Mechelen, Lordship of

The Lordship of Mechelen is until 1795 a small independent Lordship in the Low Countries, consisting of the city of Mechelen and some surrounding villages.

In the early Middle Ages, it is part of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, which is confirmed in 910.

In practice, the area is ruled by the local Berthout family, against the will of the Prince-Bishops of Liège.

The Duchy of Brabant tries to annex the Lordship, but as a reaction, Liège gives the area in 1333 to the County of Flanders.

The Flemish also don't gain complete and permanent control.

Mechelen is therefore later considered as one of the Seventeen Provinces, then as a province of the Southern Netherlands.

The Dukes of Burgundy and later the Habsburg Emperors and Kings are personally Lords of Mechelen and for a while turn the city more or less into the capital of the Netherlands.

They establish here the highest jurisdictional court of the Seventeen Provinces, called the Great Council of Mechelen.

Governess Margaret of Austria also holds her Court at Mechelen. Later, the capital moves primarily to Brussels.

In 1795 the Lordship is abolished by the French revolutionaries and it becomse part of the French département of the Deux-Nèthes.

Today it is part of the Belgian province of Antwerp.

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