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- Dirk III Hierosolomyta (981-1039)
Dirk III (also called Diederik or Theodoric) was Count of Holland (orFrisia as the area was called then) from 993 to May 27, 1039.
It is thought that Dirk III went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land around 1030, hence his nickname of Hierosolymita.
Luitgard's regency
Count Dirk was a member of the house of Holland, an important familywithin Germany at that time. His mother, Luitgard of Luxemburg, was regent in the county while Dirk was still a minor, from 993-1005. She was the sister-in-law of Emperor Henry II and with his help she managedto maintain the county for her son. After Dirk assumed the governmentof the county, she still used her family connections to acquire imperial assistance, in one instance an imperial army helped Dirk suppress a Frisian revolt.
Conflict with the emperor
Prior to 1018, Count Dirk III was a vassal of Henry II, but the bishops of Trier, Utrecht and Cologne all contested the ownership of Dirk's fiefdom, which was in a strategically important location. Utrecht, situated in the Rhine delta, was the largest trading town of the Germankings in the area and traders had to sail through the territories of Dirk III, by way of the Rhine and Vecht rivers, in order to reach the North Sea.
It was along this route that Count Dirk built a stronghold at Vlaardingen, in a newly habitable area where many Frisians had recently settled by his invitation. He was not permitted to levy tolls or hinder trade in any way, but eventually he defied imperial rule. Working together with the Frisians now living in the area he stopped passing ships, demanding payment of tolls. Emperor Henry then decided to end Dirk III's reign and awarded his lands to Bishop Adelbold.
The Battle of Vlaardingen and its aftermath
A large imperial army then headed for the stronghold at Vlaardingen.The ensuing Battle of Vlaardingen was a disaster for the imperial army and a tremendous victory for Count Dirk; many of the imperial commanders perished. Following this victory, Dirk III was permitted to keep his lands and he continued levying tolls.
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981 - 1039 (58 years)