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ALBUM II – Part 1
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Crusades - Cities and Municipalities
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Baldwin IX
Count Baldwin VIII of Flanders and Hainaut was succeeded by his son, Baldwin IX. During the Fourth Crusade the latter became Emperor of Constantinople. He thus became the highest ranked person of western world. Shortly afterwards, he died in a fight in Bulgaria and his body was never recovered.
The phony Baldwin
Several years after the death of Baldwin of Constantinople, a man pretended to be Baldwin. He was an adventurer, but he found supporters in Flanders and caused unrest. His deception was discovered and he was sentenced to death.
Ferdinand of Portugal
The eldest daughter of Baldwin IX, Joanna of Constantinople, was married to Ferdinand of Portugal, who thus became count of Flanders. Ferdinand rebelled against his lord, King Philip August of France but he, and his allies, were defeated at the great battle of Bouvinnes in 1214. He was wounded and taken prisoner. He remained in captivity in Paris for 13 years.
The ‘Bijloke’ in Ghent
Despite the defeat of Bouvinnes, there was peace in the County of Flanders under the domination of Joanna of Constantinople. Many important monasteries were founded, such as the ‘Bijloke’ in Ghent, where nuns nursed the sick. The Bijlokegasthuis or -hospital still exists.
Margaret of Constantinople
After the death of Joanna, her sister, Margaret of Constantinople, became Countess of Flanders and Hainaut. She was married a first time with Bouchard of Avesnes, and a second time with William of Dampierre . The children of these two marriages did contend for the reign over the counties, which disturbed the peace during the reign of Margaret.
The ruling at Peronne
The family feud between the Avesnes and Dampierre's, created a lot of troubles in the counties of Flanders and Hainaut. Which son of Margareta, Jan van Avesnes or Guy of Dampierre should be declared heir? Louis IX, King of France, decided at Peronne that Hainaut should go to the Avesnes and Flanders to the Dampierre's.
Godfrey
with the Beard
While the County of Flanders become stronger in the 12th and 13th century, the old Duchy of Lorraine fell apart in numerous small fiefs. The main fief was the County of Louvain. Earl Godfrey with the Beard took the title of Duke of Lower-Lotharinge. His descendants became the Dukes of Brabant.
Albert of Louvain
The Dukes of Brabant revolted against
the Germanic Empire. Resistance against the rule of the Emperor was growing in all the other fiefs of the old Lorraine/Lotharingen: in Hainaut, Namur, Luxembourg and even in the Principality of Liège. The Prince Bishop Saint Albertus of Louvain, a brother of Duke Henry I of Brabant, was murdered on the orders of a German Emperor in 1193.
The battle of Steppes
The Dukes of Brabant wanted to expand their region up to the borders of the Rhine. Henry I waged a long war to achieve this goal, but he was defeated in 1213 at the Battle of Steppes by the Prince-Bishop of Liège, Hugues de Pierrepont.
John the Victor
The attempts of the Dukes of Brabant to reach the Rhine in order to facilitate trade in the Duchy, succeeded in 1288. Duke John I was victorious at the Battle of Woeringen.
He thereby conquered the Duchy of Limburg and added the coat of arms of Limburg at that of Brabant. John I was one of the most the glorious knights of our history.
Marie of Brabant
John I, Duke of Brabant and Limburg had a sister, Marie of Brabant, who married king Philip III of France, son of Louis IX, the Saint. She was a poetic nature and protected the minstrels. She was wrongly accused of sorcery by Pierre Labrosse, a Minister of the King of France.
The gallows at Montfaucon
When John I the Victor learned that his sister was cast into prison, caused by the slander of Pierre Labrosse, he went to Paris. He conducted a judicial duel, killed his opponent what resulted in the hanging of Pierre Labrosse on the gallows of Montfaucon. Then he placed his sister back on the throne.
Blanche of Namur
At the same time a Flemish Duchess, Marie of Brabant, was writing poems in French, Blanche of Namur, wrote poems in Scandinavian. She was married with King Magnus Erikson of Sweden and had a son, the future King Haakon, for whom she wrote dear children's songs.
Albert de Cuyck
Liège was one of the freest countries in the world. It counted some curious Prince Bishops, such as Albert de Cuyck. In 1198, Albert donated to all inhabitants of the Principality an excellent charter in which he awarded them large liberties as citizens of their city.
Henry the Blind
and Ermesinde
The vast Duchy Luxembourg was ruled by the old Henry the Blind at the end of the 12th century. His very young daughter Ermesinde was his heiress. It took Henry much trouble to defend the heritage of his daughter. One of his enemies was count Baldwin VIII of Flanders and Hainaut.
The Cistercians of Orval
In the 13th century new monastic orders appeared in our country, who would have great influence. The oldest was that of the Cistercians nowadays called Trappists. Orval was one of their first monasteries. They mined the country and the emancipation of the serfs was in part thanks to them.
The beguines of Bruges
At the end of the 13th century the Beguines order was created. The beguinages were very numerous and very populated. The beguines made lace and taught this handcraft to girls. At the head of a Beguinage was the so-called Great Lady.
