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{{Short description|Former duchy in Europe}}
{{about|the former duchy|the cobbled road used in the [[Paris-Roubaix]] cycling race|Trouée d'Arenberg}}
{{Infobox Former Country
|native_name            = {{native name|de|Grafschaft (Herzogtum) Arenberg}}
|conventional_long_name = County (Duchy) of Arenberg
|common_name            = Arenberg
|era                    = [[Middle Ages]]<br/>[[Early modern period]]
|status                 = County, Duchy
|empire                 = Holy Roman Empire
|government_type        = [[Principality]]
|status_text            = [[States of the Holy Roman Empire|State]] of the [[Holy Roman Empire]], then<br />[[Confederation of the Rhine#Member monarchies|State]] of the [[Confederation of the Rhine]]
|year_start             = 1549
|year_end               = 1810
|event_pre              = [[Count]]y established
|date_pre               = {{circa|1117}}
|event_start            = Gained {{lang|de|[[Reichsfrei]]heit}}
|date_start             = <!--- Optional: Date of establishment, as January 1, 2007 --->
|event1                 = Raised to [[Princely count]]y
|date_event1            = 1576
|event2                 = Joined [[Council of Princes]]
|date_event2            = 1580
|event3                 = Raised to [[Duchy]]
|date_event3            = 1645
|event4                 = Joined [[Confederation of the Rhine]]
|date_event4            = 1806
|event_end              = [[German mediatization|Mediatized]] to [[First French Empire|French Empire]] and [[Grand Duchy of Berg|Berg]]
|date_end               = 
|event_post             = Territories [[Congress of Vienna|assigned]] to [[Kingdom of Hanover|Hanover]] and [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]]
|date_post              = 1815
|p1                     = Prince-Bishopric of Münster
|flag_p1                = Flag of the Prince-Bishopric of Münster.svg
|s1                     = Kingdom of Hanover
|flag_s1                = Flag of Hanover (1692).svg
|s2                     = Kingdom of Prussia
|flag_s2                = Flag of the Kingdom of Prussia (1803-1892).svg
|s3                     = First French Empire
|flag_s3                = Flag of France.svg
|s4                     = Grand Duchy of Berg
|flag_s4                = Flag of the Grand Duchy of Berg (1806-1808).svg
|image_flag             = Flag of Arenberg (1803 - 1810).svg
|image_coat             = CoA Arenberg County.svg
|image_map              = Hannover 1807.png
|image_map_caption      = The Duchy of Arenberg in 1807 after the Napoleonic relocation 
|capital                = [[Aremberg]]
|common_languages       = [[Moselle Franconian dialects|Moselle Franconian]]
}}
'''Arenberg''', also spelled as '''Aremberg''' or '''Ahremberg''', is a former [[county]], [[principality]] and finally [[duchy]] that was located in what is now [[Germany]]. The [[Duke of Arenberg|Dukes of Arenberg]] remain a prominent [[Belgian nobility#Dukes in the Belgian nobility|Belgian noble family]].

== History ==
First mentioned in the 12th century, it was named after the village of [[Aremberg]] in the [[Ahr Hills]], located in today's [[Rhineland-Palatinate]] region of Germany.

===1549–1645===
Aremberg was originally a [[county]]. It became an [[imperial immediacy|immediate]] ({{lang|de|reichsunmittelbar}}) [[state of the Holy Roman Empire|state]] of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] in 1549, was raised to a [[princely count]]y in 1576, then became a [[duchy]] in 1645.

===1789===
The territorial possessions of the Dukes of Arenberg varied through the ages. Around 1789, the duchy was located in the [[Eifel]] region on the west side of the [[Rhine]] and contained, amongst others, [[Aremberg]], [[Schleiden]] and [[Kerpen]].

However, although the duchy itself was in Germany, from the 15th century onward, the principal lands of the [[House of Arenberg|Dukes of Arenberg]] have been in what is now [[Belgium]].

The pre-Napoleonic duchy had an area of {{convert|413|km2|abbr=on}} and a population of 14,800. It belonged to the [[Electoral Rhenish Circle]] and was bordered by the [[Duchy of Jülich]], the [[Electorate of Cologne]], the [[Electorate of Trier]], and the [[County of Blankenheim]].

===1798===
After the French occupation of the west bank of the [[Rhine]] around 1798 (see [[Treaty of Campo Formio]] and [[Treaty of Lunéville]]), the Duke of Arenberg received in 1803 new lands: the [[county of Vest Recklinghausen]], the [[Meppen, Germany|county of Meppen]], and later the [[Dülmen|lordship of Dülmen]].

===1810===
Arenberg joined [[Napoleon]]'s [[Confederation of the Rhine]], although that did not prevent it from being [[German mediatisation|mediatised]] in 1810, with France annexing [[Dülmen]] and [[Meppen]], and the [[Grand Duchy of Berg]] annexing [[Recklinghausen]].

