Guelders
Encyclopedia
Guelders or Gueldres is the name of a historical county, later duchy of the Holy Roman Empire
, located in the Low Countries
.
(Gelder) in present-day Germany
. Though the present province of Gelderland
(English also Guelders) in the Netherlands
occupies most of the area, the former duchy also comprised parts of the present Dutch province of Limburg
as well as those territories in the present-day German state
of North Rhine-Westphalia
that were acquired by Prussia
in 1713.
Four parts of the duchy deserve some special attention, because they had their own centres, as they were separated by rivers:
spatially separated from the Lower Quarters (Gelderland):
was first documented as "Count of Guelders". It was then located on the territory of Lower Lorraine
, in the area of Geldern
and Roermond
, with its main stronghold at Montfort
(built 1260). Count Gerard's son Gerard II
in 1127 acquired the County of Zutphen
in northern Hamaland
by marriage. In the 12th and 13th century, Guelders quickly expanded downstream along the sides of the Maas
, Rhine, and IJssel
rivers and even claimed the succession in the Duchy of Limburg
, until it lost the 1288 Battle of Worringen
against Berg and Brabant
.
Guelders was often at war with its neighbours, not only with Brabant, but also with the County of Holland
and the Bishopric of Utrecht. However, its territory did not only grow because of its success in warfare, but it also thrived in times of peace. The biggest part of the Veluwe and the city of Nijmegen for example were given as a collateral to Guelders. On separate occasions the bishop of Utrecht gave the Veluwe and William II, who was count of both Holland and Zeeland
and who was elected anti-king of the Holy Roman Empire (1248-1256), gave Nijmegen in use to Guelders in return of a loan. However neither of them were able to repay their debts, so these lands became integral parts of Guelders.
In 1339 Count Reginald II of Guelders
was elevated to the rank of a duke
by Emperor Louis IV of Wittelsbach
. After the line became extinct in 1371, William I of Jülich inherited Guelders and from 1393 onwards held both duchies in personal union
. In 1423 Guelders passed to the House of Egmond, who even reached the recognition by Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg
. Duke Adolf however, stuck in a fierce inheritance conflict with his father Arnold, soon came under pressure from the Burgundian
duke Charles the Bold, who had him captured and imprisoned in 1471. Upon Arnold's death in 1473, Duke Charles added Guelders to his Burgundian Netherlands
.
The last independent Duke of Guelders was Adolf's son Charles of Egmond
(1492-1538), who, backed by France
, expanded his realm further north, to incorporate what is now the Province of Overijssel
. He was not just a man of war but also a skilled diplomat and was therefore able to keep his independence. He bequeathed the duchy to Duke William the Rich of Jülich-Cleves-Berg, who however was not able to hold on to it and Emperor Charles V of Habsburg
soon moved in. Guelders finally lost its independence, when it was united with the Seventeen Provinces
of the Habsburg Netherlands
in 1543.
Charles V abdicated in 1556 and decreed that the territories of the Burgundian Circle
should be held by the Spanish Crown. When the northern Netherlands revolted against King Philip II of Spain
in the Dutch Revolt
, the three northern quarters of Gelderland
joined the Union of Utrecht
and became part of the United Provinces
upon the 1581 Act of Abjuration, while only the Upper Quarter remained a part of the Spanish Netherlands
.
At the Treaty of Utrecht
, ending the War of the Spanish Succession
in 1713, the Spanish Upper Quarter
was again divided between Prussian Guelders
(Geldern
, Viersen
, Horst
, Venray
), the United Provinces (Venlo
, Montfort, Echt), Austria
(Roermond
, Niederkrüchten
, Weert
), and the Duchy of Jülich
(Erkelenz
). In 1795 Guelders was finally conquered and incorporated by the French First Republic
, and partitioned between the départements of Roer and Meuse-Inférieure
.
played by Heath Ledger
claimed to be Sir Ulrich von Liechtenstein
from Gelderland
so as to appear to be of noble birth and thus qualify to participate in jousting.
