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John I, Duke of Brabant
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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).
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. His greatest military victory was the Battle of Woeringen, by which John I came to reign over the Duchy of Limburg. In 1288 Limburg was formally attached to Brabant.
John I is said to be a perfect model of a feudal prince in the days of chivalry: brave, adventurous, excelling in every form of active exercise, fond of display, generous in temper. 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. Jan delighted in tournaments and was always eager to take part in jousts. He was also famous for his many illegitimate children.
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.
He was married twice. First, on September 5, 1270 with Marguerite of France, daughter of Louis IX of France and Marguerite of Provence. In this marriage he had a son, who born and died 1271. Second, he married 1273 to Margaret of Flanders (d. July 3, 1285), daughter of Guy, Count of Flanders and had the following children:
- Godfrey (1273/74 – aft. September 13, 1283).
- John II of Brabant (1275–1312).
- Margaret (4 October 1276–14 December 1311, Genoa), married 9 June 1292 to Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor.
- Marie (d. after 2 December 1338), married to Count Amadeus V of Savoy.
| Preceded by Henry IV |
Duke of Brabant and Lothier 1267–1294 |
Succeeded by John II |
| Preceded by interregnum |
Duke of Limburg 1288–1294 |