John I of Brabant, also called
John the Victorious (
Leuven 1252/1253 –
May 3,
1294 in
Leuven) was
Duke of Brabant (1267–1294),
Lothier and
Limburg (1288–1294).
Life
He was the son of
Henry III, Duke of Brabant and
Aleidis of Burgundy, daughter of
Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy. He was also an older brother of
Maria of Brabant,
Queen consort of
Philip III of France. In 1267 his older brother
Henry IV, Duke of Brabant, being mentally deficient, was deposed in his favour.
Battle of Woeringen
His greatest military victory was the
Battle of Woeringen, by which John I came to reign over the Duchy of Limburg. He was completely outnumbered in forces but led the successful invasion into the Rhineland to defeat the confederacy. In 1288 Limburg was formally attached to
Brabant.
[, The Encyclopaedia Brittanica, p. 445, Retrieved 6 oct 2009.]Model prince
John I is said to be the perfect model of a feudal prince in the days of chivalry: brave, adventurous; excelling in every form of active exercise, fond of display, and generous in temper. He was considered one of the most gifted princes of his time.
This made him very popular in
Middle Ages poetry and literature. Even today there exists an ode to him, so well-known that it was a potential candidate to be the
North Brabant anthem. John I delighted in tournaments and was always eager to take part in jousts. He was also famous for his many illegitimate children.
Death
On
May 3 1294 at some marriage festivities at
Bar-le-Duc (now
France), John I was mortally wounded in the arm in an encounter. He was buried in the church of the Minderbroeders in Leuven, but since the
Protestant iconoclasm (
Beeldenstorm) in 1566, nothing remains of his tomb.
Family and children
He was married twice. First, on
September 5,
1270 to
Marguerite of France, daughter of
Louis IX of France and
Marguerite of Provence. She took the title of Duchess of Brabant. In this marriage he had a son, but both died shortly after birth.
Second, he married 1273 to
Margaret of Flanders (d.
July 3,
1285), daughter of
Guy, Count of Flanders and had the following children:
One of John's illegitimate children was Jean Meuwe, Seigneur of Wavre and Dongelberg.
