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Historical areas of the Benelux region


Map



List of historical countries in the Belgium-Netherlands-Luxembourg region

Diocese of Utrecht

Duchy of Guelders

Duchy of Jülich

West Friesland

Duchy of Brabant

Duchy of Limburg

County of Holland

Prince Bishopric of Liège

County of Flanders

County of Hainaut

County of Namur

Dominion of Tournai

Diocese of Cambrai

County of Artois



Diocese of Utrecht

Flagge Fahne flag Bistum Utrecht Diocese of Utrecht
Escutcheon-flag of the Diocese of Utrecht



The territory of the Diocese of Utrecht also included Overijssel and Drenthe to 1528. Its flag showed a white cross on a red background. The flag of the Dutch Province of Utrecht remembers with its design to the former sovereign Diocese.

Source by: Wikipedia (EN)

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Duchy of Guelders

(Dutch: Gelre, French: Gueldre, German: Geldern)

Flagge Fahne flag Herzogtum Geldern Duchy of Geldern Gelre Gueldre Guelders
to 1383,
Escutcheon-flag of the Duchy of Guelders




Flagge Fahne flag Herzogtum Geldern Duchy of Geldern Gelre Gueldre Guelders
to 1383,
Escutcheon-flag of the Duchy of Guelders



The Duchy of Guelders consisted since 1339 of two parts: Upper Guelders (now located in North Brabant and Germany), and Lower Guelders (the today's Dutch Province of Gelderland). IIn 1383 it was transferred to the Duke of Jülich. The coat of arms showed originally a golden lion on blue, from 1383 combined with the arms of Jülich.

Source by: Wikipedia (EN)

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Duchy of Jülich

(German: Jülich, Dutch: Gulik, French: Juliers)

Flagge Fahne flag Herzogtum Jülich Duchy of Jülich Gulik Juliers
Escutcheon-flag of the Duchy of Julich



Jülich is placed in Germany today. The Dukes of Julich in 1383 got transferred the Duchy of Geldern, so that they had influence in the region. The coat of arms of Jülich showed a black lion on gold. It can easily be confused with the coat of arms of the County of Flanders, because then the design of the lions was not particularly defined.

Source by: Wikipedia (EN), Flaggen Enzyklopädie, Atlas zur Geschichte, Discovery '97

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West Friesland

Flagge Fahne flag Westfriesland Western Friesland West Friesland West-Friesland
Escutcheon-flag of West Friesland



West Friesland originally covered the territory of the present days Province of Friesland and a small area in today's Province of North Holland in the Netherlands. The escutcheon-flag of West Friesland showsed two golden lions on a blue field which is filled with seven golden shingles. The province of Friesland used since 1957 a different flag, only in the West Frisian area in North Holland still uses the model which is shown here.

Source by: Wikipedia (NL), Flaggen Enzyklopädie, Atlas zur Geschichte, Discovery '97

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Duchy of Brabant

Flagge Fahne flag Herzogtum Brabant Duchy of Brabant
Escutcheon-flag of the Duchy of Brabant



The history of Brabant begins, when the Counts of Brussels and Leuven in 1106 acquired the Duchy of Lower Lorraine, and from 1183 they called themselves Dukes of Brabant. Their line died out in 1355 and Brabant came to the Dukes of Luxembourg, which died out in 1430, and Brabant, Limburg and Luxembourg came to the Duchy of Burgundy, which came in 1555 to the Habsburgs, and since 1714 at the Austrian lineage. North Brabant was conquered by the Netherlands until 1648 and annexed as Generality Land. In 1789 events the "Brabant Revolution" against the Emperor Joseph II. From 1792 to 1794 French troops conquered the territory which was annexed in 1797 by France. After 1815 Brabant was a part of the Kingdom of the United Netherlands and in 1830 was established the Kingdom of Belgium, whose core area was South Brabant, however divided in the Provinces of Antwerp and Brabant. The Belgian Province of Brabant used the flag of the Duchy of Brabant, the golden lion on black. In 1995, the Belgian province of Brabant was divided into Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant. The coat of arms of Brabant was a golden lion on black, which has survived to this day the coat of arms of Belgium. The Belgian heirs of the thone call themselves until today Dukes of Brabant.

