Hamaland

The Hamaland was a Gaugrafschaft on the territory of the present Dutch provinces of Overijssel and Gelderland. The term occurs in the 9th century the first time in written sources. The name is associated with the Germanic tribe of the Chamavi in conjunction, which is last mentioned in the end of the 4th century, so that between the two names, however, four centuries and especially the migration of nations lie.

• 3.1 First Count House of Hamaland
• 3.2 Second Count House of Hamaland

• 4.1 11th century

• 5.1 Third Count House of Hamaland
• 5.2 House of Immedinger
• 5.3 House of Verdun Wigeriche
• 5.4 Distribution of the county in 1025 to two Lehnsgrafen

Geographical classification

The exact location of the Hamalands is controversial in research. It is certain that it stretched along the banks of the IJssel, with Deventer today in the north, where west of the river was only a narrow strip to it. The western border reached the Rhine at about Velp (part of Rheden near Arnhem ), touching the far east of the Betuwe; then followed the border the river even to the vicinity of Emmerich. From here corresponded to the eastern boundary of the Hamalandes the border between the dioceses of Utrecht and Munster, as it was determined by the end of the 8th century and still in the 16th century had stock. Thus, the county had two protuberances to the east, one at ( and including ) Lochem, the other at ( and with ) Doetinchem. In between, the Hamaland had its narrowest point east at Steenderen and Eerbeek west of the river IJssel. The conception of Heidinga, the case relies on other authors, the Hamaland had once west includes the Veluwe and the Flethite based on a misinterpretation of a document from the year 855, while specifying that Hamaland 've extends eastwards into the Munsterland ( Wirtz is probably too generous an interpretation of a chronicle of the 12th century because of other authors). The affiliation of the West Munster country to Vreden to Hamaland is so controversial.

The county Hamaland however, included the older Gau Islo / Hisloa, the IJsselgau, the north and the Gau Leomericke ( de Liemers ) in the south. Both older designations were replaced by the term Hamaland.

The counts of Hamaland

9th and 10th century

The counts of Hamaland belonged to the 9th century the family of Meginharde. As the first representative shall Brunhari of Hamaland, but which is itself not attested as count, but only as the father of Wracharis. This Wrachari of Hamaland 794 is attested as favourer Liudgers still without earldom and then 800 as Count, specifically mentioned as landowners to Wichmond in IJsselgau. It follows his son Meginhard I of Hamaland that is not expressly stated as Count, but probably 841-847 Vogt of Werden monastery was. 855 follows Wichmann I of Hamaland as Count in Hamaland. His relationship with Wrachari and Meginhard is assumed, but not proven.

On Wichmann followed Meginhard II of Hamaland, who died before 881; well as its relationship, this time with Wichmann is not known. But it is certain that Meginhards son of Everhard Saxo Hamaland succeeded his father. Everhard was 898 killed by the Frisians Waldger, son of Gerulf of Kennemerland, the ancestor of the family of Gerulfinger, so the ancestor of the Dutch Graf house. Everhard Saxo left behind two young sons, Meginhard IV, and Everhard, which is why his brother Meginhard III. which succeeded him. Later Saxo's son took over Meginhard IV of Hamaland the county of his father.

Everhard, the other son Saxo, married Amalrada, sister of Saint Mathilde 909 the Saxon Duke Henry, the later German king married. Mathilde and therefore Amalrada are certainly attributable to the descendants of Widukind, therefore a so-called Widukind immedingischen clan are also frequently incorporated but until now could not be properly made ​​tangible. From the marriage with Everhard Amalrada came two sons, Dietrich, 965-984 Bishop of Metz, and Everhard, of which we only know that he had a son, also Everhard, who died in 978 than ten years with his uncle Dietrich in Metz

Meginhard IV of Hamaland 921 is attested as Count and managed not only Hamaland but also the counties Salland, Veluwe, Drenthe, Hunsingo and Fivelgo and probably the Naardingerland southeast of Amsterdam. He participated in 938/939 in the rebellion against King Otto I., who was under the leadership of Otto's brother Henry and Otto's brother- Giselbert of Lorraine. The uprising was put down, the rebels were punished, which is usually done by seizure of property, dismissal and withdrawal of the imperial fief. So it was with Meginhard of Hamaland. He died in 955 on the parent mountain, the residence of his son Wichmann, the umwidmete this a decade later to a Kanonissenstift. In the death register of the pin Meginhard is performed without earldom.