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, located in the Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
.
Geography
The duchy was named after the town of GeldernGeldern
Geldern ) is a city in the northwest of the federal state North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is part of the district of Cleves, which is part of the Düsseldorfadministrative region.-Location:...
(Gelder) in present-day Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Though the present province of Gelderland
Gelderland
Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,...
(English also Guelders) in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
occupies most of the area, the former duchy also comprised parts of the present Dutch province of Limburg
Limburg (Netherlands)
Limburg is the southernmost of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands. It is located in the southeastern part of the country and bordered by the province of Gelderland to the north, Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and part of the west, andthe Dutch province of North Brabant partly to...
as well as those territories in the present-day German state
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
of North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
that were acquired by Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
in 1713.
Four parts of the duchy deserve some special attention, because they had their own centres, as they were separated by rivers:
- the quarter of RoermondRoermondRoermond is a city, a municipality, and a diocese in the southeastern part of the Netherlands.The city of Roermond is a historically important town, on the lower Roer at the east bank of the Meuse river. It received city rights in 1231...
, also called the Overkwartier (Upper Quarter) or Upper GueldersUpper GueldersUpper Guelders or Spanish Guelders was one of the four quarters in the Imperial Duchy of Guelders. In the Dutch Revolt, it was the only quarter that did not secede from the Habsburg Monarchy to become part of the Seven United Netherlands, but remained under Spanish rule during the Eighty Years'...
- upstream on both sides of the MaasMaasMaas is the name, in English borrowed from the Dutch language, of a river that is also named Meuse , in English borrowed from French language. The practical use in English may be influenced by the context at a lower or upper stream location....
, comprising the town of GeldernGeldernGeldern ) is a city in the northwest of the federal state North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is part of the district of Cleves, which is part of the Düsseldorfadministrative region.-Location:...
as well as ErkelenzErkelenz- Geology :The Erkelenz Börde is the northernmost extent of the Jülich Börde and is formed from a loess plateau that has an average thickness of over eleven metres in this area. Beneath it are the gravels and sands of the main ice age terrace, laid down by the Rhine and the Meuse...
, GochGochGoch is a town in the district of Kleve, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated close to the border with the Netherlands, approx. 12 km south of Kleve, and 27 km southeast of Nijmegen.-Cultural ties:...
, Nieuwstadt, VenloVenloVenlo is a municipality and a city in the southeastern Netherlands, next to the German border. It is situated in the province of Limburg.In 2001, the municipalities of Belfeld and Tegelen were merged into the municipality of Venlo. Tegelen was originally part of the Duchy of Jülich centuries ago,...
and StraelenStraelenStraelen is a municipality in the district of Cleves, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located near the border with the Netherlands, approx. 10 km north-east of Venlo.Straelen was first mentioned in Latin as Strala in 1063.-External links:*...
;
spatially separated from the Lower Quarters (Gelderland):
- the quarter of Zutphen, also called the AchterhoekAchterhoekThe Achterhoek is a region in the eastern part of the Netherlands, Europe.Its name is geographically appropriate because the area lies in the Eastern-most part of Gelderland, and therefore of the Netherlands, protruding into Germany...
- east of the IJsselIJsselRiver IJssel , sometimes called Gelderse IJssel to avoid confusion with its Hollandse IJssel namesake in the west of the Netherlands, is a branch of the Rhine in the Dutch provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel...
and north to the Rhine, including DoesburgDoesburgDoesburg Doesburg Doesburg (Dutch is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands in the province of Gelderland. Doesburg received city rights in 1237 and currently has 11,602 inhabitants (1 January 2007, source: CBS). The city is situated on the right bank of river IJssel, at the...
, DoetinchemDoetinchemDoetinchem is a city and municipality in the east of the Netherlands. It is situated along the Oude IJssel river in a part of the province of Gelderland called the Achterhoek . The municipality has 56,700 inhabitants and has an area of 79.66 km²...
