Godfrey I of Louvain
| Godfrey I | |
|---|---|
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Duke of Lower Lorraine Landgrave of Brabant Count of Louvain Count of Brussels |
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| Born | 1060 |
| Died | 25 January 1139 (aged 79) |
| Buried | Affligem Abbey |
| Noble family | Reginar |
| Spouse(s) |
Ida of Chiny Clementia of Bourgogne |
| Issue | |
| Father | Henry II, Count of Louvain |
| Mother | Adèle of Orthen (Verdun) |
Godfrey I (German: Gottfried, Dutch: Godfried), born c. 1060, died 25 January 1139, called the Bearded, the Courageous, or the Great, was the landgrave of Brabant, and count of Brussels and Leuven (Louvain) from 1095 to his death and duke of Lower Lorraine (as Godfrey VI – n.b. Godfrey of Bouillon, d. 1100, was Godfrey V, but numbering is uncertain) from 1106 to 1129. He was also margrave of Antwerp from 1106 to his death.
Godfrey was the son of Henry II (c. 1020–1078) and Adela of Orthen (or Betuwe), a daughter of Count Everard of Orthen. He succeeded his brother Henry III who died wounded in a tournament in 1095, and only had young daughters. His widow Gertrude married Theodoric II, Duke of (upper) Lorraine.
He first came into conflict with Otbert, Bishop of Liège, over the county of Brunengeruz that both claimed. In 1099, Emperor Henry IV allotted the county to the bishop, who entrusted it to Albert III, Count of Namur. Godfrey arbitrated a dispute between Henry III of Luxembourg and Arnold I, Count of Loon, over the appointment of the abbot of Sint-Truiden.
Godfrey was in favour with the emperor and defended his interests in Lorraine. In 1102, he stopped Robert II of Flanders "the Crusader", who was invading the Cambraisis. After the death of the emperor in 1106, his son and successor, Henry V, who had been in rebellion, decided to avenge himself on his father's partisans. Duke Henry of Lower Lorraine was imprisoned and his duchy confiscated and given to Godfrey. After Henry escaped from prison, he tried to retake his duchy and captured Aachen, but ultimately failed.
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