John I, Duke of Brabant
| John I | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Duke of Brabant and Lothier | |
| Reign | 1267–1294 |
| Predecessor | Henry |
| Successor | John II |
| Duke of Limburg | |
| Reign | 1288–1294 |
| Predecessor | Reginald I of Guelders |
| Successor | John II |
| Born | 1252 |
| Died | 3 May 1294 (aged 41 or 42) |
| Spouse |
Margaret of France Margaret of Flanders |
| Issue |
John II, Duke of Brabant Margaret, Holy Roman Empress Marie, Countess of Savoy |
| House | House of Reginar |
| Father | Henry III, Duke of Brabant |
| Mother | Adelaide of Burgundy |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
John I of Brabant, also called John the Victorious (1252/1253 – 3 May 1294) was Duke of Brabant (1267–1294), Lothier and Limburg (1288–1294). During the 19th century, John I was venerated as a Belgian folk hero.
Born at Leuven, he was the son of Henry III, Duke of Brabant and Aleidis of Burgundy, daughter of Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy. He was also an older brother of Maria of Brabant, Queen consort of Philip III of France. In 1267 his older brother Henry IV, Duke of Brabant, being mentally deficient, was deposed in his favour.
His greatest military victory was the Battle of Worringen 1288, by which John I came to reign over the Duchy of Limburg. He was completely outnumbered in forces but led the successful invasion into the Rhineland to defeat the confederacy. In 1288 Limburg was formally attached to Brabant.
John I was said to be a model of feudal prince: brave, adventurous; excelling in every form of active exercise, fond of display, and generous in temper. He was considered one of the most gifted princes of his time. This made him very popular in Middle Ages poetry and literature. Even today there exists an ode to him, so well known that it was a potential candidate to be the North Brabant anthem. John I delighted in tournaments and was always eager to take part in jousts. He was also famous for his many illegitimate children.
On 3 May 1294 at some marriage festivities at Bar-le-Duc ('s Hertogenbosch), John I was mortally wounded in the arm in an encounter by Pierre de Bausner. He was buried in the church of the Minderbroeders in Brussels, but since the Protestant iconoclasm (Beeldenstorm) in 1566, nothing remains of his tomb.
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