Jean de Ligne, Duke of Aremberg
Encyclopedia
Jean de Ligne, Duke of Arenberg
(ca. 1525 – 1568) was Baron of Barbançon, founder of the House of Arenberg
and stadtholder
of the Dutch provinces of Friesland
, Groningen
, Drenthe
and Overijssel
from 1549 until his death.
He was the son of Louis de Ligne, Baron of Barbançon from the House of Ligne
and Maria of Bergen, Lady of Zevenbergen (1503–1566).
Jean de Ligne belonged to the closest circles around Charles V
and was made a Knight in the Order of the Golden Fleece
in 1546.
In 1549 he became stadtholder
of the Northern provinces of Friesland
, Groningen
, Drenthe
and Overijssel
.
By his marriage to Marguerite de la Marck-Arenberg, sister of Robert Fleuranges III de la Marck
who died without children, he became the founder of the third House of Arenberg
.
He participated in the campaign in France and distinguished himself in the Battle of St. Quentin (1557)
where he, together with Henry V, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
, led the left wing of the infantry in the final attack against the French.
At the start of the rebellion he distanced himself of his good friend William the Silent
, Lamoral, Count of Egmont
and Philip de Montmorency, Count of Hoorn
, and remained loyal to the King Philip II of Spain.
He was unable to stop the spread of Protestantism in his Northern provinces, but succeeded in 1567 to keep them loyal to the Crown without bloodshed.
Back south, he joined the army under the Duke of Alva
, but objected against the arrests of Egmont and Hoorn.
When Louis
and Adolf of Nassau (brothers of William I of Orange) invaded Groningen, he was sent back by Alva to repulse this army.
There he was killed in the Battle of Heiligerlee
on May 23, 1568. Cardinal Granvelle
described his death as a great loss for the Catholic faith and the King.
Arenberg was buried in the Saint Catherine Church in Zevenbergen
, and his remains were moved in 1614 to the family vault in Enghien
.
He had seven children and was succeeded by his eldest son Charles de Ligne, 2nd Prince of Arenberg
.
House of Arenberg
The House of Arenberg is an aristocratic lineage that is constituted by three successive families who took their name from Arenberg, a small principality of the Holy Roman Empire in the Eifel. The inheritance of the House of Croÿ-Aarschot made the Arenbergs the most influential and most wealthy...
(ca. 1525 – 1568) was Baron of Barbançon, founder of the House of Arenberg
House of Arenberg
The House of Arenberg is an aristocratic lineage that is constituted by three successive families who took their name from Arenberg, a small principality of the Holy Roman Empire in the Eifel. The inheritance of the House of Croÿ-Aarschot made the Arenbergs the most influential and most wealthy...
and stadtholder
Stadtholder
A Stadtholder A Stadtholder A Stadtholder (Dutch: stadhouder [], "steward" or "lieutenant", literally place holder, holding someones place, possibly a calque of German Statthalter, French lieutenant, or Middle Latin locum tenens...
of the Dutch provinces of Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
, Groningen
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
, Drenthe
Drenthe
Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east.-History:Drenthe, unlike many other parts of the Netherlands, has been a...
and 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...
from 1549 until his death.
He was the son of Louis de Ligne, Baron of Barbançon from the House of Ligne
House of Ligne
The House of Ligne is one of the oldest Belgian noble families, dating back to the eleventh century. It s name comes from the village in which it originated, between Ath and Tournai. The lords of Ligne belonged to the entourage of the Count of Hainaut at the time of the Crusades...
and Maria of Bergen, Lady of Zevenbergen (1503–1566).
Jean de Ligne belonged to the closest circles around Charles V
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...
and was made a Knight in the Order of the Golden Fleece
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
in 1546.
In 1549 he became stadtholder
Stadtholder
A Stadtholder A Stadtholder A Stadtholder (Dutch: stadhouder [], "steward" or "lieutenant", literally place holder, holding someones place, possibly a calque of German Statthalter, French lieutenant, or Middle Latin locum tenens...
of the Northern provinces of Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
, Groningen
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
, Drenthe
Drenthe
Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east.-History:Drenthe, unlike many other parts of the Netherlands, has been a...
and 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...
.
