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Godfrey I of Leuven

 

 
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Godfrey I of Leuven
 
 
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Godfrey I (c. 1060 – 25 January 1139), called the Bearded, the Courageous, or the Great, was the landgrave of Brabant
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 I, Holy Roman Emperor in favor of Henry I, Duke of Brabant, son of Godfrey III of Leuven ....
, and count of Brussels
Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is the de facto capital city of the European Union and the largest urban area in Belgium....
 and Leuven
Leuven

Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flanders, Belgium. It is located about 30 kilometers east of Brussels, with as other neighbouring cities Mechelen, Aarschot, Tienen, and Wavre....
 (or Louvain) from 1095 to his death and duke of Lower Lorraine (as Godfrey V or VI) from 1106 to 1129. He was also margrave
Margrave

Margrave is the English language and French language form of the German language title Markgraf and certain equivalent nobiliary titles in other languages....
 of Antwerp
Antwerp

||-||-||-||}Antwerp is a city and municipality in Belgium and the capital of the Antwerp in Flanders, one of Belgium's three regions....
 from 1106 to his death.

rey was the son of Henry II of Leuven and a countess called Adela (origin unknown).






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Godfrey I (c. 1060 – 25 January 1139), called the Bearded, the Courageous, or the Great, was the landgrave of Brabant
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 I, Holy Roman Emperor in favor of Henry I, Duke of Brabant, son of Godfrey III of Leuven ....
, and count of Brussels
Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is the de facto capital city of the European Union and the largest urban area in Belgium....
 and Leuven
Leuven

Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flanders, Belgium. It is located about 30 kilometers east of Brussels, with as other neighbouring cities Mechelen, Aarschot, Tienen, and Wavre....
 (or Louvain) from 1095 to his death and duke of Lower Lorraine (as Godfrey V or VI) from 1106 to 1129. He was also margrave
Margrave

Margrave is the English language and French language form of the German language title Markgraf and certain equivalent nobiliary titles in other languages....
 of Antwerp
Antwerp

||-||-||-||}Antwerp is a city and municipality in Belgium and the capital of the Antwerp in Flanders, one of Belgium's three regions....
 from 1106 to his death.

Biography

Godfrey was the son of Henry II of Leuven and a countess called Adela (origin unknown). He succeeded his brother Henry III
Henry III of Leuven

Henry III of Leuven was count of Leuven from 1078 to 1095.He was allied by marriage to most of the nearby lords: he was brother in law of Baldwin II of Hainaut, and son-in-law of Robert I of Flanders....
 in 1095. He first came into conflict with Otbert, Bishop of Liège, over the county of Brunengeruz that both claimed. In 1099, Emperor Henry IV allotted the county to the bishop, who entrusted it to Albert III, Count of Namur. Godfrey arbitrated a dispute between Henry III of Luxembourg and Arnold I, Count of Loon, over the appointment of the abbot of Sint-Truiden
Sint-Truiden

Sint-Truiden is a city and Municipalities in Belgium located in the Provinces of Belgium of Limburg , Flemish Region, Belgium, near the towns of Hasselt and Tongeren....
.

Godfrey was in favour with the emperor and defended his interests in Lorraine. In 1102, he stopped Robert II of Flanders, who was invading the Cambraisis. After the death of the emperor in 1106, his son and successor, Henry V
Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor

Henry V was King of Germany and Holy Roman Empire , the fourth and last ruler of the Salian dynasty. Henry's reign coincided with the final phase of the great Investiture Controversy, which had pitted pope against emperor....
, who had been in rebellion, decided to avenge himself on his father's partisans. Duke Henry of Lower Lorraine
Henry, Duke of Lower Lorraine

Henry I was the count of Limburg and Arlon from 1082 to his death and duke of Lower Lorraine between 1101 to 1106. He was the son of Waleran I of Limburg and Jutta, daughter of Frederick, Duke of Lower Lorraine....
 was imprisoned and his duchy confiscated and given to Godfrey. After Henry escaped from prison, he tried to retake his duchy and captured Aachen
Aachen

is a historic spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the westernmost city of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, 65 km west of Cologne....
, but ultimately failed.

In 1114, during a rift between the emperor and Pope Paschal II
Pope Paschal II

Paschal II, born Ranierius, was Pope from August 13, 1099, until his death. A monk of the Abbey of Cluny, he was created cardinal priest of the Titulus Basilica di San Clemente by Pope Gregory VII about 1076, and was consecrated pope in succession to Pope Urban II on August 19, 1099....
, Godfrey led a revolt in Germany. In 1118, the emperor and the duke were reconciled. In 1119, Baldwin VII of Flanders died heirless and Flanders was contested between several claimants, one of whom, William of Ypres
William of Ypres

William of Ypres styled count of Flanders, , was Stephen of England of England's chief lieutenant, during the English civil wars of 1139–54 known as the Anarchy....
, had married a niece of Godfrey's second wife. Godfrey supported William, but could not enforce his claim against that of Charles the Good. Also dead in that year was Otbert. Two separate men were elected to replace him and Godfrey again sided with the loser.

