Duchy of Arenberg-Meppen

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 Early modern period
•	County established	c. 1117
•	Gained Reichsfreiheit	1549
•	Raised to Princely county	1576
•	Joined Council of Princes	1580
•	Raised to Duchy	1645
•	Joined Confederation     of the Rhine	1806
•	Mediatized to Hanover     and Prussia	1810
Area
•	1798	413 km2 (159 sq mi)
Population
•	1798 est.	14,800
Density		36/km2 (93/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 former county, principality and finally duchy that was located in what is now Germany. The Dukes of Arenberg remain a prominent Belgian noble family.

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

Aremberg was originally a county. It became a state of the Holy Roman Empire (reichsunmittelbar) in 1549, was raised to a princely county in 1576, then became 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 onward, the principal lands of the Dukes of Arenberg have been in what is now 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.