Margraviate of Antwerp

The Margraviate of Antwerp was the area around the cities of Antwerp and Breda. It is generally assumed that the Mark is a result of border policy of the Ottos: together with Valenciennes and Antwerp Ename formed the military buffer zone on the western border of the empire - was beyond the Scheldt France. Initially, the cord stretched along the river, was probably identical with the Pagus Renensis. After Ansfried, the last Count of Toxandria in 994 became Bishop of Utrecht, Toxandria the Margraviate was added.

The Margraviate of Antwerp belonged initially to the Official fief of the Duke of Lower Lorraine. 1076 Godfrey of Bouillon received it as part of the heritage of his uncle, the Duke Gottfried IV of the hunchback, from the hands of King Henry IV. Godfrey of Bouillon After the death (1100) 1101 Henry I, Duke of Limburg and Lower Lorraine, appointed Margrave, Antwerp thus again added to the official fief. He was succeeded in 1106 Godfrey I of Leuven as the new Duke.

With a short interruption (1128-1139), the Counts of Leuven and later Dukes of Brabant were now ( Titular ) Duke of Lower Lorraine and thus also Margrave of Antwerp, so that the Margraviate now shared the fate of Brabant.

1549 the Margraviate of Antwerp by the Emperor Charles V. was designated as one of the Seventeen Provinces, which has not prevailed: a little later Antwerp was again part of the Duchy of Brabant. After the Eighty Years' War Breda came to the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, and Antwerp fell to the Spanish Netherlands.

• Historical territory (Belgium )
• Historical Netherlands
• History of Antwerp