Robert II (Flanders)

The crusaders conquer Antioch. On the left Godfrey of Bouillon, on the right Robert II of Flanders. Illustration from an edition of the Spieghel Historiael by Jacob van Maerlant, first half of the 14th century.

Robert II , called of Jerusalem (lat .: Robertus Hierosolimitanus ; * around 1065; † October 5, 1111 near Meaux ), was a Count of Flanders from the House of Flanders . He was the eldest son of Count Robert I the Frisian and Gertrude Billung , a daughter of Duke Bernhard II of Saxony .

Life

Robert took over the reign in Flanders between 1086 and 1090, while his father was on a pilgrimage to the holy land. After his father's death in 1093, his cousin from Hainaut was the undisputed successor to the county of Flanders. He took part in the first crusade , in which he excelled in particular at the battle of Dorylaum , the siege of Antioch , the siege of Jerusalem and the final battle of Ascalon . Because of this participation, he became known as Robert of Jerusalem or Robert the Crusader . He was back in Flanders by spring 1100 at the latest.

On March 10, 1101, Robert concluded an alliance pact with King Henry I of England in Dover by providing him with 1,000 knights for an annual payment of 500 silver marks. With this he deepened the alliance between Flanders and England, which his father had already started. On May 17, 1110 the alliance was contractually confirmed again in Dover when Robert sold 500 more knights for 400 silver marks to the Anglo-Norman king. His alliance with Henry I of England did not prevent Robert from also party for his arch rival and his liege lord, King Ludwig VI. of France to seize. He supported him in 1111 in the fight against the rebellious Count Theobald IV of Blois and was mortally wounded in a battle near Meaux . He was buried in the Abbey of Saint-Vaast in Arras .

Robert was married to Klementia († around 1133), a daughter of Count Wilhelm I of Burgundy , from around 1092 . Their son was Count Baldwin VII of Flanders († 1119)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Ordericus Vitalis called him "Jerusalem warrior " ( bellicosus Jerosolimitae ); Historia Ecclesiastica , VI, p. 162
2. ^ Elisabeth MC Van Houts: The Normans in Europe , in: Manchester medieval sources series (2000), pp. 220-222; With an English translation of the contract text.
3. ↑ Charles Johnson, HA CRONNE, HWC Davis: Regesta Regnum Anglo-Noermanorum (2009), No. 941, pp 92nd

Web links

Commons : Robert II.  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Bram Brutsaert: Boudewijn VII Hapkin, een Witte Ridder uit de 12de eeuw, graaf van Vlaanderen (1111–1119) . Dissertation 2003–2004 at the University of Leuven, here: Deel I. Prins Boudewijn (1093–1111)

predecessor	Office	successor
Robert I the Frisian	Count of Flanders 1093–1111	Baldwin VII with the ax