By his marriage to Marguerite de la Marck-Arenberg, sister of Robert Fleuranges III de la Marck
Robert Fleuranges III de la Marck
Robert III de La Marck , Seigneur of Fleuranges, Marshal of France and historian, was the son of Robert II de La Marck; Duke of Bouillon, Seigneur of Sedan and Fleuranges, whose uncle was the celebrated William de La Marck, The Wild Boar of the Ardennes...
who died without children, he became the founder of the third House of Arenberg
House of Arenberg
The House of Arenberg is an aristocratic lineage that is constituted by three successive families who took their name from Arenberg, a small principality of the Holy Roman Empire in the Eifel. The inheritance of the House of Croÿ-Aarschot made the Arenbergs the most influential and most wealthy...
.
He participated in the campaign in France and distinguished himself in the Battle of St. Quentin (1557)
Battle of St. Quentin (1557)
The Battle of Saint-Quentin of 1557 was fought during the Franco-Habsburg War . The Spanish, who had regained the support of the English, won a significant victory over the French at Saint-Quentin, in northern France.- Battle :...
where he, together with Henry V, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Henry V, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Henry , Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, called the Younger, was Prince of Wolfenbüttel from 1514 until his death...
, led the left wing of the infantry in the final attack against the French.
At the start of the rebellion he distanced himself of his good friend William the Silent
William the Silent
William I, Prince of Orange , also widely known as William the Silent , or simply William of Orange , was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years' War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. He was born in the House of...
, Lamoral, Count of Egmont
Lamoral, Count of Egmont
Lamoral, Count of Egmont, Prince of Gavere was a general and statesman in the Habsburg Netherlands just before the start of the Eighty Years' War, whose execution helped spark the national uprising that eventually led to the independence of the Netherlands.The Count of Egmont headed one of the...
and Philip de Montmorency, Count of Hoorn
Philip de Montmorency, Count of Hoorn
Philip de Montmorency was also known as Count of Horn or Hoorne or Hoorn.-Biography:De Montmorency was born, between 1518 and 1526, possibly at the Ooidonk Castle, as the son of Jozef van Montmorency, Count of Nevele and Anna van Egmont...
, and remained loyal to the King Philip II of Spain.
He was unable to stop the spread of Protestantism in his Northern provinces, but succeeded in 1567 to keep them loyal to the Crown without bloodshed.
Back south, he joined the army under the Duke of Alva
Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba
Don Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, 3rd Duke of Alba was a Spanish general and governor of the Spanish Netherlands , nicknamed "the Iron Duke" in the Low Countries because of his harsh and cruel rule there and his role in the execution of his political opponents and the massacre of several...
, but objected against the arrests of Egmont and Hoorn.
When Louis
Louis of Nassau
Louis of Nassau was the third son of William, Count of Nassau and Juliana of Stolberg, and the younger brother of Prince William of Orange Nassau....
and Adolf of Nassau (brothers of William I of Orange) invaded Groningen, he was sent back by Alva to repulse this army.
There he was killed in the Battle of Heiligerlee
Battle of Heiligerlee
The Battle of Heiligerlee was fought between Dutch rebels and the Spanish army of Friesland. This was the first Dutch victory during the Eighty Years' War....
on May 23, 1568. Cardinal Granvelle
Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle
Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle , Comte de La Baume Saint Amour, was a Burgundian statesman, made a cardinal, who followed his father as a leading minister of the Spanish Habsburgs, and was one of the most influential European politicians during the time which immediately followed the appearance of...
described his death as a great loss for the Catholic faith and the King.
Arenberg was buried in the Saint Catherine Church in Zevenbergen
Zevenbergen
Zevenbergen is a Dutch city which is a part of the municipality of Moerdijk. Zevenbergen is located in the northwest of the province of Noord-Brabant near Breda.-History:...
, and his remains were moved in 1614 to the family vault in Enghien
Enghien
Enghien is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. On January 1, 2006 Enghien had a total population of 11,980. The total area is 40.59 km² which gives a population density of 295 inhabitants per km²....
.
He had seven children and was succeeded by his eldest son Charles de Ligne, 2nd Prince of Arenberg
Charles de Ligne, 2nd Prince of Arenberg
Princely Count Charles of Arenberg, duke of Aarschot , baron of Zevenbergen, knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece, was the second Princely Count of Arenberg and a leading aristocrat of the Habsburg Netherlands, who served as a courtier, soldier, minister and diplomat.-Background and early...
.