The four blocks of the county: the old county round Geldern and Roermond, the Betuwe with the Tielerwaard and Bommelerwaard, the Veluwe north of Arnhem (claimed by Utrecht), and the county of Zutphen on the IJssel with the Achterhoek.
Who he is
- Name
- Otto I
- Title
- Count of Guelders and Zutphen
- Since
- 1182
- Born
- About 1150
- Family
- See Guelders
- Confidence
- high
Overlord
The king; Cologne, Utrecht and Brabant for particular fiefs
What it holds
- Geldern castle and the Niers valley; Roermond
- The Betuwe, Tielerwaard and Bommelerwaard with Zaltbommel
- The Veluwe with Arnhem, Harderwijk, Elburg and Hattem
- The county of Zutphen, Lochem and the Achterhoek
- Doesburg and the Guelders part of the Liemers
How it was acquired
See Guelders.
Allies and rivals
See Guelders.
How things stand that morning
Held by Otto I; the Veluwe is disputed with Utrecht and Brabant.
Wealth
Tolls, mints at Arnhem and Zutphen, Betuwe farming.
Military
Castles at Geldern, Zutphen and Arnhem. No numbers are recorded.
Places of note
- Castle of Geldern: The comital castle, built about 1118-1125
- Zutphen: The count's town and mint
- Arnhem: The count's mint (pennies since 1117)
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Blocks follow the later quarters of Guelders and are rough for 1200.
On the map: Rough blocks after the later quarters; Nijmegen and its Rijk are the king's and drawn separately.
Primary sources for Guelders
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Annals of Egmond (12th century to about 1205). The house annals of Egmond, the counts of Holland's abbey, and the main native source for Holland around 1200. Read online
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.