===1814===
After Napoleon's defeat in 1814 and the dissolution of the Confederation of the Rhine, the former Arenberg territories were divided between the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] and the [[Kingdom of Hanover]]. In both Prussia and Hanover, the dukes became local peers subordinate to the king.

===1826===
In 1826, the Arenberg territory in Hanover was named the duchy of Arenberg-Meppen, and it had an area of {{convert|2195|km2|abbr=on}} and a population of 56,700. The county of Recklinghausen, in Prussia, had an area of {{convert|780|km2|abbr=on}} and a population of 64,700.

The Dukes of Arenberg remain a prominent Belgian aristocratic family. The immediate family members of the dukes are called by the nominal title of Prince of Arenberg. The ducal family descends [[agnatic]]ally from the [[House of Ligne]].

The Forest of Arenberg is located in northeastern [[France]], and it is famous for its cobbled roads used in the [[classic cycle races|classic road cycle race]] [[Paris–Roubaix]]. Its areas saw extensive [[mining]] in the past.

== Counts, Princely Counts and Dukes ==
{{main|House of Arenberg}}

=== Counts of Arenberg (1117–1576) ===
{{refbegin|2}}
* Franko (1117–1129)
* Henry I (1129–1187)
* Eberhard I (1188–1202)
* Eberhard II  (1202–1229)
* Henry II (1220–1250)
* Gerard (1252–1260)
* John I (1260–1279)
* Mathilde (1282–1299)
* Eberhard III ''(Count of [[County of Mark|Marck]])'' (1282–1308)
* Engelbert (1308–1328)
* [[Eberhard I, Count of Arenberg|Eberhard IV]] (1328–1387)
* Eberhard V (1387–1454)
''Partition into Arenberg and [[Rochefort, Belgium|Rochefort]]''
* John II (1454–1480)
* Eberhard VI (1480–1496)
* Eberhard VII (1496–1531)
* Robert I (1531–1541)
* Robert II (?–1536)
* Robert III (1541–1544)
* [[Margaret de La Marck-Arenberg|Margaret]] (1544–1576)
* John III (1547–1568)
* Charles (1568–1576)
{{refend}}

=== Princely Counts of Arenberg (1576–1645) ===
{{refbegin|2}}
* [[Margaret de La Marck-Arenberg|Margaret]] (1576–1596) ''with'' [[Jean de Ligne, Duke of Aremberg|Jean de Ligne]]
* [[Charles de Ligne, 2nd Prince of Arenberg|Charles]] (1576–1616)
* [[Philippe-Charles, 3rd Count of Arenberg|Philip Charles]] (1616–1640)
* Philip Francis (1640–1645)
{{refend}}

=== Dukes of Arenberg (1645–1810) ===
{{refbegin|2}}
* [[Philippe François, 1st Duke of Arenberg]] (1645–1675)
* [[Charles Eugene, 2nd Duke of Arenberg]] (1675–1681)
* [[Philippe Charles d'Arenberg|Philip Charles Francis]], 3rd Duke of Arenberg (1681–1691)
* [[Leopold Philippe d'Arenberg|Leopold]], 4th Duke of Arenberg (1691–1754)
* [[Charles Marie Raymond of Arenberg|Charles Marie Raymond]], 5th Duke of Arenberg (1754–1778)
* [[Louis Engelbert, 6th Duke of Arenberg|Louis Engelbert]], 6th Duke of Arenberg (1778–1803)
* [[Prosper Louis, 7th Duke of Arenberg|Prosper Louis]], 7th  Duke of Arenberg (1803–1810)
''[[German Mediatisation|Mediatised]] 1810''
{{refend}}

==See also==
* [[Arenberg-Nordkirchen]]
* [[Arenberg Research-Park]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150923173509/http://www.arenbergfoundation.eu/en/foundation/index.html Official site of the House of Arenberg]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150812061228/http://arenbergfoundation.eu/en/history/index.html The dukes of Arenberg]
* [http://www.meyers-konversationslexikon.de/ ''Meyers Konversationslexikon'']

==External links==
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Aremberg|volume=2|page=452}} This has a detailed account of the inheritance of the noble titles from the 13th century onward.
* [http://www.hoeckmann.de/germany/luxemburgkarte.htm Map of Luxembourg and the Duchy of Arenberg in 1789]

{{Electoral Rhenish Circle}}
{{States of the Confederation of the Rhine}}
{{Authority control}}
{{coord|50.8633|N|4.6832|E|source:wikidata-and-enwiki-cat-tree_region:DE|display=title}}

[[Category:1549 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire]]
[[Category:1810 disestablishments in Europe]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1549]]
[[Category:House of Ligne]]
[[Category:States of the Confederation of the Rhine]]
[[Category:Electoral Rhenish Circle]]
[[Category:History of the Eifel]]
[[Category:Counts of Arenberg| ]]
[[Category:Counties of the Holy Roman Empire]]
[[Category:Duchies of the Holy Roman Empire]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in 1810]]