, GroenloGroenloGroenlo is a city in the municipality of Oost Gelre, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands on the German border, a region in the province of Gelderland called the Achterhoek . Groenlo was a municipality until January 1, 2005, when it merged with Lichtenvoorde. Until May 19 2006 Groenlo...
and LochemLochemLochem is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands. it is also the hebrew word for soldier or warrior. On 1 January 2005, the municipality merged with the municipality of Gorssel.- Population centres :Small hamlets are printed in italics....
; - the quarter of ArnhemArnhemArnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
, also called the VeluweVeluweThe Veluwe is a forest-rich ridge of hills in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. The Veluwe features many different landscapes including woodland, heath, some small lakes and Europe's largest sand drifts....
- west of the IJssel and north to the Rhine, with ElburgElburgElburg is a municipality and a city in the province of Gelderland, Netherlands.-History:There is evidence of a Neolithic settlement at Elburg consisting of stone tools and pottery shards....
, HarderwijkHarderwijk' is a municipality and a small city in the eastern Netherlands.- The history of Harderwijk :Harderwijk received city rights from Count Otto II of Guelders in 1231. A defensive wall surrounding the city was completed by the end of that century. The oldest part of the city is near where the...
, HattemHattemHattem is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands. The city population is 11,797. The name “Hattem” is a typical farmyard name. The exact origin of “Hattem” is yet unclear. In general two explanation exist. Hattem would be the ‘heem’ of a people who belong to the tribe of Chattuarii...
and WageningenWageningen' is a municipality and a historical town in the central Netherlands, in the province of Gelderland. It is famous for Wageningen University, which specializes in life sciences. The city has 37,414 inhabitants , of which many thousands are students...
; - the quarter of Nijmegen, also called the BetuweBetuweThe Betuwe is an area in the Netherlands in the province of Gelderland...
- south of the Rhine and north to the Maas (in between the rivers), including GendtGendtGendt is a city in Gelderland in the municipality of Lingewaard. It was previously a municipality of its own, but in 2001 it merged with Huissen and Bemmel to form the new municipality Lingewaard. The city is located on the river Waal, about 5 km northeast of the city of Nijmegen. It received...
, MaasbommelMaasbommelMaasbommel is a town in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is a part of the municipality of West Maas en Waal, and lies about 7 km north of Oss. It received city rights in 1328....
, TielTiel' is a municipality and a town in the middle of the Netherlands.The town is enclosed by the Waal river and the Linge river on the south and the north side, and the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal on the east side. The city was founded in the 5th century AD....
and ZaltbommelZaltbommelZaltbommel is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. The town of Zaltbommel was first mentioned as "Bomela" in the year 850. Zaltbommel first received city status in 1231, which status was renewed in 1316....
.
History
The county emerged about 1096, when Gerard III of WassenbergWassenberg
Wassenberg is a town in the district Heinsberg, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated near the border with the Netherlands, on the river Rur, approx. 6 km north-east of Heinsberg and 15 km south-east of Roermond....
was first documented as "Count of Guelders". It was then located on the territory of Lower Lorraine
Lower Lorraine
The Duchy of Lower Lorraine or Lower Lotharingia , established in 959 was a stem duchy of the medieval German kingdom, which encompassed part of modern-day Belgium, the Netherlands, the northern part of the German Rhineland and a part of northern France east of the Schelde river.It was created out...
, in the area of Geldern
Geldern
Geldern ) is a city in the northwest of the federal state North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is part of the district of Cleves, which is part of the Düsseldorfadministrative region.-Location:...
and Roermond
Roermond
Roermond is a city, a municipality, and a diocese in the southeastern part of the Netherlands.The city of Roermond is a historically important town, on the lower Roer at the east bank of the Meuse river. It received city rights in 1231...
, with its main stronghold at Montfort
Montfort (Netherlands)
Montfort is a town in the Dutch province of Limburg. Montfort has about 4000 inhabitants. It lies about 8 km south of Roermond. It received city rights in 1271. It renowned for ruins of Castle Montfort, built in the thirteenth century....
