Government Fief Lordship founded early 13th century Disestablished 1914 | Historical era Middle Ages to Utrecht 1819 | |
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Capital Polsbroek (Zuid-Polsbroek) | ||
The Free and high Fief of Zuid-Polsbroek (Dutch: "vrije en hoge heerlijkheid") was a semi-sovereign or 'free and high' fief, now part of Polsbroek in the Dutch province of Utrecht.
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History of the semisouverain fief
Zuid-Polsbroek, or Polsbroek, was an allodium and a free and high heerlijkheid, a type of local jurisdiction with many rights. Since 1155 the lords of Polsbroek are able to speak the high (blood court) middle and low justice over their territory. Zuid-Polsbroek was a half-independent (semi-sovereign) entity of the provinces Holland or Utrecht, like the larger Barony of IJsselstein to the east. During the late middleages it became unsure if Zuid-Polsbroek belong to the States of Holland or to the province (unie) of Utrecht. Polsbroek paid their dutys to the States of Holland. When the French introduced the municipal system in the Netherlands in 1807, the rights of the heerlijkheid were largely abolished, although the heerlijkheid itself existed until the early 20th century.
The fief of (Zuid-)Polsbroek was first ruled by the Lords of Arkel since the early 11th century. In later years Polsbroek was ruled by the lords of Woerden van Vliet (until 1423), Viscounts of Montfoort (1423-1481/82), Lords of Bergen from the House of Glymes (1481/82 until 1566), the House of Ligne (from 1566 to 1568) and their following House of Arenberg-Ligne (from 1568 to 1610). Since 1610 the heerlijkheid was a possession of the regentenfamily De Graeff from Amsterdam. When the French introduced the municipal system in the Netherlands in 1795, the rights of the heerlijkheid were largely abolished, although the heerlijkheid itself existed until the early 20th century.