John II, Duke of Brabant
John II (27 September 1275 – 27 October 1312), also called John the Peaceful, was Duke of Brabant, Lothier and Limburg (1294–1312). He was the son of John I of Brabant and Margaret of Flanders.
John II | |
|---|---|
| Duke of Brabant Duke of Lothier Duke of Limburg | |
| Born | 27 September 1275 |
| Died | 27 October 1312 (aged 37) Tervuren |
| Buried | Brussels Cathedral |
| Noble family | Reginar |
| Spouse(s) |
Margaret of England (m. 1290) |
| Issue | John III, Duke of Brabant |
| Father | John I, Duke of Brabant |
| Mother | Margaret of Flanders |
John II succeeded his father in 1294 During the reign of John II, Brabant continued supporting a coalition to stop French expansion. He tried to conquer South Holland (district of medieval Holland) from the pro-French Count John II of Holland, but was not successful.
In 1309, the Crusade of the Poor besieged the castle of Genappe in Brabant because it was sheltering Jews. John sent an army that defeated the crusaders, who incurred heavy losses.
John, who suffered from kidney stones and wanted his duchy to be peacefully handed over to his son upon his death, in 1312 signed the famous Charter of Kortenberg. John died in Tervuren in 1312. He was buried in the St. Michael and Gudula Cathedral in Brussels.