Flensburg received the town charter in 1284 from Duke Waldemar IV. At the same time the building of what is now St. Mary’s Church and the sit of ‘Nordermarkt’ (North market place) was begun, with St. Nikolai’s Church at ‘Südermarkt’ (South Market Place) a hundred years later. Between these two central points where the town theatre now stands was a thingstead where the population of the town would gather to discuss usiness under the open sky. In 1345, the town built a wall around itself with the main gates being the former North Gate, the Friesian Gate and St. John’s Gate at the roads of the old main streets leading in form the merchant highways.
The rivalry over the dukedom of Schleswig, which had continued since the 13th century, led to the building of the Duborg under Queen Margarethe of Denmark at the beginning of the 15th century. When in 1460 Schleswig-Holstein’s councillors in Ripen (Ribe) elected King Christian I of Denmark as Duke of Schleswig and Count of Holstein, Schleswig-Holstein’s fate was sealed for centuries. The King of Denmark was Regent over Flensburg in his capacity as the elected Duke of Schleswig.
Tabellarische Darstellung:
| before 1200 | • Flensburg is a small trading post (called Köbing) in Denmark whose function is mainly to transfer goods from the North to the Baltic Sea; as a small trading place alongside the merchant town, Schleswig. |
| ca. 1170 | • A central urban settlement is established round St Johannis’ Church. It is conceivable that one or two small settlements were built near the St Marien Church. |
| ca. 1200 | • The market settlement (St Marien) is built, modelled on the founding Hanseatic town. Flensburg is thus one of the many inaugurative towns at the time when Denmark was a great power under the ‘Waldemars’, who commanded the Baltic Sea and also the trading between the North Sea and the Baltic, particularly after having conquered Lübeck and Hamburg for a time. • Written language: Latin and Low Danish (sønderjysk). • Spoken language: Low Danish (sønderjysk). |
| 1232 | • Prince Abel becomes Duke of Schleswig. After his father’s death, in 1241, the Duke carries out policies friendly to the Hansa. Flensburg is influenced by the Hansa, with Stralsund, Wismar and Lübeck becoming particularly important trading partners. |
| 1240 | • First documented mention of the town. |
| ca. 1240-1280 | • Establishment of St. Nikolai parish round the South Market (Südermarkt). • Introduction of the council constitution according to lübischem principle (around 1260). |
| 1263 | • Founding of the Franciscan cloisters (now the old peoples’ home ‘Cloister to the Holy Spirit’). |
| 1282 | • Schleswig and Flensburg sign an agreement to end their commercial rivalry and to pursue a policy of co-operative trading. |
| 1284 | • Confirmation of Schleswig’s town charter by Duke Waldemar IV. Flensburg receives the town charter. |
| 1386 | • Inherited feifdom is granted to Count Gerhard VI of Holstein with the Dukedom of Schleswig by Queen Margarethe I of Denmark. The Schauenburg trading policies, which need to be seen as in close co-operation with Lübeck, has already been of significance to Flensburg since 1325. |
| 1388 | • Flensburg loses its village character. The council passes an edict that houses must be roofed with tiles instead of straw. |
| 1398 | • Duke Gerhard VI sells the ‘Rude’, which since then has formed the southern part of the town, to Flensburg. |
| 1409 | • Queen Margarethe I and King Erich receive Flensburg as security. |
| 1409-1435 | • War between the Danish Royal House and the Schauenburg Counts, who are supported by the Hansa towns to secure the Dukedom of Schleswig. Flensburg is in the centre of this conflict and is badly damaged. |
| 1411 | • King Erich has the Duburg built to secure the monarchy (relinquished 1719). |
| 1412 | • Flensburg’s City Parliament swears the oath of allegiance to Queen Margarethe I. of Denmark. |
| 1431 | • The Duburg surrenders to the Schauenburgers. |
| 1435 | • In the treaty of Vordingborg Duke Adolf VIII of Holstein is granted the Dukedom of Schleswig as an inherited fiefdom. • Flensburg has ca. 3,000 inhabitants. |
| 1443 | • Construction of the old town hall in the Rathausstraße (Town Hall Street). |
| 1460 | • King Christian I of Denmark of the House of Oldenburg is elected Duke of Schleswig and Count of Holstein by the Schleswig-Holstein nobility. For Flensburg this means independence from Lübeck’s commercial supremacy and – until 1627 – the promotion to the status of most important trading town among the countries of the Danish Union, which comprises what are now Denmark, Sweden (until 1521), Norway (till 1814) and Schleswig-Holstein (till 1864). • Written language: Middle Low German. • Spoken language: Low Danish (sønderjysk). |
| 1480 | • The town is permitted to charge a harbour fee. |
