Cuijk

The van Cuijk family, lords of the Land of Cuijk in northern Brabant between the Meuse and the Peel marshes, is documented from 1096 and long kept its lordship independent. After Cuijk Castle was destroyed around 1133 the lords moved to Grave, which received town rights in 1233, though the high court stayed at Cuijk.

The house reached its height under Jan I, lord from 1254 to 1308. As an ally of Brabant he fought at Worringen in 1288, and in 1296 he led the noble conspiracy that ended in the murder of Count Floris V of Holland.

He opened thousands of hectares of common heath to the villagers and founded the hospital of Saint Catherine at Grave. His sons Jan II and Otto continued the line, but the lords of Cuijk came to an end around 1400.