(built 1260). Count Gerard's son Gerard II
Gerard II, Count of Guelders
Gerard II was Count of Guelders from March 1129, following his father's death, until his own death on October 24, 1131.Gerard married Ermgard of Zutphen, daughter of Otto II, Count of Zutphen and Judith of Arnstein...
in 1127 acquired the County of Zutphen
Zutphen County
Zutphen county, in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands, was formed in the eleventh century as a fief of the Bishop of Utrecht. It has been in personal union with Guelders since the 1130s. Later, it became one of the 4 quarters of Guelders...
in northern Hamaland
Hamaland
Hamaland is a non-administrative region in the east of the Netherlands that is named after the Frankish Chamavi-tribe. It is located east of the river IJssel and south of Salland and Twente . Hamaland and the Chamavi were in Late antiquity ruled by independent kings...
by marriage. In the 12th and 13th century, Guelders quickly expanded downstream along the sides of the Maas
Maas
Maas is the name, in English borrowed from the Dutch language, of a river that is also named Meuse , in English borrowed from French language. The practical use in English may be influenced by the context at a lower or upper stream location....
, Rhine, and IJssel
IJssel
River IJssel , sometimes called Gelderse IJssel to avoid confusion with its Hollandse IJssel namesake in the west of the Netherlands, is a branch of the Rhine in the Dutch provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel...
rivers and even claimed the succession in the Duchy of Limburg
Duchy of Limburg
The Duchy of Limburg, situated in the Low Countries between the river Meuse and the city of Aachen, was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. Its territory is now divided between the Belgian provinces of Liège and Limburg , the Dutch province of Limburg , and a small part of North Rhine-Westphalia in...
, until it lost the 1288 Battle of Worringen
Battle of Worringen
The Battle of Worringen was fought on June 5, 1288, near the town of Worringen , which is now the northernmost borough of Cologne...
against Berg and 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...
.
County of Holland
The County of Holland was a county in the Holy Roman Empire and from 1482 part of the Habsburg Netherlands in what is now the Netherlands. It covered an area roughly corresponding to the current Dutch provinces of North-Holland and South-Holland, as well as the islands of Terschelling, Vlieland,...
and the Bishopric of Utrecht. However, its territory did not only grow because of its success in warfare, but it also thrived in times of peace. The biggest part of the Veluwe and the city of Nijmegen for example were given as a collateral to Guelders. On separate occasions the bishop of Utrecht gave the Veluwe and William II, who was count of both Holland and Zeeland
County of Zeeland
The County of Zeeland was a county of the Holy Roman Empire in what is now the Netherlands. It covered an area in the Scheldt and Meuse delta roughly corresponding to the current Dutch province of Zeeland, though it did not include the region of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen which was part of...
and who was elected anti-king of the Holy Roman Empire (1248-1256), gave Nijmegen in use to Guelders in return of a loan. However neither of them were able to repay their debts, so these lands became integral parts of Guelders.
In 1339 Count Reginald II of Guelders
Reginald II of Guelders
Reginald II of Guelders , called "the Black" , was Count of Guelders, and from 1339 onwards Duke of Guelders, and Zutphen, in the Low Countries, from 1326 to 1343...
was elevated to the rank of a duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
by Emperor Louis IV of Wittelsbach
Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Louis IV , called the Bavarian, of the house of Wittelsbach, was the King of Germany from 1314, the King of Italy from 1327 and the Holy Roman Emperor from 1328....
. After the line became extinct in 1371, William I of Jülich inherited Guelders and from 1393 onwards held both duchies in personal union
Personal union
A personal union is the combination by which two or more different states have the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state...
