Dirk II, Count of Holland
Encyclopedia
Dirk II was Count of Frisia (west of the Vlie
) and Holland
. He was the son of Count Dirk I
and Geva (or Gerberge).
, Kinhem (Kennemerland
) and Texla (Texel
), thus stretching along the entire Hollandic coast (as well as inland). Count Dirk II built a fortress near Vlaardingen
, which later was the site of a battle
between his grandson Dirk III
and an Imperial army under Godfrey II, Duke of Lower Lorraine
.
He rebuilt Egmond Abbey and its wooden church in stone to house the relics of Saint Adalbert
, the project starting in 950. Adalbert was not well known at that time, but he was said to have preached Christianity in the immediate surroundings two centuries earlier. The abbey was given to a community of Benedictine monks from Ghent
, who replaced the nuns originally at Egmond, probably in the 970s. His daughter Erlint or Erlinde, who was abbess at the time, was made abbess of the newly-founded Bennebroek Abbey instead.
, based on the names of her children), and had three known children. His son Arnulf
became Count of Holland and Frisia after Dirk's death. The younger son Egbert
became Archbishop of Trier in 977. His daughter Erlinde was abbess of Egmont, until that institution was changed by her father from a nunnery into a monastery, after which she became abbess of Bennebroek.
Dirk died in 988 and was buried in the stone church at Egmond, which he had built there. Hildegard died two years later and was also buried there.
Vlie
The Vlie or Vliestroom is the seaway between the Dutch islands of Vlieland, to its southwest, and Terschelling, to its northeast. The Vlie was the estuary of the river IJssel in medieval times...
) and Holland
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,...
. He was the son of Count Dirk I
Dirk I, Count of Holland
Dirk I was Count of Holland, thought to have been in office from ca. 896 to ca. 928 or 939.-'Count in Frisia':The actual title of count Dirk I was 'count in Friesland'....
and Geva (or Gerberge).
Career
In 983 Emperor Otto III confirmed his rights to properties and territories in the counties of MaaslandMaasland
Maasland is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It lies in the municipality of Midden-Delfland and covers an area of 24.42 km² ....
, Kinhem (Kennemerland
Kennemerland
Kennemerland is a region in the Netherlands, near the coast in the province of North Holland. In includes the sand dunes north of the North Sea Canal, as well as the dunes of Zuid-Kennemerland National Park.-History:...
) and Texla (Texel
Texel
Texel is a municipality and an island in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the biggest and most populated of the Frisian Islands in the Wadden Sea, and also the westernmost of this archipelago, which extends to Denmark...
), thus stretching along the entire Hollandic coast (as well as inland). Count Dirk II built a fortress near Vlaardingen
Vlaardingen
Vlaardingen is a town in South Holland in the Netherlands. It is located on the north bank of the Nieuwe Maas/Nieuwe Waterweg river at the confluence with the Oude Maas...
, which later was the site of a battle
Battle of Vlaardingen
The Battle of Vlaardingen was fought on 29 July 1018. The German emperor sent an army towards western Frisia to subdue the rebellious Count Dirk III...
between his grandson Dirk III
Dirk III, Count of Holland
Dirk III was Count of Holland from 993 to May 27, 1039, until 1005 under regency of his mother. It is thought that Dirk III went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land around 1030, hence his nickname of Hierosolymita....
and an Imperial army under Godfrey II, Duke of Lower Lorraine
Godfrey II, Duke of Lower Lorraine
Godfrey II , called the Childless, son of Godfrey I, Count of Verdun, was the count of Verdun from his father's death in 1002 and duke of Lower Lorraine after the death in 1012 of the Carolingian Otto, who left no sons....
.
He rebuilt Egmond Abbey and its wooden church in stone to house the relics of Saint Adalbert
Adalbert of Prague
This article is about St Adalbert of Prague. For other uses, see Adalbert .Saint Adalbert, Czech: ; , , Czech Roman Catholic saint, a Bishop of Prague and a missionary, was martyred in his efforts to convert the Baltic Prussians. He evangelized Poles and Hungarians. St...
, the project starting in 950. Adalbert was not well known at that time, but he was said to have preached Christianity in the immediate surroundings two centuries earlier. The abbey was given to a community of Benedictine monks from Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
, who replaced the nuns originally at Egmond, probably in the 970s. His daughter Erlint or Erlinde, who was abbess at the time, was made abbess of the newly-founded Bennebroek Abbey instead.
Family
Dirk married Hildegarde (thought to be a daughter of Count Arnulf of FlandersArnulf I, Count of Flanders
Arnulf of Flanders , called the Great, was the third Count of Flanders, who ruled the County of Flanders, an area that is now northwestern Belgium and southwestern Holland....
, based on the names of her children), and had three known children. His son Arnulf
Arnulf, Count of Holland
Arnulf, also known as Aernout or Arnold succeeded his father in 988 as Count in Frisia. He was born in 951 in Ghent and because of this he is also known as Arnulf of Ghent. Arnulf was the son of Dirk II, Count of Holland and Hildegard, thought to be a daughter of Arnulf of Flanders.-Career:Arnulf...
became Count of Holland and Frisia after Dirk's death. The younger son Egbert
Egbert, Archbishop of Trier
Egbert was the Archbishop of Trier from 977 until his death.Egbert was a son of Dirk II, Count of Holland. After being trained in the abbey of Egmond and the court of Bruno I, Archbishop of Cologne, he became the chancellor of Otto II in 976. The following year he was appointed to the archdiocese...
became Archbishop of Trier in 977. His daughter Erlinde was abbess of Egmont, until that institution was changed by her father from a nunnery into a monastery, after which she became abbess of Bennebroek.
Dirk died in 988 and was buried in the stone church at Egmond, which he had built there. Hildegard died two years later and was also buried there.