OTD 25 January 1139 Godfrey I Count of Louvain

On 25 January 1139 Godfrey, I Count of Louvain died. He also was called the
Bearded, the Courageous or even the Great.

Titles

Godfrey was:

- Landgrave of Brabant and Count of Brussels and Leuven (Louvain)
- Duke of Lower Lorraine
- Margrave of Antwerp (from 1106 till his death).

Noble Family

Godfrey was born around 1060 as the son of Henry II, Count of Louvain
and Adela of Orthen (or Betuwe) a daughter of the Count of Orthen.

Godfrey belonged thus to the noble House of Reginar.

Love and Marriage

Godfrey married Ida of Chiny, daughter of Otto II, Count of Chiny and
Adelaide of Namur. The couple had 6 children together. Their eldest
daughter, Adeliza of Louvain would marry King Henry I of England.

Godfrey married later to Clementia of Burgundy, the daughter of
William I, Count of Burgundy and the widow of Robert II, Count of
Flanders. They would have no children.

Duty

Godfrey came into conflict with Otbert, Bishop of Liège about the
county of Brunengeruz. In 1099 Emperor Henry IV granted the
county to the Bishop.

Godfrey also arbitrated a dispute between Henry III of Luxembourg
and Arnold I, Count of Loon about the appointment of the abbot of
St. Truiden.

Godfrey became a favorite of the Holy Roman Emperor . In 1102 he
stopped Robert II, Count of Flanders who was invading the Cambraisis.
Later the Duchy of Lorrain was given to Godfrey.

Godfrey also interfered in local politics. After the assassination of
Charles the Good in 1127, the Flemish succession was again in dispute.
William Clito was a favourite but Godfrey supported Theodoric of
Alsace.

Death

Godfrey spent his last years in the abbey of Affligem where he died on a
old age on 25 January 1139.



Source pictures: Wikipedia