. In 1423 Guelders passed to the House of Egmond, who even reached the recognition by Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
. Duke Adolf however, stuck in a fierce inheritance conflict with his father Arnold, soon came under pressure from the Burgundian
Duchy of Burgundy
The Duchy of Burgundy , was heir to an ancient and prestigious reputation and a large division of the lands of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy and in its own right was one of the geographically larger ducal territories in the emergence of Early Modern Europe from Medieval Europe.Even in that...
duke Charles the Bold, who had him captured and imprisoned in 1471. Upon Arnold's death in 1473, Duke Charles added Guelders to his Burgundian Netherlands
Burgundian Netherlands
In the history of the Low Countries, the Burgundian Netherlands refers to a number of Imperial and French fiefs ruled in personal union by the House of Valois-Burgundy and their Habsburg heirs in the period from 1384 to 1482...
.
The last independent Duke of Guelders was Adolf's son Charles of Egmond
Charles, Duke of Guelders
Charles of Egmond was Duke of Guelders, Count of Zutphen between 1492 and his death. He was the son of Adolf of Egmond and Catharine of Bourbon...
(1492-1538), who, backed by France
Early Modern France
Kingdom of France is the early modern period of French history from the end of the 15th century to the end of the 18th century...
, expanded his realm further north, to incorporate what is now the Province of Overijssel
Overijssel
Overijssel is a province of the Netherlands in the central eastern part of the country. The region has a NUTS classification of NL21. The province's name means "Lands across river IJssel". The capital city of Overijssel is Zwolle and the largest city is Enschede...
. He was not just a man of war but also a skilled diplomat and was therefore able to keep his independence. He bequeathed the duchy to Duke William the Rich of Jülich-Cleves-Berg, who however was not able to hold on to it and Emperor Charles V of Habsburg
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
soon moved in. Guelders finally lost its independence, when it was united with the Seventeen Provinces
Seventeen Provinces
The Seventeen Provinces were a personal union of states in the Low Countries in the 15th century and 16th century, roughly covering the current Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, a good part of the North of France , and a small part of Western Germany.The Seventeen Provinces were originally held by...
of the Habsburg Netherlands
Habsburg Netherlands
The Habsburg Netherlands was a geo-political entity covering the whole of the Low Countries from 1482 to 1556/1581 and solely the Southern Netherlands from 1581 to 1794...
in 1543.
Charles V abdicated in 1556 and decreed that the territories of the Burgundian Circle
Burgundian Circle
The Burgundian Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire created in 1512 and significantly enlarged in 1548. In addition to the Free County of Burgundy , the circle roughly covered the Low Countries, i.e...
should be held by the Spanish Crown. When the northern Netherlands revolted against King Philip II of Spain
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
in the Dutch Revolt
Dutch Revolt
The Dutch Revolt or the Revolt of the Netherlands This article adopts 1568 as the starting date of the war, as this was the year of the first battles between armies. However, since there is a long period of Protestant vs...
, the three northern quarters of Gelderland
Gelderland
Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,...
joined the Union of Utrecht
Union of Utrecht
The Union of Utrecht was a treaty signed on 23 January 1579 in Utrecht, the Netherlands, unifying the northern provinces of the Netherlands, until then under the control of Habsburg Spain....
and became part of the United Provinces
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
upon the 1581 Act of Abjuration, while only the Upper Quarter remained a part of the Spanish Netherlands
Southern Netherlands
Southern Netherlands were a part of the Low Countries controlled by Spain , Austria and annexed by France...
.
At the Treaty of Utrecht
Treaty of Utrecht
The Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713...
, ending the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
in 1713, the Spanish Upper Quarter
Upper Guelders
Upper Guelders or Spanish Guelders was one of the four quarters in the Imperial Duchy of Guelders. In the Dutch Revolt, it was the only quarter that did not secede from the Habsburg Monarchy to become part of the Seven United Netherlands, but remained under Spanish rule during the Eighty Years'...
was again divided between Prussian Guelders
Prussian Guelders
Prussian Guelders or Prussian Gelderland was the part of the Duchy of Guelders ruled by the Kingdom of Prussia from 1713. Its capital was Geldern....
