Arenberg

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Arenberg (also spelled as Aremberg or Ahremberg) is a historic duchy located in modern Germany. First mentioned in the 12th century, it was named after the village Aremberg in the modern district of Ahrweiler, in the Rhineland-Palatinate. The territorial possessions of the dukes of Arenberg varied through the ages. Around 1789 the duchy was located in the Eifel region on the west side of the Rhine, and contained amongst others Aremberg, Schleiden and Kerpen. However, although the Duchy itself was in Germany, from the 15th century on, the principal lands of the Dukes of Arenberg have been in modern day Belgium. Aremberg was originally a County, being raised to a Principality in 1576, and a Duchy in 1645.

After the French occupation of the west bank of the Rhine around 1798 (see Treaty of Campo Formio and Treaty of Lunéville) the duke of Arenberg received new lands around Recklinghausen, Meppen and Dülmen. Aremberg joined Napoleon's Confederation of the Rhine, although that did not prevent it being mediatised in 1810, with France annexing Dülmen and Meppen, and the duchy of Berg annexing Recklinghausen. After Napoleon's defeat in 1814 and the dissolution of the Confederation of the Rhine the former Arenberg territories were divided between the Kingdoms of Prussia and Hanover. The Dukes of Arenberg remain a prominent Belgian aristocratic family.

The forest of Arenberg is located in northeastern France, and is famous for its cobbled roads used in the classic road cycle race Paris-Roubaix [1]. Its areas saw extensive mining in the past.