Source by: Wikipedia (NL), Flaggen Enzyklopädie, Atlas zur Geschichte, Discovery '97

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Duchy of Limburg

(Flemish: Limburg, French: Limbourg, German: Limburg)

Flagge Fahne flag Herzogtum Limburg Duchy of Limburg Limbourg
Escutcheon-flag of the Duchy of Limburg



The Duchy of Limburg became a Luxembourg possession in 1355, in 1406 a Burgundian possession and came in 1555 as heir to the House of Habsburg. Its coat of arms showed a crowned red lion with two tails on silver. The double-tailed lion dates back to the Duchy of Luxembourg. It appears in similar form on the flag of the Dutch Provice of Limburg.

Source by: Wikipedia (NL), Flaggen Enzyklopädie, Discovery '97

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County of Holland

Flagge Fahne flag Grafschaft Holland County of Holland
Flag of the County of Holland



The County of Holland belonged from 1299 to Hainault, from 1345 to Wittelsbach and from 1433 to Burgundy. Burgundy came in 1477 as heir to the House of Habsburg. It belonged from 1579 to the "Union of Utrecht" and from 1581 to the "Republic of the United Netherlands". In 1840 the Province of Holland has been divided in North and South Holland. The flag shows the image of the coat of arms of the County of Holland, a red lion on gold.

Source by: Wikipedia (NL), Flaggen Enzyklopädie, Atlas zur Geschichte, Discovery '97

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Prince Bishopric of Liège

(Flemish: Luik, French: Liège, German: Lüttich)

Flagge Fahne flag Fürstbistum Lüttich Prince Bishopric of Liège Luik
to 1794,
Flag of the Prince Bishopric of Liège




Flagge Fahne flag Fürstbistum Lüttich Prince Bishopric of Liège Luik
to 1794,
Escutcheon-flag of the Prince Bishopric of Liège



The flag of the Prince Bishopric of Liège showed two vertical stripes in red and gold. As a scutcheon-flag, it shows the heraldic design of the coat of arms: four fields with regional heraldry, Field 1: Duchy of Bouillon; Field 2: County of Franchimont; Field 3: County of Loon; Field 4: County of Horn, in the middle – as a central shield – the coat of arms of Liège. The Duchy of Bouillon came already in 1095 to the bishops of Liège, the County of Franchimont also in those years. The Bishops used from 1366 the title of the Counts of Loon and from 1568 also the title of the Counts of Horn. Between 1792 and 1794 French troops occupied the territory, which was annexed in 1797 by France. After 1815 Liège was a part of the Kingdom of the United Netherlands and in 1830 was created the Kingdom of Belgium. The Belgian Province of Liège includes today only the central and eastern territories of the former diocese, however, the Diocese of Liège, lives on in the very similar flag of the province.

Source by: Wikipedia (NL), Heraldique Europeenne

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County of Flanders

(Flemish: Vlaanderen, French: Flandre, German: Flandern)

Flagge Fahne flag Grafschaft Flandern County of Flanders Vlaanderen Flandre
Flag of Ancient Flanders




Flagge Fahne flag Grafschaft Flandern County of Flanders Vlaanderen Flandre
Flag of Flanders



For informations about Flanders, its history and its flag – click here

Source by: Flags of the World, Wikipedia (NL)

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County of Hainaut

(Flemish: Henegouwen, French: Hainaut, German: Hennegau)

Flagge Fahne flag Grafschaft Hennegau County of Hainaut Henegouwen
to 1030,
Escutcheon-flag of the County of Hainaut




Flagge Fahne flag Grafschaft Hennegau County of Hainaut Henegouwen
1299–1345,
Escutcheon-flag of the County of Hainaut



The flag of the County of Hainaut showed until 1030 – until the extinction of the counts – the heraldry of the Reginar-Counts, spared in gold and black. Then Hainaut came to Flanders. In 1299 came the County of Holland to Hainaut, and the heraldry shows quartered on Gold the Lions of Flanders and Holland, as they appear today on the unofficial flag of the Belgian Province of Hainaut. In 1345 comes Hainaut (with Holland and Zeeland) to Bavaria by marriage, in 1433 to the House of Burgundy, and from 1555 to the House of Habsburg, and from 1714 to his Austrian lineage. In 1659 and in 1678, on the occasion of the Pyrenees Peace and the Peace of Nijmegen, the south of Hainaut (Valenciennes) was ceded to France. Hainaut becomes conquered by French troops between 1792 and 1794 and is in 1797 annexed by France. From 1815 Hainaut belonges as Province of Hainaut to the Kingdom of the United Netherlands and from 1830 to the newly founded State of Belgium.

