Arnulf Count of Holland

     Arnulf Count of Holland was born in 951 at Ghent.² He was the son of Dirk II Count of Holland.¹ Arnulf Count of Holland married Lutgardis of Luxemborg, daughter of Siegfried of Luxembourg and Hedwig of Nordgau, in May 980.^2,3 Arnulf Count of Holland died on 18 September 993 at Winkel, West-Friesland, Holland; He was killed in battle against the Friesians.
     Like his father, his name appears in numerous Flemish documents at the time. In 983 Arnulf accompanied Emperor Otto II and future Emperor Otto III on their journey to Verona and Rome. As count he managed to expand his territories southwards. Arnulf donated several properties to Egmond Abbey, amongst others Hillegersberg (which was previously called Bergan, but renamed after Arnulf's mother) and Overschie, which may have been rewards for the land-clearing activities of the monks of Egmond.

Arnulf was the first count to come into conflict with the West-Frisians and in 993 he invaded their territory, but on 18 September of that year he was defeated and killed in a battle near Winkel in West-Friesland. His son Dirk was still a boy at this time, but Arnulf's widow Luitgard managed to retain the county for her son with support from first Emperor Otto III and later her brother-in-law, Emperor Henry II.²