Person

Valdemar I of Denmark

1131–1182 · 12th century · Also known as Valdemar the Great

Valdemar I, called the Great, was King of Denmark from 1157 to 1182, ending a long period of civil war. With his adviser Bishop Absalon he led repeated campaigns against the Wends of the southern Baltic coast. In 1168 they captured Arkona on Rügen, destroyed the idol of Svantevit and brought the Rani under Danish overlordship and Christianity.

Valdemar I of Denmark
Image: Author of book and creator of the drawing of the bracteate: P. Hauberg (Peter Christian Hauberg) [1844-1928] · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 state histories

RaniPrincipality of Rügen

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Valdemar I of Denmark. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/valdemar-i-of-denmark
MLA
“Valdemar I of Denmark.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/valdemar-i-of-denmark. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Valdemar I of Denmark.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/valdemar-i-of-denmark.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Valdemar I of Denmark’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/valdemar-i-of-denmark (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