Duchy of Lower Lorraine

Duchy of Lower Lorraine
Neder-Lotharingen
Part of East Francia until 962 Part of Holy Roman Empire
959/977–1190
Coat of arms
Green: Lower Lorraine after 977
Capital		Not specified
Languages		Old Dutch Old Frisian Old French Old Low German
Religion		Christianity
Government		Duchy
Duke
•	959–964	Godfrey I (first)
•	1142–1190	Godfrey III (last)
Historical era		Middle Ages
•	Established	959
•	Disestablished	1190
Preceded by Succeeded by Lotharingia Prince-Bishopric of Liège Archbishopric of Cologne Bishopric of Cambrai County of Cleves Duchy of Limburg County of Namur Duchy of Brabant County of Holland Bishopric of Utrecht County of Louvain Duchy of Guelders County of Hainaut County of Jülich County of Berg County of Loon
Today part of		Belgium  France  Germany  Luxembourg  Netherlands

Coat of arms

The Duchy of Lower Lorraine or Lower Lotharingia (also referred to sometimes as Lothier or Lottier in titles), established in 959 was a stem duchy of the medieval Kingdom of Germany, which encompassed almost all of the modern-day Netherlands (including Friesland), mid and eastern Belgium, Luxemburg, the northern part of the German Rhineland province and the eastern parts of France's Nord Pas De Calais region.

It was created out of the former Middle Frankish realm of Lotharingia under King Lothair II, that had been established in 855. Lotharingia was divided for much of the later ninth century, reunited under Louis the Younger by the 880 Treaty of Ribemont and upon the death of East Frankish king Louis the Child in 911 it joined West Francia under King Charles the Simple. It then formed a duchy in its own right, and about 925 Duke Gilbert declared homage to the German king Henry the Fowler, an act which King Rudolph of France was helpless to revert. From that time on Lotharingia (or Lorraine) remained a German stem duchy, the border with France did not change throughout the Middle Ages.