Duchy of Brabant

Duchy of Brabant
Hertogdom Brabant (nl) Duché de Brabant (fr)
State of the Holy Roman Empire part of the Burgundian Netherlands (1430–1482) part of the Habsburg Netherlands (1482–1581) part of the Southern Netherlands (1581–1795)
1183–1581
Coat of arms
Duchy of Brabant and Prince-Bishopric of Liège (1477)
Capital		Brussels
Government		Feudal monarchy
Historical era		Middle Ages
•	Established	1183
•	Inherited by Burgundy	1430
•	Inherited by the House of Habsburg	1477
•	Northern Brabant lost to the United Provinces	1648
•	Disestablished	1795
Preceded by Succeeded by County of Brabant Dutch Republic Spanish Netherlands

Coat of arms

The Duchy of Brabant was a State of the Holy Roman Empire established in 1183. It developed from the Landgraviate of Brabant and formed the heart of the historic Low Countries, part of the Burgundian Netherlands from 1430 and of the Habsburg Netherlands from 1482, until it was partitioned after the Dutch revolt.

Present-day North Brabant (Staats-Brabant) was adjudicated to the Generality Lands of the Dutch Republic according to the 1648 Peace of Westphalia, while the reduced duchy remained part of the Southern Netherlands until it was conquered by French Revolutionary forces in 1794. Today all the duchy's former territories, apart from exclaves are in Belgium except for the Dutch province of North Brabant.

The Duchy of Brabant was historically divided into four parts, each with its own capital. The four capitals were Leuven, Brussels, Antwerp and 's-Hertogenbosch. Before 's-Hertogenbosch was founded, Tienen was the fourth capital.