Jan I van Cuijk († 1308)

Topdiplomaat in een woelige tijd

Samenvatting

Jan I van Cuijk († 1308). Top Diplomat in a Turbulent Time

The canons of the collegiate church in Grave showed great admiration for their founder: John I of Cuijk. They defined him as a wise and pious man, famous for his honour but, above all, a prudent politician and clever pacificator who performed services for princes and barons. Medieval and modern historiographers and historians have also used superlatives when writing about him. He not only favoured the town of Grave and the Land of Cuijk, he was also a skilled knight who, in 1288, fought bravely at Woeringen by the side of the Duke of Brabant. Moreover, he was especially appreciated for his diplomatic skills on the international scene. This article focuses on the long and rich career of John I of Cuijk, the prototype of a modern top diplomat.

Although John of Cuijk was a minor Lord, the prestige of the family was high and wide- spread. In his early years, John of Cuijk mainly initiated activities within the network of his family and relatives: among these were John of Nassau, bishop-elect of Utrecht, and the powerful lords, Gijsbrecht IV of Amstel and Herman VI of Woerden. As a liege man of Brabant and probably also related to the duke, John of Cuijk became an important advisor and councillor to John I of Brabant and he certainly was the most important man in the entourage of John II. Between 1271 and 1308, he appeared as a witness and sealer in innumerable charters. He also acted as surety and arbiter in important affairs or as go-between concerning financial transactions or loans. Sometimes, the duke himself would also act as guarantor for John and they often acted together in international affairs. John’s relationship with the Duke of Brabant certainly added to his reputation and prestige.

By the end of the 1280s, the feudal relations of John of Cuijk were already extensive and complex. He was a vassal of the King of Germany for the Land of Cuijk. From time immemorial, the lords of Cuijk were vassals of the Bishop of Utrecht and the archbishop of Cologne. John was also a vassal of the Count of Gelre, the Count of Holland, and the Duke of Brabant; additionally, in 1288 he obtained a fief from the Count of Berg. In the 1290s, John’s network became even more complex. He developed contacts with Guy of Dampierre, the Count of Flanders, and in 1293 he became Guy’s vassal against another fief. There was also a connection between Cuijk and Kleef. This relationship between Cuijk and Germany became very intensive when Adolf of Nassau, John’s nephew, was elected king in 1292: John of Cuijk became his ambassador and representative on many occasions.

In 1294, war broke out between Edward I of England and Philip IV the Fair of France. Edward soon succeeded in arranging alliances with Floris V of Holland, the German King Adolf of Nassau, John II of Brabant and the Counts of Jülich and Bar. In 1295, John of Cuijk became a vassal of Edward I, King of England. He successfully accomplished Edward’s mission to mediate in the conflict between Holland and Flanders (April 1295) and brokered a ceasefire with the re-establishment of commercial relations between the two countries. In January 1296, the setting changed drastically when Floris V signed a treaty with France and thus betrayed Edward I and his allies. In order to save the continental coalition, Floris had to be eliminated or at least set aside. On 23 June 1296, Gerard of Velsen, Gijsbrecht of Amstel, and Herman of Woerden captured Floris during a hunting party and locked him up in Muiderslot castle: he was killed a few days later. The names of the conspirators appear in several contemporary documents: John of Cuijk, John of Heusden, Gijsbrecht of Amstel, Herman of Woerden, and Gerard of Velsen. Some also point to the Duke of Brabant and the Count of Flanders as accomplices. All these men belonged to the social, feudal, and familial network of John of Cuijk.

In the same month, Guy of Dampierre, Count of Flanders, and a vassal of Philip IV the Fair of France had allied themselves with the king in the war against England. But Philip under- mined Guy’s power and authority in Flanders and humiliated him. Guy of Dampierre was, thus, open to an alliance with England. After several months of negotiating – John of Cuijk was one of the negotiators – he joined the English coalition in January 1297. John of Cuijk and two Flemish envoys were sent to England to swear loyalty to Edward on behalf of the Count of Flanders. Since Guy had broken his feudal ties with Philip IV the Fair, war between Flanders and France was imminent. On 15 June 1297, French troops invaded Flanders. The Count of Flanders was forced to rely on his own resources, as the promised English and German support kept him waiting. John of Cuijk was sent out to negotiate with Adolf of Nassau (September – October 1297), but failed to come to an agreement. He was later (March 1298) appointed as arbiter between Guy of Flanders and John of Brabant in case of a violation of the treaty between them; he also negotiated between Flanders and Gelre (1298), and he arranged financial matters for Guy of Dampierre (1298-1299). John also advised Guy of Dampierre on how to approach the newly elected German King Albert I and procured the cancellation of the anathema that Adolf of Nassau had proclaimed over Flanders.

By the start of the year 1300, the situation in Flanders was desperate. In May, the Count of Flanders surrendered. After the annexation of Flanders by France, John disappeared momentarily from the international spotlight and only acted as a witness for Dirk of Kleef, as councillor and confident of John of Brabant, and as executor of the testament of William of Horne and Altena. After the annexation however, the fighting went on. In August 1304, peace negotiations between Flanders and France began. John of Cuijk was appointed the negotiator for the Flemish party; nevertheless, the talks turned out to be unsuccessful. A second attempt eventually resulted in the Treaty of Athis-sur-Orge, but the negotiations still continued with regard to its execution. The treaty’s terms were humiliating for Flanders and the townspeople refused to honour many of the treaty’s conditions. John of Cuijk cleverly withdrew from the negotiating table, thus keeping his prestige intact. He spent his last years mainly involved in activities for the Duke of Brabant and in his own Land of Cuijk. John of Cuijk died on 13 July 1308.