Free and high fief of Zuid-Polsbroek

The Free and high Fief of Zuid-Polsbroek (Dutch: "vrije en hoge heerlijkheid") was a semi-sovereign or 'free and high' fief, now part of Polsbroek in the Dutch province of Utrecht.

History of the semisouverain fief
Zuid-Polsbroek, or Polsbroek, was an allodium and a free and high heerlijkheid, a type of local jurisdiction with many rights. Since 1155 the lords of Polsbroek are able to speak the high (blood court) middle and low justice over their territory. Zuid-Polsbroek was a half-independent (semi-sovereign) entity of the provinces Holland or Utrecht, like the larger Barony of IJsselstein to the east. During the late middleages it became unsure if Zuid-Polsbroek belong to the States of Holland or to the province (unie) of Utrecht. Polsbroek paid their dutys to the States of Holland. When the French introduced the municipal system in the Netherlands in 1807, the rights of the heerlijkheid were largely abolished, although the heerlijkheid itself existed until the early 20th century.

The fief of (Zuid-)Polsbroek was first ruled by the Lords of Arkel since the early 11th century. In later years Polsbroek was ruled by the lords of Woerden van Vliet (until 1423), Viscounts of Montfoort (1423-1481/82), Lords of Bergen from the House of Glymes (1481/82 until 1566), the House of Ligne (from 1566 to 1568) and their following House of Arenberg-Ligne (from 1568 to 1610). Since 1610 the heerlijkheid was a possession of the regentenfamily De Graeff from Amsterdam. When the French introduced the municipal system in the Netherlands in 1795, the rights of the heerlijkheid were largely abolished, although the heerlijkheid itself existed until the early 20th century.

Lords of (Zuid-)Polsbroek

 * -1008 	Foppe van Arkel
 * 1008-1034 	Johan I van Arkel
 * 1034-1077 	Johan II van Arkel
 * 1077-1115/18 	Johan III van Arkel
 * 1115/18-1140 	Folpert van Arkel van der Leede
 * 1140-1200 	Herbaren I van der Leede
 * 1200-1207 	Floris Herbaren van der Leede
 * 1207-1212 	Folpert II van der Leede
 * 1212-1234 	Herbaren II van der Leede van Arkel
 * 1234-1255 	Johan I van der Leede
 * 1255-1284 	Folpert und Pelgrim van der Leede
 * 1284-1296 (?) Johan II van der Leede
 * (?) 1296-1299 Wolfert I van Borselen
 * -1314   Gerrit van Vliet
 * Gerard van Vliet
 * -1423 Jan van Woerdern van Vliet
 * 1423-1448 Jan II van Montfoort
 * 1448-1459 Hendrik IV van Montfoort
 * 1459-1481/82 Jan III van Montfoort
 * 1482      Michiel van Glymes van Bergen
 * 1482-1509 Cornelis van Glymes van Bergen
 * 1509-1533 Maximilian van Glymes van Bergen
 * 1533-1566 Maria of Bergen
 * 1566-1568 Louis de Ligne
 * 1568      Jean de Ligne
 * 1568-1610 Charles de Ligne
 * 1610-1638 Jacob Dircksz de Graeff
 * 1638-1664 Cornelis de Graeff
 * 1664-1707 Pieter de Graeff
 * 1707-1714 Johan de Graeff
 * 1714-1752 Gerrit de Graeff I
 * 1752-1811 Gerrit de Graeff II
 * 1811-1814 Gerrit de Graeff (III.) van Zuid-Polsbroek
 * 1814-1870 Gerrit de Graeff (IV) van Zuid-Polsbroek
 * 1870-1914 Dirk de Jongh