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See also: List of rulers of Frisia § Fictitious kings, princes and dukes
Potestaat (from Italian podestà) was the supposed title of a governor of medieval Friesland. According to the legendary Karelsprivilege, a 14th-century forgery, Charlemagne had first granted the title of potestaat to Magnus Forteman. He and most of his early successors were entirely fictional, invented later by pseudohistorians in order to argue in favour of the notion of Frisian freedom. The title potestaat does not appear in historical documents until 1470. It became popular after 1578, when the idea of the inherited office of potentate was linked to the new office of stadtholder, which was held by the House of Nassau-Dietz.
In 1851, Wopke Eekhoff compiled the following list in Beknopte Geschiedenis van Friesland ("Brief History of Friesland"). However, most of the list is fictitious, except for the last name, though constructed from names of leading 16th-century noblemen and their supposed ancestors..[1]
Magnus Forteman, fl. 809 (first recipient of the Karelsprivilege)
Taco Ludigman, fl. c. 830 (Focko Ludigman) (protected the country against pirates)
Adelbrik Adelen, fl. c. 830 (won a victory over a Swedish duke at Kollum)
Hessel Hermana, 869-876 (a diligent warrior against the Vikings)
Igo Galema (Ygo Galema), 876-910
Gosse Ludigman, 986-1000
Saco Reinalda, 1150-1167 (many Frisians were recruited into the crusades to the Holy Land)
Sicko Sjaerdema, 1237-1260 (Count William II of Holland offered him regional rule of Friesland)
Reinier Camminga, 1300-1306 (killed in the fight against "Danes Noertmannen ende")
Hessel Martena, 1306-1313 (protected Friesland against the attacks of the counts of Holland)
Juw Juwinga (Jonghema Ju), 1396 (killed in the Battle of Schoterzijl against Albert I, Duke of Bavaria)
Sytse Dekama, 1397-?
Gale Hania
Odo Botnia, ?-1399
Sjoerd Wiarda, 1399-1410 (elected by the Schieringers for Oostergo)
Haring Haringsma (Haring Harinxma, or Haring Thoe Heeg), 1399-1404 (elected by the Schieringers for Westergo)
Potestaat (from Italian podestà) was the supposed title of a governor of medieval Friesland. According to the legendary Karelsprivilege, a 14th-century...
said to have been elected Friesland's second potestaat around this time. However, in 826, Louis the Pious ceded the county of Rüstringen to the Danish...
king of Pamplona (approximate date) Gosse Ludigman, governor (potestaat) ofFriesland Huyan Zan, Chinese general of the Song Dynasty Ivar of Waterford...
aggression from the counts of Holland, continues in PotestaatofFriesland 768–793, Theoderic (Diederik), killed in the Uprising of 793, his domain is unknown...
Saco Reinalda (chosen from 1150 to 1167) was a legendary potestaatofFriesland, now a province of the Netherlands. Sometimes his name was written as Rengnalda...
Dutch-born American landscape architect Saco Reinalda (died 1167), potestaatofFriesland USS Saco, three US Navy vessels SACO (disambiguation) Saco River...
alternatively spelled Sikko or Sicka, was the eighth potestaatofFriesland, a province of the Netherlands. The potestaat was the elected provincial ruler. Sjaerdema...
Dutch rower Sjoerd Wiarda (1399–1410), the fifteenth potestaatofFriesland, now a province of the Netherlands Sjoerd Winkens (born 1983), Dutch footballer...
Ludigman (elected about 819) was the legendary second potestaat (or magistrate governor) ofFriesland. There are no contemporary sources for his true historicity...
Hessel Hermana is the fourth potestaat (or elected governor) ofFriesland in the list of rulers of Frisia. Supposedly from Sexbierum (chosen 869 - died...
Leeuwarden 1893. H.B. van Sminia, Juw Hettes Dekema, de laatste Potestaat in Friesland[permanent dead link], in: De Vrije Fries VII (1856), pages 257-273...
Weidum, chosen around 1397) was the twelfth potestaat (or magistrate ruler) ofFriesland, which was in the time of the religious disputes between Schieringers...
830) was the third potestaat (magistrate governor) ofFriesland a province of the Netherlands. He was potestaat during the government of Lorraine, and defeated...
legendary potestaat (or elected governor) ofFriesland, now a province of the Netherlands. He does not appear in sources until hundreds of years after...
Martena (appointed approximately 1306 to 1312) was the tenth Potestaat (magistrate governor) of Frisia. He succeeded Reinier Camminga. Martena was particularly...
(chosen approximately 1300 to 1306) was the ninth potestaat or governor ofFriesland now a province of the Netherlands. Reijner Haijes Camminga was captain...
fifth potestaat (or elected governor) ofFriesland, now a province of the Netherlands. There is no evidence that he existed. The history ofFriesland says...
fifteenth potestaat (or elected governor) ofFriesland now a province of the Netherlands. Sjoerd Wiarda born in 1355 and died in 1410. He was the son of Pybe...
fourteenth potestaat (or elected governor) ofFriesland, now a province in the Netherlands. Odo was the son of Feicko Botnia, a nobleman of Marrum, who...
Gale Hania (died 1380) was the thirteenth potestaat (or ruler) ofFriesland, a province of Netherlands. His name is also known written as Hanja or Hanya...
(1879–1967), Austrian flight pioneer Igo Galama (876–910), potestaat (governor) ofFriesland Igo Gruden (1893–1948), Slovene poet and translator Igo Sym...
Forteman (809) was the legendary first potestaat (or magistrate governor) and commander of Frisia which is now part of Germany and the Netherlands. His existence...
count of Holland, threatened Friesland. To counter this threat, Juwinga was chosen as the eleventh potestate ofFriesland, based on his bravery and military...
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