Gijsbrecht IV of Amstel
Encyclopedia
Gijsbrecht IV of Amstel or Gijsbrecht IV van Amstel (c.1235, Ouderkerk aan de Amstel
– c.1303) was a powerful lord in medieval Holland
. His territory was the Heren van Amstel, and his son was Jan I.
, North Holland
, deriving their name from their castle on the River Amstel, and tried to create an independent principality between Utrecht and Holland.
To this end Gijsbrecht IV - along with the other powerful lords Zweder of Abcoude, Arnoud of Amstel, and Herman VI of Woerden - instigated a revolt against Floris V, Count of Holland, and John I, Bishop-Elect of Utrecht
. They held lands on the border with the adjacent bishopric
of Utrecht
(the area of Amsterdam
, Abcoude
, IJsselstein
, and Woerden
) at the expense of the bishop, and were backed by the craftsmen of Utrecht
, the peasants of Kennemerland (Alkmaar
and surroundings), Waterland (north of Amsterdam
) and Amstelland (Amsterdam and surroundings) and the West Frisians
. However, when Floris made a treaty with the craftsmen and made concessions to the peasants (Kennemerland was a duneland, where the farmers had far less rights then the farmers in the polder
s), the revolt was brought to an abrupt halt. In 1278, Floris captured Gjisbrecht and exiled Herman. The bishop of Utrecht eventually (in 1279 or 1281) also added the lands of the rebellious lords to Floris's territory in retribution.
Gijsbrecht changed sides when opportune, and some accounts allege him to have been involved in Floris's later capture and assassination. After his resulting exile, he established himself probably in Oss
in the Duchy of Brabant
. He died in exile in Flanders, though Professor Pim de Boer at the University of Groningen
has found serious (though not entirely conclusive) indications that Gijsbrecht - after his exile, with a few followers - founded Pruissisch Holland (now in Poland), not far from Elbing
(also now in Poland).
, Gijsbrecht van Aemstel
. This was set during the siege of 1304, and switched him with his son Jan. Through this mistaken-identity, Gjisbrecht has become a hero of Amsterdam, with a statue in the Beurs van Berlage
and a city park in southern Amsterdam named after him, the Gijsbrecht van Aemstelpark. (This park lies along the Van Nijenrodeweg in Buitenveldert
and stretches from between Amstelveenseweg and Europaboulevard.)
Ouderkerk aan de Amstel
Ouderkerk aan de Amstel is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is largely a part of the municipality of Ouder-Amstel, and lies about 9 km south of Amsterdam. A small part of the town lies in the municipality of Amstelveen....
– c.1303) was a powerful lord in medieval Holland
History of the Netherlands
The history of the Netherlands is the history of a maritime people thriving on a watery lowland river delta at the edge of northwestern Europe. When the Romans and written history arrived in 57 BC, the country was sparsely populated by various tribal groups at the periphery of the empire...
. His territory was the Heren van Amstel, and his son was Jan I.
Life
His family probably originated from Ouderkerk aan de AmstelOuderkerk aan de Amstel
Ouderkerk aan de Amstel is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is largely a part of the municipality of Ouder-Amstel, and lies about 9 km south of Amsterdam. A small part of the town lies in the municipality of Amstelveen....
, North Holland
North Holland
North Holland |West Frisian]]: Noard-Holland) is a province situated on the North Sea in the northwest part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is Haarlem and its largest city is Amsterdam.-Geography:...
, deriving their name from their castle on the River Amstel, and tried to create an independent principality between Utrecht and Holland.
To this end Gijsbrecht IV - along with the other powerful lords Zweder of Abcoude, Arnoud of Amstel, and Herman VI of Woerden - instigated a revolt against Floris V, Count of Holland, and John I, Bishop-Elect of Utrecht
John I, Bishop-Elect of Utrecht
John I of Nassau was Bishop-elect of Utrecht from 1267 to 1290.-Biography:...
. They held lands on the border with the adjacent bishopric
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Utrecht
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Utrecht
The Archdiocese of Utrecht is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the Netherlands. The archdiocese is the metropolitan for 6 suffragans, the dioceses of Breda, Groningen-Leeuwarden, Haarlem-Amsterdam, Roermond, Rotterdam, and 's-Hertogenbosch....
(the area of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Abcoude
Abcoude
Abcoude is a town and former municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht. Since 2011 it has made part of the municipality of De Ronde Venen.- Population centres :...