(Geldern
Geldern
Geldern ) is a city in the northwest of the federal state North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is part of the district of Cleves, which is part of the Düsseldorfadministrative region.-Location:...
, Viersen
Viersen
Viersen is the capital of the district of Viersen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Viersen is situated approximately 8 km north-west of Mönchengladbach, 15 km south-west of Krefeld and 20 km east of Venlo ....
, Horst
Horst aan de Maas
Horst aan de Maas is a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands, in the province of Limburg. In 2010 the municipalities Sevenum and part of Meerlo-Wanssum joined the municipality.- Population centres :...
, Venray
Venray
Venray is a municipality and a town in Limburg, Netherlands, 115 kilometers southeast of Amsterdam. Venray has about 43,000 inhabitants.- Population centres :...
), the United Provinces (Venlo
Venlo
Venlo is a municipality and a city in the southeastern Netherlands, next to the German border. It is situated in the province of Limburg.In 2001, the municipalities of Belfeld and Tegelen were merged into the municipality of Venlo. Tegelen was originally part of the Duchy of Jülich centuries ago,...
, Montfort, Echt), Austria
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
(Roermond
Roermond
Roermond is a city, a municipality, and a diocese in the southeastern part of the Netherlands.The city of Roermond is a historically important town, on the lower Roer at the east bank of the Meuse river. It received city rights in 1231...
, Niederkrüchten
Niederkrüchten
Niederkrüchten is a municipality in the district of Viersen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated approx. 15 km east of Roermond and 15 km west of Mönchengladbach....
, Weert
Weert
Weert is a municipality and city in the southeastern Netherlands. As of 2010, Weert had a population of 48,405. It lies on the Eindhoven–Maastricht railway line, and is also astride the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal.- Population centres :* Altweerterheide...
), and the Duchy of Jülich
Duchy of Jülich
The Duchy of Jülich comprised a state within the Holy Roman Empire from the 11th to the 18th centuries. The duchy lay left of the Rhine river between the Electorate of Cologne in the east and the Duchy of Limburg in the west. It had territories on both sides of the river Rur, around its capital...
(Erkelenz
Erkelenz
- Geology :The Erkelenz Börde is the northernmost extent of the Jülich Börde and is formed from a loess plateau that has an average thickness of over eleven metres in this area. Beneath it are the gravels and sands of the main ice age terrace, laid down by the Rhine and the Meuse...
). In 1795 Guelders was finally conquered and incorporated by the French First Republic
French First Republic
The French First Republic was founded on 22 September 1792, by the newly established National Convention. The First Republic lasted until the declaration of the First French Empire in 1804 under Napoleon I...
, and partitioned between the départements of Roer and Meuse-Inférieure
Meuse-Inférieure
Meuse-Inférieure is the name of a département of the First French Empire in present Belgium, Netherlands and Germany. It is named after the river Meuse. Its capital was Maastricht....
.
Coat of arms of Guelders
The coat of arms of the region evolved during the ages.Guelders in popular culture
William Thatcher, the lead character in the 2001 film A Knight's TaleA Knight's Tale (film)
A Knight's Tale is a 2001 American action-adventure film directed, produced, and written by Brian Helgeland. The film stars Heath Ledger, Shannyn Sossamon, Mark Addy, Alan Tudyk, Rufus Sewell, Paul Bettany as Geoffrey Chaucer, and James Purefoy as Sir Thomas Colville/Edward, the Black Prince.The...
played by Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger
Heath Andrew Ledger was an Australian television and film actor. After performing roles in Australian television and film during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to develop his film career...
claimed to be Sir Ulrich von Liechtenstein
Ulrich von Liechtenstein
Ulrich von Liechtenstein was a medieval nobleman, knight, politician, and minnesanger. He was born in 1200 in Murau, located in present day Austria. After the usual noble training as a page and a squire to Margrave Heinrich of Istria, he was knighted by Duke Leopold VI of Austria in 1223...
from Gelderland
Gelderland
Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,...
so as to appear to be of noble birth and thus qualify to participate in jousting.