List of the first Earl of Hamaland

First Count House of Hamaland

• Even not attested Brunhari, father of the following Wrachari as Count
• Wrachari of Hamaland, 794 testified nor without, 800 then with the earldom
• Meginhard I of Hamaland not explicitly attested as Graf; probably Vogt of Werden Abbey 841-847
• Wichmann I of Hamaland, 855 testified as Count

Second Count House of Hamaland

• Meginhard II of Hamaland († 881 )
• Everhard Saxo of Hamaland († 898)
• Meginhard III. of Hamaland, brother and successor of Everhard Saxo since 898, probably in or near 915 †
• Meginhard IV of Hamaland, son of Everhard Saxo, since 921 Count of Hamaland, from 939 disempowered († 955 )

Division of the county Hamaland in southern Hamaland and Zutphen

944 pardoned Otto Graf hamaländische the house, perhaps through the intercession of his aunt Amalrada. Although Meginhard remained without office, but his two sons by various wives each received a share of his former office districts: the older, Everhard, was Count Salland, Drenthe and Hunsingo / Fivelgo, the younger, Wichmann, in Hamaland, Veluwe and probably also in the Gooi. Both were also given each a castle from the confiscated his father's property: Wichmann got high - Elten, Zutphen Everhard.

Everhard had no surviving sons; his heiress married Averarda in the 950 years Count Godfrey of Verdun, which was later given the nickname " The Prisoner ". Averarda died on August 11, possibly of the year 961, leaving a son and a daughter. Gottfried married a year later Mathilde Billung, widow of Count Baldwin III. of Flanders, brother Wichmann's ' Elten ', who had married at 947 Baldwin sister Liutgard. From Wichmann's marriage three children are known: Luitgart, Adela and Wichmann. The boy died probably 965 or 966 at the age of about seven years, so that the male line of the Graf house broke. The widower Wichmann, although only about 35 years old, did not think of a second marriage, but built Eltenberg to the pin Hoog- Elten order, which was already in operation 968. The last witness of Wichmann dated December 973 Wichmann Since a large portion of its assets donated to the monastery, where his eldest daughter Luitsart was first abbess, his second daughter, Adela of Hamaland felt disadvantaged. She fought for decades for the possession, ultimately (996) with success.

11th Century

Wichmann's counties probably went to his son Immed IV from the family of Immedinger over, the first husband of Adela, and then to their son Dietrich, who died in April of the year, probably in 1017 or 1018 and left two daughters. The older of the two most likely married Gottfried, son of Godfrey ' the prisoner ' of Verdun 1012-1023 and Duke of Lower Lorraine, who died childless in 1023. He was followed by both Duke and his younger brother as Count Gotzelo I., 1033 also Duke of Upper Lorraine was that he was still alive to his son Gottfried III. passed on. As Gottfried III. by King Henry III. the succession was denied in Lower Lorraine, he rebelled and was finally deposed in 1046.

The vacated counties were partially occupied by the Bava son, the younger daughter of Dietrich Hamalands, who was married to Gerhard Flamens and had at least two sons, Gerhard Dietrich and. Gerhard took the Veluwe, Teisterbant and the Betuwe, the latter owned by the family Immeds arise as the Hettergau and Düffelgau on the other side of the Rhine south of Hamaland. The Hettergau with money, after which the Flamenses later the Guelders Count House called, and possibly also the Düffelgau, Gerhard could take over after 1063 also, as well as at an unspecified date to be determined the southern part of Hamaland where 1083 Gerhard Lange from the home Flamens is attested.

That Flamens Gerhard and his family on the Hettergau ( and the Düffelgau ) and the southern Hamaland had to wait a long time, was the fact that others had established there before 1046. The southern Hamaland was probably 1026 to Werner, a favorite of King Conrad II ( 1024-1039 ), awarded after Gotzelo I had become 1024/25 turned against Conrad's accession to the throne. The reconciliation Gotzelos with the King Christmas 1025 was associated with some concessions: Werner - who was earlier equipped in the same year with considerable assets owned in the southern Hamaland and Veluwe - was used as Lehnsgraf in southern Hamaland in Hunsingo / Fivelgo was a half-brother of Empress used Gisela of Swabia. Only after Werner's death, the southern Hamaland could have been taken over by the Flamenses.