, IJsselstein
IJsselstein
IJsselstein is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht. IJsselstein received city rights in 1331. IJsselstein owes its name to the river Hollandse IJssel which flows through the city....
, and Woerden
Woerden
Woerden is a municipality and a city in the central Netherlands. Due to its central location between Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht, and the fact that it has excellent rail and road connections to those cities, it is a popular town for commuters who work in those cities.-Population...
) at the expense of the bishop, and were backed by the craftsmen of Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
, the peasants of Kennemerland (Alkmaar
Alkmaar
Alkmaar is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of Noord Holland. Alkmaar is well known for its traditional cheese market. For tourists, it is a popular cultural destination.-History:...
and surroundings), Waterland (north of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
) and Amstelland (Amsterdam and surroundings) and the West Frisians
West Friesland (historical region)
West Friesland is a historical region in the northern part of the Netherlands. It was located in parts of what now is Noord-Holland and the Waddenzee. The region was bordered by the rivers Vlie and IJ...
. However, when Floris made a treaty with the craftsmen and made concessions to the peasants (Kennemerland was a duneland, where the farmers had far less rights then the farmers in the polder
Polder
A polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments known as dikes, that forms an artificial hydrological entity, meaning it has no connection with outside water other than through manually-operated devices...
s), the revolt was brought to an abrupt halt. In 1278, Floris captured Gjisbrecht and exiled Herman. The bishop of Utrecht eventually (in 1279 or 1281) also added the lands of the rebellious lords to Floris's territory in retribution.
Gijsbrecht changed sides when opportune, and some accounts allege him to have been involved in Floris's later capture and assassination. After his resulting exile, he established himself probably in Oss
Oss
Oss is a municipality and a city in the southern Netherlands, in the province of Noord Brabant.- Population centres :-Transportation:* Railway stations: Oss, Oss West, Ravenstein- The city of Oss :...
in the Duchy of Brabant
Duchy of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant was a historical region in the Low Countries. Its territory consisted essentially of the three modern-day Belgian provinces of Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and Antwerp, the Brussels-Capital Region and most of the present-day Dutch province of North Brabant.The Flag of...
. He died in exile in Flanders, though Professor Pim de Boer at the University of Groningen
University of Groningen
The University of Groningen , located in the city of Groningen, was founded in 1614. It is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands as well as one of its largest. Since its inception more than 100,000 students have graduated...
has found serious (though not entirely conclusive) indications that Gijsbrecht - after his exile, with a few followers - founded Pruissisch Holland (now in Poland), not far from Elbing
Elblag
Elbląg is a city in northern Poland with 127,892 inhabitants . It is the capital of Elbląg County and has been assigned to the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship since 1999. Before then it was the capital of Elbląg Voivodeship and a county seat in Gdańsk Voivodeship...
(also now in Poland).
In later culture
He was the eponymous hero of a play by Joost van den VondelJoost van den Vondel
Joost van den Vondel was a Dutch writer and playwright. He is considered the most prominent Dutch poet and playwright of the 17th century. His plays are the ones from that period that are still most frequently performed, and his epic Joannes de Boetgezant , on the life of John the Baptist, has...
, Gijsbrecht van Aemstel
Gijsbrecht van Aemstel (play)
Gijsbrecht van Aemstel was a 17th century history play by Joost van den Vondel, written to inaugurate Amsterdam's first city theatre. The first production was planned to take place on 26 December 1637, but was postponed until 3 January 1638...
. This was set during the siege of 1304, and switched him with his son Jan. Through this mistaken-identity, Gjisbrecht has become a hero of Amsterdam, with a statue in the Beurs van Berlage
Beurs van Berlage
The Beurs van Berlage is a building on the Damrak, in the center of Amsterdam. It was designed as a commodity exchange by architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage and constructed between 1896 and 1903. It influenced many modernist architects, in particular functionalists and the Amsterdam School...
and a city park in southern Amsterdam named after him, the Gijsbrecht van Aemstelpark. (This park lies along the Van Nijenrodeweg in Buitenveldert
Buitenveldert
Buitenveldert is a neighborhood of Amsterdam, Netherlands....
and stretches from between Amstelveenseweg and Europaboulevard.)
Sources
- http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/Cambridge/entries/079/Gijsbrecht-IV-van-Amstel.html