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- BIOGRAPHY
Erik was born in 1216, the son of Valdemar II Sejr, king of Denmark, and Princess Berengária of Portugal, and brother of Abel and Christoffer I. Erik was co-ruler with his father from 1232. On 17 November 1239 he married Jutta of Saxony, daughter of Albrecht I, duke of Saxony and his first wife Agnes of Austria. They had six children of whom three daughters, Sophie, Ingeborg and Jutta, would have progeny. Sophie married Valdemar Birgersson, king of Sweden, and Ingeborg married Magnus IV 'Lagabote', king of Norway. Jutta did not marry, but had a son with Valdemar Birgersson, king of Sweden.
Erik's short rule was marked by bitter conflicts and civil war against his brothers. In particular he fought his brother Abel, duke of Schleswig, who seems to have wanted an independent position and who was supported by the counts of Holstein. Eric also fought the Scanian peasants, who rebelled because of his hard taxes on ploughs, among other things. This gave him his epithet of 'Plovpenning' ('ploughmoney').
After a costly victory over Abel in 1250, Erik negotiated a truce with him. However the same year Erik was taken prisoner by his brother as he passed through Schleswig, and was assassinated on 10 August 1250.
After the death of Erik's father Valdemar II Sejr, the years between 1241 and 1250 were characterised by conflict and disintegration. 'When he died, the crown tumbled from the head of the Danes' states one historical record of Erik's murder.
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