Dietrich III, Count of Holland

- 1039

• Name	Dietrich III
  General Information	Dietrich III (also called Dirik or Theodoric or Dirk) was the count with jurisdiction over what would become the county of Holland, often referred to in this period as "West Frisia",  [2]
  Title(s)	993  [2]
  He became the Count of Holland (West Friesland) but was under the regency of his mother until 1005.
  Military	1018  [2]
  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. Merchants from the town of Tiel sent alarmed messages to the king and Bishop Adelbold of Utrecht about acts of violence against them by Dirk's men. Emperor Henry then decided to end Dirk III's reign and awarded his lands to Bishop Adelbold. A large imperial army, made up of troops supplied by the various bishops of region, under the command of Godfrey II, Duke of Lower Lorraine, 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 and Duke Godfrey was captured. Following this victory, Dirk III was permitted to keep his lands and he continued levying tolls. Later on, Dirk also managed to acquire more lands east of his previous domains at the expense of the Bishop of Utrecht.
  Miscellaneous	1024  [2]
  After the death of Emperor Henry II in 1024, Dirk supported Conrad II for the succession to the kingship.
  Travel	About 1030  [2]
  It is thought that Dirk III went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land around 1030, hence his nickname of Hierosolymita ("the Jerusalemite" in Latin).
  Death	27 May 1039  [1]
  Burial	Aft 27 May 1039	Egmond Abbey, Bergen, Netherlands   [2]
  Siblings	2 sisters
  + 1. Dietrich III, Count of Holland   d. 27 May 1039 ▻ Othelendis + 2. Aleida ▻ Baldwin III, Count of Boulogne + 3. Adele of Ghent ▻ Enguerrand, Comte de Poitou and Montreuil
  Patriarch & Matriarch	Gerulf   (2 x Great Grandfather)  Adelaide of Paris,   b. 855 - 860   d. After 10 Nov 901  (Age 41 years)  (4 x Great Grandmother)
  Person ID, Branch	I6008	Roy Line, Boudreau Line
  Last Modified	23 Jun 2025

  
  

  Father	Arnulf I, Count of West Friesland and Ghent   d. 18 Sep 993
  Relationship	Birth
  Mother	Luitgarde of Luxemburg   d. 14 May 1005
  Relationship	Birth
  Family ID	F4147	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Spouse / Partner	Othelendis   d. 31 Mar 1044, Saxony, Germany
  Marriage	Yes, date unknown  [1, 2]
  Children	2 sons and 2 daughters
  1. Count of Holland Dietrich IV  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth] +   2. Florenz I, Count of Holland and West Friesland   d. 28 Jun 1061, Hemmerte, Netherlands Hemmerte is now called Nederhemert  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth] ▻ Gertrude of Saxony  m. Abt 1050 >   3. Bertrada  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth] ▻ Dietrich I von Katlenburg  m. Yes, date unknow >   4. Swanhilde  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth] ▻ Emmo of Loon, Count of Loon  m. Yes, date unknow
  Family ID	F2542	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	17 Nov 2021

  
  

• Pedigree

  ← Click to display 1Dietrich III, Count of Holland( – 1039) 2Arnulf I, Count of West Friesland and Ghent( – 993) 4Dietrich II, Count of West Friesland(Abt 905 – 988) 8Dietrich I, Count of West Friesland( – 929) 16Gerulf 17 9Geva 18Maginhard, Count of Hamalant, Duke of Friesland 19 5Hildegarde of Flanders( – 990) 10Arnold I, Count of Flanders and Artois(890 – 965) 20Baldwin II, Count of Flanders and Artois(865 – 918) 21Ælfthryth(877 – 929) 11Adelaide de Vermandois(915 – 960) 22Herbert II, Count of Vermandois and Troyes(887 – 943) 23Hildebrande of Neustria, Princess of the West Franks(887 – 943) 3Luitgarde of Luxemburg( – 1005) 6Siegfried, Count of Luxemburg and in the Moselgau(Abt 922 – 998) 12Wigeric, Count in the Triergau and Ardennesgau( – 919) 24 25 13Kunigunde(890 – 923) 26 27Ermentrude of the West Franks(Abt 870 – ) 7Hedwig( – 992) 14Eberhard IV, Count in Alsace and in the Nordgau( – 972) 28Hugh III of Hohenburg, Count in the Alsacian Nordgau and of Hohenburg in Alsace( – 940) 29Hildegarde 15Luitgarde of Trier 30Wigeric, Count in the Triergau and Ardennesgau( – 919) 31Kunigunde(890 – 923)

  
  

• Event Map		Burial - Aft 27 May 1039 - Egmond Abbey, Bergen, Netherlands  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources 🟢 Primary Evidence 🟡 Secondary Evidence 🟠 Tertiary Evidence 🔴 Unreliable Evidence

  [S60] Stuart, Roderick W., Royalty for Commoners, The Complete Known Lineage of John of Gaunt, Son of Edward III, King of England, and Queen Philippa Fourth Edition, (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2002). [S304] Wikipedia, Dirk III, Count of Holland.