Johanna van Polanen

Who was Johanna van Polanen?

Johanna van Polanen was a Dutch noblewoman. She was the daughter of John III of Polanen, Lord of Breda, and his wife, Odilia of Salm.

Johanna married on 1 August 1403, at the age of 11, in Breda with Engelbert I of Nassau, who became Lord of Breda jure uxoris. Johanna and Engelbert resided in Breda; they also owned houses in Brussels and Mechelen. They had six children:

John IV, Count of Nassau-Breda

Henry II, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg

Margaret

William

Maria

Philip

Johanna inherited many Lordship, Heerlijkheden and manors in Holland, Brabant, Hainaut, Utrecht, Zeeland. She also inherited the western part of Krimpenerwaard, including the villages of Krimpen aan de Lek, Krimpen aan den IJssel, Lekkerkerk en Ouderkerk aan den IJssel. Most of these possessions had been acquired by William of Duivenvoorde. Through her inheritance, the House of Nassau became one of the wealthiest and most influential noble families in the Burgundian Netherlands.

Johanna died in 1445. She was buried in the mausoleum constructed for her husband in the Church of Our Lady at the Market Square in Breda.