Duchy of Limburg (1839–1867)

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Duchy of Limburg
Hertogdom Limburg (Dutch)
1839–1867
Verenigd Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (tot 1830).png
The Exchange of 1839. The removal of Western Luxembourg (4) from the German customs union by Belgium (3) resulted in compensation by the Netherlands (1) by the creation of the Duchy of Limburg (2) (this territory was controlled by Belgium until 1839).
Status State of the German Confederation under the Dutch King
CapitalMaastricht
Common languages Dutch, Limburgish (unofficial)
Religion
Roman Catholic
Government Constitutional monarchy
Duke  
 1839–1840
William I
 1840–1849
William II
 1849–1866
William III
History 
19 April 1839
11 May 1867
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Province of Limburg
Limburg (Netherlands) Flag of Limburg.svg

The Duchy of Limburg (Dutch : Hertogdom Limburg) was created in 1839 from parts of the Dutch Province of Limburg as a result of the Treaty of London. Its territory was the territory of the modern day province of Limburg with the exceptions of the cities of Maastricht and Venlo. The Duchy of Limburg was also a member state of the German Confederation.

Contents

History

Establishment

The German Confederation, as established by the Congress of Vienna in 1815, was a loose association of 39 German states to coordinate the economies of the member countries. [1] Though not a part of the German Confederation at its founding, Limburg would join it in 1839 as a consequence of the Belgian Revolution. In 1830 several francophone, Catholic and liberal groups joined forces and proclaimed the independence of Belgium, whose territory prior to that had been part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.

In the subsequent peace settlement in 1839, the Dutch king ceded the western half of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to the newly formed Belgian state. Luxembourg however, had been a member state of the German Confederation since the latter's creation and with the annexation of its western parts lost approximately 150,000 inhabitants. The German Confederation insisted the common market of the customs union would be compensated by the Netherlands elsewhere; the Dutch thus created the Duchy of Limburg (consisting of the Province of Limburg minus its two major cities, Maastricht and Venlo, so as to not exceed the 150,000 number). [2]

Dissolution and aftermath

The Seven Weeks' War between Austria and Prussia in 1866 led to the collapse of the German Confederation. To clarify the position of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Duchy of Limburg, which were possessions of the Dutch king but also member states of the Confederation, the Second Treaty of London in 1867 affirmed that Limburg was an "integral part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands", while Luxembourg was and had been an independent state in personal union with the Kingdom of the Netherlands since 1839.

The style "Duchy of Limburg" continued to be used in some official capacities until February 1907. An idiosyncrasy that survives to this day is that the King's Commissioner for the province is still informally addressed as "Governor" in Limburg, although his formal style does not differ from that used in other provinces.

See also

Related Research Articles

Limburg or Limbourg may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Limburg (Netherlands)</span> Province of the Netherlands

Limburg, also known as Dutch Limburg, is the southernmost of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands. It is bordered by Gelderland to the north and by North Brabant to its west. Its long eastern boundary forms the international border with the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. To the west is the international border with the similarly named Belgian province of Limburg, part of which is delineated by the river Meuse. To the South, Limburg is bordered by the Belgian province of Liège. The Vaalserberg is on the extreme southeastern point, marking the tripoint of the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Limburg (Belgium)</span> Province of Belgium

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treaty of London (1839)</span> Treaty over Belgium and Luxembourg

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meuse-Inférieure</span> Department of the French First Republic and Empire

Meuse-Inférieure was a department of the French First Republic and French First Empire in present-day Belgium, Netherlands and Germany. It was named after the river Meuse. Its territory corresponded largely with the present-day provinces of Belgian and Dutch Limburg. It was created on 1 October 1795, when the Austrian Netherlands and the Prince-Bishopric of Liège were officially annexed by the French Republic. Before this annexation, its territory was part of the County of Loon, the Austrian Upper Guelders, the Staats-Oppergelre, the County of Horne, the Abbacy of Thorn, Maastricht and part of the Lands of Overmaas. The lands of the original medieval Duchy of Limburg were associated with the Overmaas lands, lying to their south. The two regions had long been governed together and referred to collectively with both names, but the original Duchy lands were not part of this new entity.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duchy of Limburg</span> Duchy of the Low Countries (1065–1795)

The Duchy of Limburg or Limbourg was an imperial estate of the Holy Roman Empire. Much of the area of the duchy is today located within Liège Province of Belgium, with a small portion in the municipality of Voeren, an exclave of the neighbouring Limburg Province. Its chief town was Limbourg-sur-Vesdre, in today's Liège Province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Province of Limburg (1815–1839)</span> Province of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815-30) and of Belgium (1830-39)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Partitions of Luxembourg</span> Losses of territory of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (1659, 1815, 1839)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upper Guelders</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Belgium</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luxembourg and the Belgian Revolution</span>

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References

  1. "German Confederation | German history". March 2024.
  2. (in German) Limburg (1839–1865)

50°37′N5°56′E / 50.617°N 5.933°E / 50.617; 5.933