John I, Duke of Brabant
Encyclopedia
John I of Brabant, also called John the Victorious (1252/1253 – 3 May 1294) was Duke of Brabant
(1267–1294), Lothier
and Limburg
(1288–1294).
, he was the son of Henry III, Duke of Brabant
and Aleidis of Burgundy
, daughter of Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy
. He was also an older brother of Maria of Brabant, Queen consort
of Philip III of France
. In 1267 his older brother Henry IV, Duke of Brabant
, being mentally deficient, was deposed in his favour.
His greatest military victory was the Battle of Woeringen, by which John I came to reign over the Duchy of Limburg. He was completely outnumbered in forces but led the successful invasion into the Rhineland to defeat the confederacy. In 1288 Limburg was formally attached to Brabant
.
John I was said to be a model of feudal prince: brave, adventurous; excelling in every form of active exercise, fond of display, and generous in temper. He was considered one of the most gifted princes of his time. This made him very popular in Middle Ages
poetry and literature. Even today there exists an ode to him, so well-known that it was a potential candidate to be the North Brabant
anthem. John I delighted in tournaments and was always eager to take part in jousts. He was also famous for his many illegitimate children.
On 3 May 1294 at some marriage festivities at Bar-le-Duc
(now France), John I was mortally wounded in the arm in an encounter. He was buried in the church of the Minderbroeders in Leuven, but since the Protestant iconoclasm
(Beeldenstorm
) in 1566, nothing remains of his tomb.
, daughter of Louis IX of France
and Margaret of Provence. She took the title of Duchess of Brabant. In this marriage he had a son, but both died shortly after birth.
Second, he married 1273 to Margaret of Flanders
(d. 3 July 1285), daughter of Guy, Count of Flanders
and had the following children:
One of John's illegitimate children was Jean Meuwe, Seigneur of Wavre and Dongelberg.
Duke of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant was formally erected in 1183/1184. The title "Duke of Brabant" was created by the German Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in favor of Henry I, son of Godfrey III of Leuven . The Duchy of Brabant was a feudal elevation of the since 1085/1086 existing title of Landgrave of Brabant...
(1267–1294), Lothier
Duke of Lothier
Lothier refers to the territory within the Duchy of Lower Lotharingia, governed by the Dukes of Brabant and their successors after 1190 until the end of the Ancien Régime in 1796....
and 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...
(1288–1294).
Life
Born at LeuvenLeuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
, he was the son of Henry III, Duke of Brabant
Henry III, Duke of Brabant
Henry III of Brabant was Duke of Brabant between 1248 and his death. He was the son of Henry II of Brabant and Marie of Hohenstaufen....
and Aleidis of Burgundy
Adelaide of Burgundy (1233–1273)
Adelaide of Burgundy was a daughter of Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy, by his first wife Yolande of Dreux. She was a member of the House of Burgundy.- Family :...
, daughter of Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy
Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy
Hugh IV of Burgundy was duke of Burgundy between 1218 and 1271. Hugh was the only son of duke Odo III and Alice of Vergy...
. He was also an older brother of Maria of Brabant, Queen consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of Philip III of France
Philip III of France
Philip III , called the Bold , was the King of France, succeeding his father, Louis IX, and reigning from 1270 to 1285. He was a member of the House of Capet.-Biography:...
. In 1267 his older brother Henry IV, Duke of Brabant
Henry IV, Duke of Brabant
Henry IV of Brabant was Duke of Brabant from 1261 to 1267.Born at Leuven, he was the eldest son of Henry III, Duke of Brabant and Adelaide of Burgundy, daughter of Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy...
, being mentally deficient, was deposed in his favour.
His greatest military victory was the Battle of Woeringen, by which John I came to reign over the Duchy of Limburg. He was completely outnumbered in forces but led the successful invasion into the Rhineland to defeat the confederacy. In 1288 Limburg was formally attached to 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...
.
