Waleran, Duke of Lower Lorraine

Waleran
Comte d'Arlon Graaf van Limburg Duke of Lower Lotharingia (Lower Lorraine)
Reign	1115–1139 (Count); 1139 (Graaf); 1128–6 August 1139 (Duke)
Coronation	1128
Successor	Godfrey VII
Born	c. 1085
Died	6 August 1119 (aged 34)?
Spouse	Jutta von Wassenberg (c. 1087 – 1151)
Father	Henry, Duke of Lower Lorraine (1101–1106)
Mother	Adelheid von Botenstein

Waleran II (or Walram II) (c. 1085 – 1139), called Paganus meaning "the Pagan", probably due to a late baptism, was the Duke of Limburg and Count of Arlon from his father's death in about 1119 until his own twenty years later. He was given the Duchy of Lower Lorraine by Lothair of Supplinburg in 1128^[1] after the latter's accession as King of Germany in 1125.

He was the son of Henry, Duke of Lower Lorraine (1101–1106),^[1] and Adelaide of Pottenstein (Adelheid von Botenstein). Henry had been forced to yield the duchy to Godfrey I of Leuven on Henry V's succession, but had kept the ducal title. With the coming of Lothair, Godfrey was forced to yield it to Waleran. Godfrey was not willing to do so and war broke out, especially over disputes about authority over the abbey of Sint-Truiden. In 1129, Waleran and the bishop of Liège, Alexandre de Juliers, demolished Godfrey's forces at Wilde. His rule was actual from there on. Though Waleran and Godfrey eventually reconciled, Godfrey maintained, as Henry had, the ducal title.

He married Jutta von Wassenberg sometime between 1107–10,^[2] daughter of Gerard I of Guelders. In 1129, Waleran was made forester of Duisbourg. In 1139, Lothair died and Waleran supported Conrad of Hohenstaufen, who was elected. He remained faithful to the new king until his death shortly thereafter. He was succeeded by Godfrey II of Leuven in Lorraine.

He had five children:

• Henry II, Duke of Limburg (d. Rome, Aug 1167), Count of Arlon from 1139 and Duke of Limburg from 1140
• Gerhard van Limburg, who married Elizabeth [unknown] and had a child, Gerhard (1148– )
• Beatrix van Limburg (– 12 July, after 1164), who married Ruprecht I Graf von Laurenburg (d. before 13 May 1154), 4. Walram van Limburg (d. 5 Jan 1147)
• a daughter (d. 1150/51) who married Ekbert, Graf von Tecklenburg.

References

1. Gislebertus (of Mons), Chronicle of Hainaut, transl. Laura Napran, (The Boydell Press, 2005), 29.
2. Gislebertus (of Mons), Chronicle of Hainaut, 31.