Alternative History
Tizian 076

Adolf in his prime.

Adolph de la Marck was the Prince of Finland. Nicknamed both "the Bold" and "the Thoughtful", he is the first Prince of Finland of the House of Marck. He was born to Bonne de la Marck, and Eirikur Sturlungur. Under an agreement, their children were given the surname de la Marck and were officially incorporated into the Saxon ducal house. However, in the 1430s, his father was offered the throne of Finland (as a puppet ruler of Novgorod) on the condition that his son and heir, Adolph, marry an Orthodox noblewoman. Adolph eventually married Anna of Geneva-Lenzburg, who converted to Orthodoxy along with her husband. They had several children together, including his successor, Aymond Erikur de la Marck, as well as Edward de la Marck, Count of Wasaborg, and Peter de la Marck.

Adolph was allowed a certain amount of freedom to govern his realm, and was remembered for his contributions to Finnish culture. He learned the Finnish (and Russian) language, and helped to encourage a Finnish national identity.

This article is part of Merveilles des Morte.