pope expecting King Knud VI to move into Saxony, the reports of the legate Octavian and the French bishops on the lifting of the interdict in September, the pope's letters to Knud VI asking him to send advocates for his sister, Knud VI's ordinance on manslaughter for Skåne of 28 December 1200, and private gifts to Roskilde and Næstved. Read online
Sources and studies
- Wikipedia (de): Geschichte Hamburgs
- NDB (Maybaum 1953) and ADB (Jansen 1875): Adolf III., Graf von Holstein
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.