Source by: RetroBib Retrobibliothek, Wikipedia (D), Heraldique Europeenne

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County of Namur

(Flemish: Namen, French: Namur, Walloon: Nameur, German: Namur)

Flagge Fahne flag Grafschaft Namur County of Namur Nameur Namen
former unofficial scutcheon-flag of the today's Belgian Province of Namur



The flag of the County of Namur was probably the same as the fromer and unofficial scutcheon-flag of the today's Belgian Province of Namur, which was used at least until 1953. Eventually the lion wored no crown. This image goes back to the days when Namur was a part of Flanders. Namur became a county in the 10th century, but the counts died out, and the county came to Hainaut in the early 13th century. In 1262 Flanders purchased the county, and it came to Burgundy in 1421 and in 1555 as an heir to the House of Habsburg and from 1714 to its Austrian lineage. Namur is conquered between 1792 and 1794 by French troops and it became annexed by France in 1797. From 1815 namur belonges to the Kingdom of the United Netherlands and from 1830 to the newly founded State of Belgium.

Source by: RetroBib Retrobibliothek, Wikipedia (D), Heraldique Europeenne

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Dominion of Tournai

(German: Dornick, Flemish: Doornik)

Flagge Fahne flag Herrschaft Tournai Dominion of Tournai Dornick Doornik
1223–1794
Escutcheon-flag of the Dominion of Tournai



The flag of the Dominion of Tournai showed the image of the coat of arms, a white tower on red. It is a speaking scutcheon, because even under the Romans the town was called Turris Nerviorum = Tower of the Nervii. The blue bar with the three lilies may have been supplemented in 1223 when Tournai was included in the royal domain of the French king. The old Turris Nerviorum, or later Tornacum too, was in the 5th century conquered by the Franks and was for some years even the seat of the Frankish kings. At the division of the Frankish Empire in 880 – by the treaties of Verdun and Ribbemont – Tournai ramains as a part of the County of Flanders (West Flanders, Crown-Flanders) and comes thus to the West Frankish kingdom (France), and becomes in 1223 a part of the royal domain of the French king. In 1385 the duchy of Burgundy acquires, the County of Flanders by marriage of the heir of the throne, in 1526 it comes to the Habsburgs and to the German Empire. Between 1667 and 1709 it belonged to France again. From 1714 Tournai belonged again to the German Empire, the Austrian line of the Habsburgs. In 1794 French troops occupied the territory, which was annexed in 1797 by France. After 1815 Tournai was part of the Kingdom of the United Netherlands and came in 1830 to the Kingdom of Belgium.

Source by: RetroBib Retrobibliothek, Wikipedia (D)

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Diocese of Cambrai

(German: Kamerich, Flemish: Kamerijk)

Flagge Fahne flag Bistum Cambrai Diocese of Cambrai Kamerich Kamerijk
Escutcheon-flag of the Diocese of Cambrai



The escutcheon-flag of the Diocese of Cambrai shows the image of the coat of arms, three red lions on silver. At the division of the Frankish Empire in 880 by the treaties of Verdun and Ribbemont comes Cambrai (Kamerich) to the East Franconian Empire (German Empire). As the counts of Kamerich extincted in 925 the German King gave the county to the bishops of Cambrai (Kamerich). In the 15th/16th century the Duchy of Burgundy acquires the Diocese of Cambrai, and in 1526 it comes to the Habsburgs. In 1677 Cambrai is conquered by French troops and becomes annexed to France.

Source by: RetroBib Retrobibliothek, www.heraldry-wiki.com

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County of Artois

Flagge Fahne flag Grafschaft Artois County of Artois
Flagge von Artois



For informations about Artois, its history and its flag – click here

Source by: Die Welt der Flaggen, Wikipedia (D)

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