caption father predecessor successor succession mother death_date image_size birth_date spouse issue image article_title name reign
duke author , 1586 . adolf in cuirass , painting by an unknown frederick i of denmark christian iii of denmark frederick norway ii of holstein-gottorp frederick ii of denmark and duke of holstein-gottorp sophie of pomerania 1 august 1586 240px 25 january 1526 christine of hesse frederick elisabeth johann adolf of holstein-gottorp anna of holstein-gottorp christian agnes ii john frederick of holstein-gottorp , prince-bishop of holstein-gottorp sofie philipp christine of holstein-gottorp adolf i. von schleswig-holstein-gottorf . jpg adolf , duke of holstein-gottorp
 adolf 1544 -- 1586
adolf , duke of holstein-gottorp

adolf of holstein-gottorp -lrb- 25 january 1526 -- 1 october 1586 -rrb- was the first duke of holstein-gottorp from the line of holstein-gottorp of the house of oldenburg .
he was the third son of king frederick i of denmark and his second wife sophie of pomerania .
frederick had his son educated by landgrave philip i of hesse .
he spent four years in the philip 's castle in kassel .
in 1544 adolf , his brother johann , and their half-brother king christian iii of denmark , divided the duchies of schleswig and holstein .
the areas were divided according to approximately equal tax proceeds .
adolf , as the youngest , was entitled the first choice .
since he selected the part with the castle gottorp , the line of the house oldenburg created by him was called `` schleswig-holstein-gottorp '' .