John I was said to be a model of feudal prince: brave, adventurous; excelling in every form of active exercise, fond of display, and generous in temper. He was considered one of the most gifted princes of his time. This made him very popular in Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
poetry and literature. Even today there exists an ode to him, so well-known that it was a potential candidate to be the North Brabant
North Brabant
North Brabant , sometimes called Brabant, is a province of the Netherlands, located in the south of the country, bordered by Belgium in the south, the Meuse River in the north, Limburg in the east and Zeeland in the west.- History :...
anthem. John I delighted in tournaments and was always eager to take part in jousts. He was also famous for his many illegitimate children.
On 3 May 1294 at some marriage festivities at Bar-le-Duc
Bar-le-Duc
Bar-le-Duc, formerly known as Bar, is a commune in the Meuse département, of which it is the préfecture . The department is in Lorraine in north-eastern France-Geography:...
(now France), John I was mortally wounded in the arm in an encounter. He was buried in the church of the Minderbroeders in Leuven, but since the Protestant iconoclasm
Iconoclasm
Iconoclasm is the deliberate destruction of religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually with religious or political motives. It is a frequent component of major political or religious changes...
(Beeldenstorm
Beeldenstorm
Beeldenstorm in Dutch, roughly translatable to "statue storm", or Bildersturm in German , also the Iconoclastic Fury, is a term used for outbreaks of destruction of religious images that occurred in Europe in the 16th century...
) in 1566, nothing remains of his tomb.
Family and children
He was married twice. First, on 5 September 1270 to Margaret of FranceMargaret of France, Duchess of Brabant
Margaret of France was a daughter of Louis IX of France and his wife Margaret of Provence. She was a member of the House of Capet and was Duchess of Brabant by her marriage to John I, Duke of Brabant.- Siblings :...
, daughter of Louis IX of France
Louis IX of France
Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and...
and Margaret of Provence. She took the title of Duchess of Brabant. In this marriage he had a son, but both died shortly after birth.
Second, he married 1273 to Margaret of Flanders
Margaret of Flanders (d. 1285)
Margaret of Flanders was the daughter of Guy of Dampierre, and wife of John I, Duke of Brabant.They were married in 1273. She was the mother of:# Godfrey Margaret of Flanders (died July 3, 1285) was the daughter of Guy of Dampierre, and wife of John I, Duke of Brabant.They were married in 1273....
(d. 3 July 1285), daughter of Guy, Count of Flanders
Guy of Dampierre
Guy of Dampierre was the count of Flanders during the Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302.Guy was the second son of William II of Dampierre and Margaret II of Flanders. The death of his elder brother William in a tournament made him joint Count of Flanders with his mother...
and had the following children:
- Godfrey (1273/74 – aft. 13 September 1283).
- John II of Brabant (1275–1312).
- MargaretMargaret of BrabantMargaret of Brabant , was the daughter of John I, Duke of Brabant and Margaret of Flanders. She was the wife of Count Henry of Luxemburg and after his coronation in 1308, she became Queen of Germany.-Family:...
(4 October 1276–14 December 1311, GenoaGenoaGenoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
), married 9 June 1292 to Henry VII, Holy Roman EmperorHenry VII, Holy Roman EmperorHenry VII was the King of Germany from 1308 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1312. He was the first emperor of the House of Luxembourg...
. - MarieMarie of Brabant, Countess of SavoyMarie of Brabant , was a Countess Consort of Savoy; married in 1297 to Amadeus V, Count of Savoy.Issue:# Maria of Savoy# Catherine of Savoy, d. 1336, married to Leopold I # Anna of Savoy, d...
(d. after 2 December 1338), married to Count Amadeus V of Savoy.
One of John's illegitimate children was Jean Meuwe, Seigneur of Wavre and Dongelberg.
See also
- Dukes of Brabant family treeDukes of Brabant family treeThis is a family tree of the Dukes of Brabant from 1139 up to 1430. Godfrey I, count of Leuven, became Duke of Lower Lotharingia in 1106. Henry I became the first Duke of Brabant in 1183/1184.See also:*Duchy of Brabant*List of family trees...
- Hertog JanHertog JanHertog Jan is a brewery in the Netherlands. Originally Hertog Jan was a brand only, owned by distributor De Kikvorsch in Deest. Under this brand several types of beer were released, of which the top-fermenting beers were all made at the Arcense Stoombierbrouwerij in Arcen...