- Henry, Duke of Lower Lorraine
Henry I (c. 1059 – c. 1119) was the
count of Limburg andArlon from 1082 to his death andduke of Lower Lorraine between 1101 to 1106. He was the son ofWaleran I of Limburg and Jutta, daughter ofFrederick, Duke of Lower Lorraine .He opposed
Egilbert, Archbishop of Trier , and took back some property which the former Countess Adela had given to the church. Egilbert summoned him to return them, but he refused and was excommunicated. Egilbert took up arms and seriously defeated him.As advocate of the abbey of
Sint-Truiden , a title he had inherited from his father, he intervened in the internal affairs of the abbey. The abbot Herman, named byPoppo, Bishop of Metz , and supported byGodfrey of Bouillon and Henry, fell out with theEmperor Henry IV and the abbey was transferred to the authority ofArnold, Count of Loon . Arnold forced Henry and Godfrey to withdraw from the monastery.After many local nobles left on the
First Crusade , among them Godfrey, Henry's power in the region ofBelgia was greatly increased and he abused it, especially against the monasteries. The emperor intervened and tookLimburg in July 1101. Henry was now forced to make submission and he was granted the duchy of Lower Lorraine, which Godfrey had abandoned on Crusade.As duke, he fell into competition with
Godfrey I of Louvain . He demonstrated little in the way of loyalty the emperor either. He joined Henry V against his father the emperor, but then turned back to the emperor's side. This was unfortunate for the duke, for the emperor died in 1106 and the partisans of Henry V attacked those of his father. The fields of Belgia were devastated, Limburg was taken, and Henry was imprisoned inHildesheim . The duchy was transferred to Godfrey of Louvain.Henry later escaped and tried to retake Limburg and Lower Lorrain. He failed and made peace with the new emperor and duke. He continued nevertheless to employ the ducal title as "Duke of Limburg," the first of a long line. He also readily joined revolts against Henry V, fighting at the side of
Lothair, Duke of Saxony , at the victories ofAndernach in 1114 andWelphesholt on11 February 1115 . He was succeeded by his son Waleran.He married Adelaide (1061 – 1106), daughter of Boso of Podenstein (also Botenstein or Pottenstein) and Judith of Schweinfurt, daughter of
Otto III, Duke of Swabia . They had the aforementioned Waleran and three daughters. One daughter, Adelaide, marriedConrad I, Duke of Merania . Henry may also have been the father ofSimon, Constable of Jerusalem after theFirst Crusade .###@@@KEY@@@###
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