Heren zonder grenzen

Unlimited power. The lordship of Enghien between Brabant and Hainaut (12^th–16^th c.)

In this article we explore the complex feudal status and territorial scope of the prominent lordship of Enghien (Dutch: Edingen) in the border region between the Duchy of Brabant and the County of Hainaut. From the High Middle Ages onwards, Enghien’s lords and ladies cultivated their dual status by actively maintaining feudal and political ties with both Count and Duke. By combining source material from both principalities and creating GIS-maps we were able to visualise the impressive scope of the territory that the successive lords were able to acquire on both sides of the border. Taken together, Enghien had the size of a small principality. Due to strategic importance of the border region and its relative distance from princely administrative centres, both princes mostly supported the creation and perpetuation of this enormous power base, thus effectively recognizing the essential role of the lords of Enghien in maintaining the territorial status quo in the Hainaut-Brabant border region.