duchy · France and the Low Countries

Duchy of Limburg (1839-1867)

1839 CE – 1867 CE · capital Maastricht

The Dutch half of Limburg, made a duchy of the German Confederation in 1839 to compensate the Confederation for losing part of Luxembourg.

Origins

The Treaty of London of 1839 divided Limburg between Belgium and the Netherlands. Because the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg lost its western half to Belgium, the Dutch part of Limburg was made a duchy and joined the German Confederation, held by the Dutch king, though Maastricht and Venlo were left outside the Confederation.

Rule and society

The duchy was governed as a Dutch province while its estates sent representatives to the Confederation's diet in Frankfurt. In 1848 some Limburgers sought separation from the Netherlands to join Germany, and deputies sat in the Frankfurt Parliament. Mining and Maastricht's pottery and glass industries developed.

Decline and legacy

The German Confederation dissolved after the war of 1866, and the Treaty of London of 1867 confirmed that Limburg was fully part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The title 'Duchy of Limburg' lingered in official use until 1906.

Connections (2)

More states of France and the Low Countries →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Duchy of Limburg (1839-1867). In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-limburg-1839-1867
MLA
“Duchy of Limburg (1839-1867).” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-limburg-1839-1867. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Duchy of Limburg (1839-1867).” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-limburg-1839-1867.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Duchy of Limburg (1839-1867)’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-limburg-1839-1867 (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