raine ▁on ▁the ▁Mos elle ▁and ▁Lower ▁Lor raine ▁on ▁the ▁Me use . ▁The ▁Ott onian ▁dynast y ▁had ▁both ▁Sax on ▁and ▁Frank ish ▁ancest ry . ▁▁▁ ▁As ▁the ▁central ▁power ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁Roman ▁Emperor ▁weak ened , ▁the ▁Rh in eland ▁split ▁into ▁numerous ▁small , ▁independent , ▁separate ▁vic iss itudes ▁and ▁special ▁chron icles . ▁The ▁old ▁L oth aring ian ▁divisions ▁became ▁ob sole te , ▁although ▁the ▁name ▁surv ives ▁for ▁example ▁in ▁Lor raine ▁in ▁France , ▁and ▁throughout ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁and ▁even ▁into ▁modern ▁times , ▁the ▁nob ility ▁of ▁these ▁areas ▁often ▁sought ▁to ▁preserve ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁a ▁pre em inent ▁du ke ▁within ▁L oth aring ia , ▁something ▁claimed ▁by ▁the ▁D uk es ▁of ▁Lim burg , ▁and ▁the ▁D uk es ▁of ▁B rab ant . ▁Such ▁strugg les ▁as ▁the ▁War ▁of ▁the ▁Lim burg ▁Su cc ession ▁therefore ▁continued ▁to ▁create ▁military ▁and ▁political ▁links ▁between ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁Rh in eland - West phal ia ▁and ▁neighbour ing ▁Belg ium ▁and ▁the ▁Netherlands . ▁ ▁In ▁spite ▁of ▁its ▁dis member ed ▁condition ▁and ▁the ▁suffer ings ▁it ▁under w ent ▁at ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁its ▁French ▁neighb ours ▁in ▁various ▁periods ▁of ▁war fare , ▁the ▁R hen ish ▁territory ▁prosper ed ▁greatly ▁and ▁stood ▁in ▁the ▁for em ost ▁rank ▁of ▁German ▁culture ▁and ▁progress . ▁A achen ▁was ▁the ▁place ▁of ▁coron ation ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁em per