The Margraviate of Antwerp (or Mark of Antwerp) consisted since the eleventh century of the area around the cities of Antwerp and Breda.

Origin

Under Otto II, emperor of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

, several marches were created along the border with West Francia (this border coincided with the river

Scheldt The Scheldt (french: Escaut ; nl, Schelde ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corresponding to ...

). Originally the mark was restricted to the borders of the Scheldt, in 994 Ansfried of Utrecht added Toxandria to the mark.

History

In the 11th century the mark of Antwerp was one of the fiefs of the duke of Lower Lorraine.

Godfrey of Bouillon Godfrey of Bouillon (, , , ; 18 September 1060 – 18 July 1100) was a French nobleman and pre-eminent leader of the First Crusade. First ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1099 to 1100, he avoided the title of king, preferring that of princ ...

received the mark in 1076 from emperor Henry IV. After his death in the Crusader state of Jerusalem in 1100, Henry I of Limburg was appointed as margrave. In 1106 the duchy of Lower Lorraine and the margraviate were united. After the abolishment of the duchy in 1190 during the Diet of Schwäbisch Hall by Emperor Henry VI only its titles remained and these were given to the duke of Brabant.

Composition

The margraviate consisted (after the loss of Breda) of the cities of Antwerp, Herentals and Lier and the quarters of Arkel, Rijen, Geel, Zandhoven, Turnhout and Hoogstraten.

Margraves of Antwerp

*974–1002

Godfrey I, Count of Verdun Godfrey I (died 1002), called the Prisoner or the Captive (''le Captif''), sometimes the Old (''le Vieux''), was the count of Bidgau and Methingau from 959 and the sovereign count of Verdun 963 to his death. In 969, he obtained the Margraviate of A ...

*1005–1044 Gothelo I the Great *1044–1046 Gothelo II the Lazy *1046–1065 Frederick of Luxembourg *1065–1069 Godfrey III the Bearded *1069–1070 Baldwin VI, Count of Flanders *1070–1076 Godfrey IV the Hunchback *1076–1100

*1101–1106 Henry I of Limbourg *1106–1139 Godfrey I, Count of Louvain *1139–1142

Godfrey II, Count of Louvain Godfrey II ( nl, Godfried; c. 1110 – 13 June 1142) was the count of Louvain, landgrave of Brabant by inheritance from 23 January 1139. He was the son of Godfrey I and Ida of Chiny. He was also the duke of Lower Lorraine (as Godfrey VII), and as ...

*1142–1190 Godfrey III, Count of Louvain *1427 Klaas Kersmakers

References

{{coord missing, Belgium Antwerp Antwerp History of Antwerp Province History of North Brabant