Guelders
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- For the present province also called "Guelders" in English, see Gelderland.
Guelders (Dutch Gelre, German Geldern) is the name of a historical duchy in the Low Countries. The present province of Gelderland (English also Guelders) in the Netherlands occupies most of the area of the former duchy. The duchy was named after the town of Geldern, which is now in Germany.
Guelders was often at war with the county of Holland and the bishopric of Utrecht, until the dukes of Burgundy acquired the whole area. The duchy was divided into four quarters:
- the quarter of Arnhem, also called the Veluwe
- the quarter of Nijmegen, also called the Betuwe
- the quarter of Zutphen
- the quarter of Roermond (now in the province of Limburg), also called the Upper Quarter of Guelders
When the northern Netherlands revolted against Philip II of Spain, the three northern quarters became part of the United Provinces, while the Upper Quarter remained a part of the Spanish Southern Netherlands.
At the Treaty of Utrecht, ending the War of the Spanish Succession in 1713, the Spanish Upper Quarter was divided between Prussia (a.o. Geldern, Viersen, Horst, Venray), the United Provinces (a.o. Venlo, Montfort, Echt), Austria (a.o. Roermond, Niederkrüchten, Weert) and the duchy of Jülich (Erkelenz).
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Counts and Dukes of Guelders
House of Wassenberg
The first count of Guelders was Count Gerard IV of Wassenberg. For Guelders, he was of course numbered Gerard I. During Reinoud III's reign, the county of Guelders became a duchy.
- Gerard I (before 1096-about 1129)
- Gerard II "the tall" (abt 1129-about 1131)
- Henry I (about 1131-1182)
- regent: Gerard III (about 1160-about 1181), eldest son of Henry I
- Otto I (1182-1207), youngest son of Henry I
- Gerard IV 1207-1229)
- Otto II "the lame" (1229-1271)
- Reinoud I (1271-1318)
- Reinoud II "the black" (1318-1343)
- Reinoud III "the fat" (1343-1361)
- regent: Eleonor, daughter of Edward III of England, wife of Reinoud II (1343-1344)
- Edward, younger brother of Reinoud III (1361-1371)
- Reinoud III "the fat" (1371)
House of Jülich-Hengebach
- William I, nephew of Reinoud III and Edward (1371-1402)
- regent: William II of Jülich, William's father (1371-1377)
- Reinoud IV, brother of William I (1402-1423)
House of Egmond
- Arnold of Egmond, grandson of Reinoud IV's sister (1423-1465)
- regent: John II of Egmond, Arnold's father (1423-1436)
- Adolf of Egmond, son of Arnold (1465-1471)
- Arnold of Egmond (again; 1471-1473)
House of Valois
- Charles the Bold (1473-1477)
- Mary of Burgundy (1478-1482)
House of Habsburg
- regent: Maximillian I (1482-1492)
House of Egmond
Charles the Bold had forced Arnold of Egmond to sell him the duchy of Guelders. He was recognized by the emperor as duke of Guelders, but the Egmonds had not abandoned their own claims. Adolf's son Charles of Egmond conquered the duchy in 1492. He remained in power with support of the French king. Only in 1543 did the Habsburg emperor Charles V gained control of Guelders again.
- Charles of Egmond 1492-1538
House of Cleves
- William "the rich" 1538-1543
House of Habsburg
- Charles V (1543-1555)
- Philip II of Spain (1555-1598)de:Herzogtum Geldern