County of Zeeland
| County of Zeeland | ||||||||||
| Graafschap Zeeland | ||||||||||
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State of the Holy Roman Empire (until 1581) Province of the Dutch Republic (from 1581) |
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.svg) The County of Zeeland around 1350.
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| Capital | Middelburg | |||||||||
| Languages | Dutch | |||||||||
| Religion | Catholic Church Protestantism | |||||||||
| Government | Feudal monarchy | |||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages, Renaissance | |||||||||
| • | Established | 1012 | ||||||||
| • | Held by Holland | 1323 | ||||||||
| • | To Burgundy | 1432 | ||||||||
| • | Joined Burgundian Circle | 1512 | ||||||||
| • | Part of Dutch Republic | 1581 | ||||||||
| • | Disestablished | 1795 | ||||||||
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Coat of arms
The County of Zeeland was a county of the Holy Roman Empire in the Low Countries. It covered an area in the Scheldt and Meuse delta roughly corresponding to the modern Dutch province of Zeeland. The County of Zeeland did not include the region of Zeelandic Flanders which was part of Flanders; conversely, the modern Province of Zeeland does not include Sommelsdijk, historically part of the County of Zeeland.
The area has always been the prey of its stronger neighbors, the County of Holland, the County of Hainaut and the County of Flanders. In 1012 Emperor Henry II the Saint enfeoffed the French count Baldwin IV of Flanders with Zeeland after which both counties were ruled in personal union, contested by northern Holland from the beginning. In 1167 a war broke out between the counties, after which Count Floris III of Holland had to acknowledge the overlordship of Count Philip of Flanders in Zeeland. Count Floris IV of Holland (1222-1234) reconquered Zeeland, which from the accession of Count Floris V, the son of William II of Holland, in 1256 was ruled in personal union by Holland.
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