Free and high fief of Zuid-Polsbroek


The Free and high Fief of Zuid-Polsbroek was a semi-sovereign or 'free and high' fief, now part of Polsbroek in the Dutch province of Utrecht.

History of the semisouverain fief

Zuid-Polsbroek, or Polsbroek, was an allodium and a free and high heerlijkheid, a type of local jurisdiction with many rights. Since 1155 the lords of Polsbroek are able to speak the high middle and low justice over their territory. Zuid-Polsbroek was a half-independent entity of the provinces Holland or Utrecht, like the larger Barony of IJsselstein to the east. During the late middleages it became unsure if Zuid-Polsbroek belong to the States of Holland or to the province of Utrecht. Polsbroek paid their dutys to the States of Holland. When the French introduced the municipal system in the Netherlands in 1807, the rights of the heerlijkheid were largely abolished, although the heerlijkheid itself existed until the early 20th century.
The fief of Polsbroek was first ruled by the Lords of Arkel since the early 11th century. In later years Polsbroek was ruled by the lords of Woerden van Vliet, Viscounts of Montfoort, Lords of Bergen from the House of Glymes, the House of Ligne and their following House of Arenberg-Ligne. Since 1610 the heerlijkheid was a possession of the regentenfamily De Graeff from Amsterdam. When the French introduced the municipal system in the Netherlands in 1795, the rights of the heerlijkheid were largely abolished, although the heerlijkheid itself existed until the early 20th century.

Lords of (Zuid-)Polsbroek