Arnold II, Count of Looz

Arnold II, Count of Looz
Count of Looz
Reign	c. 1135 – 1146
Predecessor	Arnold I, Count of Loon
Successor	Louis I, Count of Loon
Died	1146
Spouse	Aleide (m. 1100)
Issue	Louis I, Count of Loon Gerard, Count of Rieneck Gottschalk Imagine, Abbess of Susteren Jean de Looz, Seigneur de Ghoer
Father	Arnold I, Count of Loon
Mother	Agnes von Mainz

Arnold II (died 1146), Count of Looz, son of Arnold I, Count of Looz, and Agnes von Mainz, daughter of Gerhard I, Count of Rieneck, and Helwig von Bliescastel.

In 1129, Gislebert, Count of Duras, sought to seize the property of the Abbey of Sint-Truiden. [Giselbert was the grandson of his namesake Giselbert, Count of Looz.] A war developed between Giselbert and the supporters of the abbot Radulphe, whose allies included Arnold, Théoger, Bishop of Metz, Alexander I of_Jülich, Bishop of Liege, and Waleran II, Duke of Lower Lorraine. Gislbert’s supporters included Giselbert’s brother-in-law Godfrey the Bearded, Count of Louvain, and Thierry of Alsace, Count of Flanders. The decisive battle took place on August 7, 1129 at Wilderen where Gislebert and his allies were defeated, but peace did not return in 1131.

In 1131, he founded the Abbey of Averbode, giving home to the Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré that St. Norbert had created.

Arnold had an outstanding reputation among his contemporaries, frequently being the arbiter in disputes between neighbors. In particular, he succeeded in bringing about a reconciliation between Dirk VI, Count of Holland, and Giselbert’s son Otto II, to get Herman van Horne, grandson of Emmo, Count of Looz, recognized as Bishop of Utrecht. He was welcomed with great distinction at the court of the emperors of Germany, and his name frequently appears among the witnesses mentioned in the charters granted by Emperors Henry IV, Henry V and Lothair II, and King of Germany Conrad III.

Arnold married Aleide, of unknown parentage, in 1100. Arnold and Adeide had five children:

• Louis I, Count of Looz
• Gerard (d. after 1138), Count of Rieneck
• Gottschalk (d. after 1138)
• Imagine, Abbess of Susteren in 1174
• Jean de Looz, Seigneur de Ghoer, married to Sophie.

Arnold was succeeded as Count of Looz by his son Louis.

Ancestors

Ancestors of Arnold II, Count of Looz

8. Giselbert van Loon                       4. Emmo van Loon                             9. Erlande of Geldenaken                       2. Arnold I, Count of Looz                                   20. Arnulf, Count of Holland               10. Dirk III, Count of Holland                       21. Lutgardis of Luxemburg               5. Suanhildis of Holland                             11. Othelandis                       1. Arnold II                                         6. Gerhard I, Count of Rieneck                             3. Agnes von Mainz                                   14. Gottfried III Count of Bliesgau                       7. Helwig von Bliescastel                             15. Mathilde de Luxembourg

Sources

Baerten, J., "Les origines des comtes de Looz et la formation territoriale du comté", Revue belge de philologie et d'histoire 43 (2), 1965

J-J. Thonissen, J-J, Arnoul Ier et Arnoul II Académie royale de Belgique, Biographie nationale, vol. 1, Bruxelles, 1866

Medieval Lands Project, Comtes de Looz