Guelders

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For the present province also called "Guelders" in English, see Gelderland.

Image:Gelre1477.png Guelders (Dutch: Gelre, German: Geldern) is the name of a historical duchy in the Low Countries. The present province of Gelderland (English also Guelders) in the Netherlands occupies most of the area of the former duchy. The duchy was named after the town of Geldern, which is now in Germany.

Guelders was often at war with the county of Holland and the bishopric of Utrecht, until the dukes of Burgundy acquired the whole area. The duchy was divided into four quarters:

When the northern Netherlands revolted against Philip II of Spain, the three northern quarters became part of the United Provinces, while the Upper Quarter remained a part of the Spanish Southern Netherlands.

At the Treaty of Utrecht, ending the War of the Spanish Succession in 1713, the Spanish Upper Quarter was divided between Prussia (a.o. Geldern, Viersen, Horst, Venray), the United Provinces (a.o. Venlo, Montfort, Echt), Austria (a.o. Roermond, Niederkrüchten, Weert) and the duchy of Jülich (Erkelenz).

Contents

Counts and Dukes of Guelders

House of Wassenberg

The first count of Guelders was Count Gerard IV of Wassenberg. For Guelders, he was of course numbered Gerard I. During Reinoud III's reign, the county of Guelders became a duchy.

House of Jülich-Hengebach

House of Egmond

House of Valois

House of Habsburg

House of Egmond

Charles the Bold had forced Arnold of Egmond to sell him the duchy of Guelders. He was recognized by the emperor as duke of Guelders, but the Egmonds had not abandoned their own claims. Adolf's son Charles of Egmond conquered the duchy in 1492. He remained in power with support of the French king. Only in 1543 did the Habsburg emperor Charles V gained control of Guelders again.

House of Cleves

House of Habsburg

External links

da:Hertugdømmet Geldern de:Herzogtum Geldern fr:Duché de Gueldre nl:Hertogdom Gelre pl:Geldern (kraina historyczna)