Arenberg

County (Duchy) of Arenberg
Grafschaft (Herzogtum) Arenberg
State of the Holy Roman Empire, then State of the Confederation of the Rhine
1549–1810
Flag Coat of arms
The Duchy of Arenberg in 1807.
Capital		Aremberg
Languages		Moselle Franconian
Government		Principality
Historical era		Middle Ages
•	County established	ca 1177
•	Gained Reichsfreiheit	1549
•	Raised to Princely county	1576
•	Joined Council of Princes	1580
•	Raised to Duchy	1644
•	Joined Confederation     of the Rhine	1806
•	Mediatised to Hanover     and Prussia	1810 1810
Area
•	1798	413 km² (159 sq mi)
Population
•	1798 est.	14,800
Density		35.8 /km²  (92.8 /sq mi)
Preceded by Succeeded by Prince-Bishopric of Münster Electorate of Hanover Kingdom of Prussia First French Empire Grand Duchy of Berg

Arenberg, also spelled as Aremberg or Ahremberg, is a historic county, principality and finally duchy located in modern Germany. The Dukes of Arenberg remain a prominent Belgian aristocratic family.

First mentioned in the 12th century, it was named after the village Aremberg in the Ahr Hills in today's Rhineland-Palatinate.

Aremberg was originally a county. It became a state of the Holy Roman Empire (reichsunmittelbar) in 1549, was raised to a principality in 1576, and finally a duchy in 1645.

The territorial possessions of the dukes of Arenberg varied through the ages. Around 1789 the duchy was located in the Eifel region on the west side of the Rhine, and contained amongst others Aremberg, Schleiden and Kerpen.

However, although the Duchy itself was in Germany, from the 15th century on, the principal lands of the Dukes of Arenberg have been in modern-day Belgium.

The pre-Napoleonic duchy had an area of 413 km² and a population of 14,800. It belonged to the Electoral Rhenish Circle, and was bordered by the duchy of Jülich, the Archbishopric of Cologne, the Archbishopric of Trier, and the county of Blankenheim.