Premonstratensians of Averbode
The order of the Premonstratensians appeared in the same time as that of the Cistercians. Large abbeys were founded at Averbode, Tongerloo and Park Heverlee founded. The Premonstratensians made themselves particularly meritorious founding parishes.
Drang nach Osten
In the 12th century an emigration movement to the East, to Germany, Hungary, Poland. Was very common. This movement was called "Urge to the East", in German "Drang nach Osten". The port of Bremen is of Belgian origin. We have many Flemish villages in Saxony. We still can find Walloon customs in Hungary.
Port and ship
Feudalism is gradually replaced by the municipal system. Cities originated in the Middle Ages. They developed in places where trading was conductive and profitable. Roads and in particular navigable rivers contributed to the unstoppable growth of cities.
Charter
The medieval commune was no ordinary city, it was a free city. Once a city became as an free enterprise, the inhabitants of the city demanded their local lord a deed in which he granted them all sorts of freedoms. And the right to govern the city themselves. That deed is called a deed or charter .
Alarm bell
When a commune was in danger, the alarm bell was ringed. This was the bell of the municipality in which the coat of arms was depicted. That clock called the citizens to arms when the enemy was in sight. They also tolled that bell in case of fire. Our most famous storm bell is Klokke Roeland in Ghent.
Burg
One of the first works of the merchants was to surround their city with ramparts. There were reinforced with towers called burg or citadel, hence the name "citizen" that from then on would the name of the inhabitants of cities.
Belfry
The municipalities were real small independent republics. The symbol of their independence was the belfry, this was often a very nice tower in which the alarm bell hung. There are belfries in Ghent, Bruges and Tournai.
Municipal troops
The municipalities were organized to defend their independence and their rights. They had one or more mayors, a Court of Aldermen and a militia. That is a garrison of armed men.
The Halls of Ypres (Ieper)
The power of the municipalities was a result of their economic growth in trade and industry. Trade is buying and selling goods, and spacious storehouses was needed and build. They were called “Halls”. One of the most beautiful of Belgium is at Ypres. But most of it was destroyed in the First World War and rebuild thereafter.
A medieval city
A medieval city was a very busy place. The streets were narrow, dark and dirty because they were not paved and there was no sewer. This explains why they were so often plagued by epidemics.
Annual Fair
On the annual fairs and markets trade was at the most.. The merchants met each other at fixed dates. There were very important trade fairs, as for example in Bruges, where merchants from the different countries in Europe and beyond came together and traded their national goods.
The cloth
Not only trade enriched the cities, the industry also flourished. Together with the merchants, numerous craftsmen, especially in Flanders. made excellent cloth.
The cloth industry was by far the most important of the country. The Weavers Guild was very powerful.
Procession of Blessed Virgin Mary in Tournai
Society in the middle ages was composed with feudal nobles, wealthy merchants, farmers and poor craftsmen. All these people, Flemings and Walloons, were found, united with the same faith, in the procession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Tournai.
The coat of arms of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant, with Leuven as its capital, stretched far beyond the limits of the current province of Brabant and Antwerp. It had famous rulers: Godfrey I, II and III, Henry I, II and III, Jan I, II and III.
The coat of arms of Limburg
In the Middle Ages the county of Limburg, later duchy of Limburg, does not correspond with the province that now bears that name. The current province of Limburg then depended on the Principality of Liège and was called County of Looz. A city called Limburg was the capital of the old Duchy of Limburg which the last Duchess, Ermengard, died in 1283.
The coat of arms of Flanders
The County of Flanders, with Bruges as its capital, was the richest and most animated county of our region. The unification of Belgium started in Flanders. The County included the region of Lille and Douai, which now is also called French Flanders.
The coat of arms of Namur
The County, later marquisate Namur, was one of our smallest medieval counties. The counts of Namur were not very powerful but often brave knights who fought in distant countries and achieved great fame.
The coat of arms of Luxembourg
The Duchy of Luxembourg was a vast wooded area. The Dukes loved tournament and fight. One of them became Germanic Emperor, Henry III, in the beginning of the 14th century. His successors were Kings of Bohemia, and they ruled in Prague as well as in and Luxembourg.
The coat of arms of Hainaut
The County of Hainaut, with Mons as its capital, reached far into the current French border area. It was several times united with the County of Flanders. In the 13th century it fell to the House of Avesnes, and in the 14th century to the House of Bavaria.
The coat of arms of Holland-Zeeland-Friesland
The counties of Holland and Zeeland, as well as the lordship of Friesland, in the 13th century were united under the authority of Countess Adelaide. She was married to John of Avesnes, count of Hainaut. From now on, the 4 fiefs remain united.
The coat of arms of Liège
The Principality of Liège that was founded in the 10th century by Otto I. It controlled the entire Valley of the Meuse, from Givet to Maastricht, a rich region of great strategic importance between France and Germany. The princes of this territory were bishops and were chosen by the Council of the St. Lambrechts cathedral. "Land of Law and Freedom" that remained independent for nine centuries.
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