By marrying his daughter Adeliza
Adeliza of Louvain

Adeliza of Leuven was queen consort of the Kingdom of England from 1121 to 1135, the second wife of Henry I of England. She was the daughter of Godfrey I of Leuven, Duke of Lower Lotharingia, Landgrave of Brabant and Count of Leuven and Brussels....
 to Henry I of England
Henry I of England

Henry I was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror. He succeeded his elder brother William II of England as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106....
, who was also the father-in-law of the emperor, he greatly increased his prestige. However, Henry V died in 1125 and Godfrey supported Conrad of Hohenstaufen
Conrad III of Germany

Conrad III was the first List of German monarchs of the Hohenstaufen dynasty. He was the son of Frederick I, Duke of Swabia, Duke of Swabia, and Agnes of Germany, a daughter of the Salian Dynasty Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor....
, the duke of Franconia, against Lothair of Supplinburg. Lothair was elected. Lothair withdrew the duchy of Lower Lorraine and granted it to Waleran
Waleran, Duke of Lower Lorraine

Waleran II or Walram II , called Paganus meaning "the Pagan", probably due to a late baptism, was the Duke of Limburg and Count of Arlon from his father's death in about 1119 until his own twenty years later....
, the son of Henry, whom Henry V had deprived in 1106. Nonetheless, Godfrey maintained the margraviate of Antwerp and retained the ducal title (which would in 1183 become Duke of Brabant
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 I, Holy Roman Emperor in favor of Henry I, Duke of Brabant, son of Godfrey III of Leuven ....
).

After the assassination of Charles the Good in 1127, the Flemish succession was again in dispute. William Clito
William Clito

William Clito was the son of Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy, by his marriage with Sibylla of Conversano. He had a claim on both Normandy and England, and became count of Flanders....
 prevailed, but was soon fraught with revolts. Godfrey intervened on behalf of Thierry of Alsace, who prevailed against Clito. Godfrey continued to war against Liège
Liege

The term Liege may refer to:* Feudalism, where a liege is a party in the vassalic oath of allegiance* Li?ge Island, in the Antarctic* Li?ge , a subway station in Paris...
 and Namur
Namur (city)

Namur is a city and Municipalities in Belgium in Wallonia, in southern Belgium. It is both the capital of the Provinces of Belgium of Namur and of the Walloon Region ....
.

Godfrey spent his last years in the abbey of Affligem
Affligem Abbey

Affligem Abbey is a Benedictine order monastery in Belgium. Dedicated in 1086, it was the most important monastery in the Duchy of Brabant and therefore often called Primaria Brabantiae....
. He died of old age on 25 January 1139 and was buried in the left aisle of the abbey church. He is sometimes said to have passed in 1140, but this is an error.

Family and children

He married Ida, daughter of Otto II of Chiny and Adelaide of Namur. They had several children:

  • Adeliza of Louvain
    Adeliza of Louvain

    Adeliza of Leuven was queen consort of the Kingdom of England from 1121 to 1135, the second wife of Henry I of England. She was the daughter of Godfrey I of Leuven, Duke of Lower Lotharingia, Landgrave of Brabant and Count of Leuven and Brussels....
     (b. 1103–d. abbey of Affligem, April 23, 1151) married Henry I, King of England and later William d'Aubigny, 1st Earl of Arundel
    William d'Aubigny, 1st Earl of Arundel

    William d'Aubigny, 1st Earl of Arundel, also known as William d'Albini, was son of William d'Aubigny Pincerna of Buckenham Castle and Maud Bigod, daughter of Roger Bigod, 1st Earl of Norfolk....
     (1109–before 1151).
  • Godfrey II of Leuven
    Godfrey II of Leuven

    Godfrey II was the count of Leuven, Duke of Brabant by inheritance from 23 January 1139. He was the son of Godfrey I of Leuven and Ida of Chiny....
     (b. 1107–d. June 13, 1142), Duke of Lower Lotharingia, Landgrave of Brabant, Count of Brussels and Leuven. He married Lutgardis of Sulzbach, daughter of Berenger I of Sulzbach.
  • Clarissa (d. 1140).
  • Henry (d. in the abbey of Affligem
    Affligem

    Affligem is a municipality located some 20 km west-north-west of Brussels in the Belgium province of Flemish Brabant, not far from the town of Aalst, Belgium and the important railway junction of Denderleeuw....
    , 1141), monk.
  • Ida (d. 1162) married to Arnold II, count of Cleves (d. 1147).


Later, he married to Clementia of Bourgogne but had no issue.

He also had a son from an unknown mistress:

  • Joceline of Louvain (d. 1180); he accompanied his half-sister Adeliza to England and married Agnes, heiress of the Percy
    Percy

    Percy may refer to:* Percy * Percy the Small Engine, a fictional character in Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends* Percy Weasley, a fictional character in the Harry Potter series...
     family, and took her surname. Probably the same as Gosuinus, mentioned in 1143 together with his sister Adeliza.


Sources

  • Académie royale de Belgique, Biographie Nationale, v. 7, Brussels, 1883.