County of Hainaut

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Image:HainautNamur1477.png The county of Hainaut, located in the west of the German Empire, near to the borders with the Kingdom of France, emerged from the refeudalisation of three counties in 1071: the county of Mons, the southern county of the (medieval) province of Brabant and the Ottonian margraviate of Valenciennes. The following rulers contributed to the territorial formation of the county:

• Regnier IV of Mons (d. 1013), acquired the county of Mons in 998.
• Regnier V of Mons (d. 1039), acquired the southern part of the Brabant province around 1024.
• Hermann I of Mons (d. 1051), became margrave of Valenciennes around 1049.
• Richilde, Countess of Mons and Hainaut (d. 1086), daughter of Regnier V, widow of Hermann I of Mons.

The unification of the county of Hainaut as imperial fief was accomplished in 1071, when countess Richilde of Hainaut tried to sell her fiefs to Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor after she was defeated in the Battle of Kassel. Henry IV ordered the bishop of Liège to buy the fiefs and to give them back as an unified county in feud to the countess Richilde, by feudal intermediance however of the Duke of Lower Lotharingia.

The counts of Hainaut had several historical connections with the counts of Flanders and Holland, to whom they had strong family ties. Throughout its history, the county of Hainaut formed a personal union with other states:

• Hainaut and Flanders: 1067-1071 and 1191-1246
• Hainaut and Holland: 1299-1436
• Hainaut and Bavaria-Straubing: 1356-1429

With the murder of Jacqueline of Hainaut and Holland in 1436, her estates were acquired by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy.

Contents 1 House of Flanders 2 House of Avesnes 3 House of Bavaria 3.1 See also

House of Flanders

Image:Armoiries Hainaut Ancien.png

• Baldwin I (r. 1055-1070), also count of Flanders
• Arnulf I (r. 1070-1071), also count of Flanders
• Baldwin II (r. 1071-1098)
• Baldwin III (r. 1098-1120)
• Baldwin IV (r. 1120-1171)
• Baldwin V (r. 1171-1195), also count of Flanders
• Baldwin VI (r. 1195-1205), also count of Flanders and Byzantine emperor
• Jeanne of Flanders (r. 1205-1244), also countess of Flanders
• Margaret of Flanders (r. 1244-1280), also countess of Flanders; married for the second time to Bouchard, Count of Avesnes

House of Avesnes

Image:Armoiries Hainaut Moderne.png

• John I (r. 1280-1304)also count of Holland, as well as his descendants
• William I (r. 1304-1337)
• William II (r. 1337-1345)
• Margaret II (r. 1345-1356) married Louis IV Wittelsbach, Holy Roman Emperor and Duke of Bavaria

House of Bavaria

• William III (r. 1356-1388) also Duke of Bavaria-Straubing
• Albrecht I (r. 1388-1407) also Duke of Bavaria-Straubing
• William IV (r. 1407-1417) also Duke of Bavaria-Straubing
• John II (1418-1425), also Duke of Bavaria-Straubing, brother of William VI rival of Jacqueline
• Jacqueline (r. 1417-1432)

There was a war of succession between John and Jacqueline. This war was won by Philip the Good of Burgundy, who had inherited John's claims on the duchy. Philip was a nephew of William VI, who had married a daughter of Philip the Bold of Burgundy. In 1432 he forced Jacqueline to abdicate from Hainaut and Holland on his behalf.

See also

• Counts of Flanders family tree
• Counts of Hainaut family tree
• Counts of Holland family treede:Grafschaft Hennegau

nl:Graafschap Henegouwen fr:Liste des comtes de Hainaut pt:Condado de Hainaut