Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg

Peter II (German: Nikolaus Friedrich Peter) (8 July 1827 – 13 June 1900) was the reigning Grand Duke of Oldenburg from 1853 to 1900. He claimed hereditary parts of Duchy of Holstein after the Second Schleswig War in 1864. After signing a treaty on 23 February 1867 in Kiel, he renounced his claims. But, he received the district of Ahrensbök, the Prussian parts of the former Principality of Lübeck (except the village of Travenhorst), and was given a million taler as compensation from Prussia. Thus the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg gained access to the Baltic Sea.

Peter II
Grand Duke of Oldenburg
Reign27 February 1853 – 13 June 1900
PredecessorAugustus
SuccessorFrederick Augustus II
Born(1827-07-08)8 July 1827
Oldenburg
Died(1900-06-13)13 June 1900 (aged 72)
Rastede
Burial
Ducal Mausoleum, Gertrudenfriedhof, Oldenburg
SpouseElisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg
IssueFrederick Augustus II
Duke Georg Ludwig
Full name
German: Nikolaus Friedrich Peter
HouseHouse of Holstein-Gottorp
FatherAugustus
MotherPrincess Ida of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym
ReligionLutheranism

Birth and family

Duke Nikolaus Friedrich Peter was the only son of Augustus, Grand Duke of Oldenburg by his second wife Princess Ida of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym. He was born on 8 July 1827 in Oldenburg.[1]

Early life

In his youth, he served as a General of Cavalry in the Prussian army. He also served as General of Infantry in the Hanoverian army.[1]

Marriage

On 10 February 1852, Peter married Princess Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg.[2] She was the fourth daughter of Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg and Amelia of Württemberg, and was a sister of Queen Marie of Hanover and Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna of Russia.

They had two sons, Frederick Augustus (born in 1852) and George (born in 1855). Peter II may have had an illegitimate son, Peter Altmann (Rastede 1857-Brighton 1934), married and had issue.

Reign

He succeeded his father as Grand Duke in 1853.[3] Peter ruled over a population of roughly 800,000.[3]

Peter's family had ties to the Russian imperial family (both were descendants of Christian Albrecht of Holstein-Gottorp), so that he sided with Russia against Austria during the Crimean War. During the First Schleswig-Holstein War, he laid claim to part of the territories seized by Prussia, but in 1866 ceded his claim to the duchies.[1] The following year, he created a military compact with Prussia, in which his troops were incorporated into the corps of Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia during the Franco-Prussian War.[1]

In 1896, his wife Elisabeth died.[2] She died a year after their daughter-in-law Elisabeth Anna.

After suffering from heart trouble resulting from over work, Peter's physicians recommended he have a long trip abroad.[4] He died the following year, on 13 June 1900 at his summer residence in Rastede.[1] He was succeeded as Grand Duke by his eldest son, Frederick Augustus.

Honours

Ancestry and descent

Ancestry

Issue
NameBirthDeathNotes
Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg16 November 185224 February 1931married firstly Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia and secondly Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
Duke Georg Ludwig of Oldenburg27 June 185530 November 1939

References
  1. "Grand Duke of Oldenburg Dead", The New York Times, Berlin, 14 June 1900
  2. "Duchess of Oldenburg Dead", The New York Times, Berlin, 3 February 1896
  3. "Obituary", The New York Times, 15 May 1881
  4. "Grand Duke of Oldenburg To Go Abroad", The New York Times, Berlin, 29 December 1899
  5. Staat Oldenburg (1852). Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Großherzogtums Oldenburg: für ... 1852. Schulze. p. 24.
  6. Staatshandbuch für das Großherzogtum Sachsen / Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach (1859), "Großherzogliche Hausorden" p. 12
  7. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Herzogtum Anhalt (1867) "Herzoglicher Haus-orden Albrecht des Bären" p. 16
  8. Staatshandbücher für das Herzogtum Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha (1854), "Herzogliche Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden" p. 29
  9. Liste der Ritter des Königlich Preußischen Hohen Ordens vom Schwarzen Adler (1851), "Von Seiner Majestät dem Könige Friedrich Wilhelm IV. ernannte Ritter" p. 24
  10. Bille-Hansen, A. C.; Holck, Harald, eds. (1883) [1st pub.:1801]. Statshaandbog for Kongeriget Danmark for Aaret 1883 [State Manual of the Kingdom of Denmark for the Year 1883] (PDF). Kongelig Dansk Hof- og Statskalender (in Danish). Copenhagen: J.H. Schultz A.-S. Universitetsbogtrykkeri. p. 3. Retrieved 30 April 2020 – via da:DIS Danmark.
  11. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Hessen (1879), "Großherzogliche Orden und Ehrenzeichen" p. 10
  12. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden (1869), "Großherzogliche Orden" pp. 54, 64
  13. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreichs Bayern (in German). Königl. Oberpostamt. 1867. p. 8.
  14. H. Tarlier (1854). Almanach royal officiel, publié, exécution d'un arrête du roi (in French). 1. p. 37.
  15. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg (1896), "Königliche Orden" p. 27
  16. Staat Hannover (1865). Hof- und Staatshandbuch für das Königreich Hannover: 1865. Berenberg. p. 38.
  17. "A Szent István Rend tagjai" Archived 22 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  18. Staatshandbuch für den Freistaat Sachsen: 1877. Heinrich. 1877. p. 3.
Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg
House of Holstein-Gottorp
Cadet branch of the House of Oldenburg
Born: 8 July 1827 Died: 13 June 1900
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Augustus		 Grand Duke of Oldenburg
1853-1900		 Succeeded by
Frederick Augustus II
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