Redbad Visser on Frisia after Redbad: The Rise of Leeuwarden
Lecture/Debate
7 December
After the death of Redbad, Frisia gradually came under Frankish rule. But what happened next to the Frisian lands? How was Leeuwarden “born”?
During the reign of King Redbad (c. 655–719), Frisia — comprising West, Central and East Frisia — reached its greatest territorial extent and sphere of influence. The most important Frisian settlements at the time were Dorestad, Utrecht, Medemblik, Stavoren and Wijnaldum. Leeuwarden did not yet exist. After Redbad’s death, Frisia gradually came under Frankish rule. But what became of the Frisian lands after that? And how was Leeuwarden “born” — eventually to become the capital of the Lordship of Friesland in 1504?
