Duchy of Limburg (1839–67)

Duchy of Limburg
Hertogdom Limburg (nl)
Province of the Netherlands, State of the German Confederation under the Dutch King
1839–1867
Flag Coat of arms
Exchange of 1839. The removal of Western Luxembourg from the German customs union (4) by Belgium (3) results in compensation by the Netherlands (1) by the creation of the Duchy of Limburg (2).
Capital		None.
Languages		Dutch, Limburgish (non official)
Religion		Roman Catholic
Government		Constitutional monarchy
Duke
•	1839–1840	William I
•	1840–1849	William II
•	1849–1866	William III
History
•	Treaty of London	19 April 1839
•	Treaty of London	11 May 1867
Preceded by Succeeded by Province of Limburg (1815–1839) Limburg (Netherlands)

The 19th-century Duchy of Limburg was created and formed from the eastern part of the Province of Limburg as a result of the Treaty of London in 1839. Until 1866 it also was a member of the German Confederation represented by the Dutch King. The Duchy of Limburg should not be confused with the earlier Duchy of Limburg, which ceased to exist in 1794.

History

Establishment

The German Confederation, as established by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 was a loose association of 39 German states to coordinate the economies of the member countries. Its main achievement was the creation of the customs union as developed during 1818 and 1834, which provided a common economic market for its member states. Though not a part of the German Confederation at its founding, Limburg would join it in 1839 as a consequence of the Belgian Revolution. In 1830 several francophone, Catholic and liberal groups joined forces and proclaimed the independence of Belgium, whose territory prior to that had been part of the Netherlands.

In the subsequent peace settlement in 1839, the Dutch King ceded the western half of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to the newly-formed Belgian state. Luxembourg however, had been a member state of the German Confederation since the latter's creation and with the annexation of its western parts lost approximately 150,000 inhabitants. The Prussia-led German Confederation insisted the common market of the customs union would be compensated by the Netherlands elsewhere; the Dutch thus created the Duchy of Limburg (consisting of the Province of Limburg minus its two major cities, Maastricht and Venlo, so as to not exceed the 150,000 number).

Dissolution and aftermath

See also: Treaty of London (1867)

The Seven Weeks' War between Austria and Prussia in 1866 led to the collapse of the German Confederation. To clarify the position of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Duchy of Limburg, which were possessions of the Dutch King but also been member states of the Confederation, the Second Treaty of London in 1867 affirmed that Limburg was an "integral part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands", while Luxembourg was and had been an independent state in personal union with the Kingdom of the Netherlands since 1839. Limburg thereupon left the German Customs Union.

The style "Duchy of Limburg" continued to be used in some official capacities until February 1907. Another idiosyncrasy that survives to this day is that the Province's "Royal Commissioner" is still informally addressed as "Governor" in Limburg, although he is formally styled "Royal Commissioner" as is the case in other Dutch provinces.

External links

• History of Limburg during the German Confederation Website of the History of the Netherlands by historian Dr. J. W. Swaen.