House of Holland (Gerulfingian dynasty)

The first count of Holland, Dirk I, was probably the son of Count Gerulf II of Frisia. He received land around Egmond from Charles the Fat at a place called Bladella (modern: Bladel) in 922. This is seen as the beginning of the county of Holland. However, until about 1100, the usual name of the county was West-Friesland.

West Friesland was very different from the area (North and South Holland) of today. Most of the territory was swamp, where nearly nobody lived. The main habitation was in the dunes at the coast and in the river valleys.

Gerulf could be a son or grandson of an earlier Gerulf (aka Gerulf I) who was also count in Frisia at the time of emperor Louis I the Pious (fl. 833) and who later became a monk at the monastery of Corvey (d. 855). There is some sketchy evidence that this earlier Gerulf was a son of a certain Theodoric, who was in his turn a desecendant of the Frisian king Redbad (d. 719). Gerulf 'II' was among those counts who assassinated their Viking overlord Godfrith the Sea King at a place called Herespich (modern: Spijk) in 885. .... more

Map of Holland

[Hohenstaufen crest]
Florent IV, Count of Holland

  • A1 = Gerulf of West-Frisia;
    • B1 = Dirk (Theodoric) I, Graf van Westfriesland, lvd:916/939, m. Geva;
      • C1 = Dirk II, Graf van Westfriesland, lvd:930/988, m. Hildegard de Flandre;
        • D1 = Arnulf, Graf van Westfriesland, lvd:950/993, m. Liutgard de Luxembourg;  ==>  Counts of Luxembourg
          • E1 ~ Ada of Ghent, m. Baudoin de Boulogne;  <==  Comte de Boulogne
          • E2 = Dirk III, Graf van Westfriesland, lvd:985/1039, m. Othelhildis von Haldensleben;
            • F1 = Floris I, Count of Holland, lvd:1017/1061, m. Gertrud of Saxony;
              • G1 = Bertha of Holland, m. King Philip I of France;  <==  House of Capet
              • G2 = Floris II, Count of Holland, lvd:1085/1121, m. Gertrude de Lorraine;
                • H1 = Dirk IV, Count of Holland, lvd:1114/1157, m. Sophie von Rheineck;
                  • I1 = Floris III, Count of Holland, lvd:1157/1190, m. Ada of Scotland;  ==>  House of Dunkeld
                    • J1 = Ada of Holland, m. Margrave Otto I of Brandenburg;  <==  Margraves of Brandenburg
                    • J2 = Willem I, Count of Holland, lvd:1167/1222, m. Adelaide of Geldern;
                      • K1 = Floris IV, Count of Holland, lvd:1210/1234, m. Mechtild of Brabant;

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