In Hettergau (and perhaps also in the Düffelgau ) this was different. Also there is already a Lehngrafs Godfrey the Bearded before 1046 must have been active, Gottschalk, who was also Lehnsgraf the northern Hamalands. As Werner also Gottschalk had kept away from Gottfried's uprising and could therefore also retain his office. Again, the Flamenses therefore had to wait for the death of the incumbent. This happened in 1063; 1067 Gerhard Flamens testified as Count in Hettergau.

List of other counts of Hamaland

Third Count House of Hamaland

• Wichmann II of Hamaland, son of Meginhard IV of Hamaland, († 975 ), 952-960 Count of Hamaland and Veluwe

House of Immedinger

• Immed IV († January 27 983 ) ∞ Adela of Hamaland († August 6, 1020 /28), daughter of Wichmann II of Hamaland

According 983-1010, family disputes over the ownership

• Dietrich von Hamaland, son of Immed IV and Adela of Hamaland, († April 7, 1017 or 1018)

Since 1017/18

• Balderich of Drenthe, († 1021), ∞ 2nd marriage of Adela of Hamaland
• Grandson of Dietrich von Hamaland

House of Verdun Wigeriche

• Gottfried II of the Childless, (* 965, † 1023) ∞ presumably with a daughter of Dietrich von Hamaland, since 1012 Duke of Lower Lorraine
• Gotzelo I., (* 970, † 1044 ), brother of Godfrey II, Duke of Lower Lorraine since 1023 and since 1033 Duke of Upper Lorraine

Division of the county in 1025 to two Lehnsgrafen

• Werner in southern Hamaland, 1046-1056 testifies as Count Wecelo, after 1083 then Gerhard Lange is out of the house Flamens, later named the Guelders Count House, testified.

County of Zutphen

In the northern Hamaland this was different. Again, a Lehnsgraf was named Gottschalk used before 1046, and remained so after the deposition of Godfrey III. King Henry III. was in 1046, however, the supremacy of this area the Bishop of Utrecht, in the deed of gift the boundaries of the area are described in detail. It follows that Hamaland had been cut at its narrowest point described above into two parts, ie, along the line Steenderen - Leuvenheim - Eerbeek. The donation of 1046 this northern Hamaland the Bishop of Utrecht in Gottschalk Lehnsgrafen this bishop.

As Gottschalk died in 1063, was succeeded by his son Otto, "the Rich ", in the northern Hamaland. That the Flamenses did not come into play here, probably has its origin in the fact that Gottschalk had become by his marriage a major landowners in his county. His wife Adelheid was a great-granddaughter of Godfrey of the prisoner, whose daughter Ermengarde of Verdun was married to Otto von Hammerstein. Their daughter Mathilde was the wife of the Ezzonen Ludolf von Brauweiler, and Adelheid came from this marriage. Her two brothers died earlier than Adelheid, ie remained behind as the last scion Liudolf. As mentioned, Gottfried the prisoner 's husband Averarda was again been the heiress Everhard, the half-brother Wichmann's Elten. Thus Gottschalk was the indirect legacy of the old hamaländischen Graf house. To this heritage included the Zutphen castle and extensive land in their vicinity. Gottschalk's importance in the northern Hamaland was thus so great that his descendants were able to make it here. Their residence was the castle Zutphen, after which the northern Hamaland was also known by the name of the county of Zutphen. Still called the area of ​​the former northern Hamalandes east of the IJssel therefore de Graafschap.

The name comes Hamaland end of the 11th century for the last time before in the sources.

Hamaland today

The regional awareness of the Hamaland is weak, but experienced a renaissance in recent years, including through establishment of a Euroregion, but spatially far beyond the original Hamaland and, for example, Enschede, Bocholt and Dülmen covers. The term Hamaland found, for example in sports clubs, music clubs and regional companies as well as the 253- km long Hamaland route, a signposted circular route for car trips. This modern Hamaland identity maintains, among other things Hamaland Museum in Vreden, a local history museum, which is also the Regional Museum of the district Borken.