The rise of Danish absolutism in the seventeenth century

What is it about?

This article deals with the rise of Danish absolutism in the 1660s. Unique amongst contemporary European monarchies, the constitutional framework of the absolute monarchy in Denmark-Norway was codified in the Lex Regia of 1665. Danish monarchs possessed absolute sovereignty not only de facto, but also de jure. Yet, what exactly did absolutism mean to contemporary political writers? This paper situates the Lex Regia in its constitutional and intellectual context and reconstructs a particular strand of Lutheran political thought which in combination with a Bodinian language of sovereignty sheds light on the meaning and scope of Danish absolutism in the seventeenth century.

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Photo by Christian Lue on Unsplash

Photo by Christian Lue on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The rise of absolutism in the 1660s is a milestone in the history of Danish political thought. Contesting prevailing historical accounts, the article argues that absolutism did not mean unlimited power. The article thus offers a novel account of Danish absolutism, its meaning and scope.