Amalia of Neuenahr was the daughter of Gumprecht of Neuenahr and Cordula of Holstein Schauenburg.

Her first husband was Hendrik van Brederode, who played an important part in the events leading up to the Eighty Years' War. After he became one of the leaders in the resistance against the Spanish Inquisition

Spanish Inquisition

The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition , commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition , was a tribunal established in 1480 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. It was intended to maintain Catholic orthodoxy in their kingdoms, and to replace the Medieval...

 and Spanish rule in the Netherlands, she helped him collect funds. After his death in 1568, she married Frederick III, Elector Palatine

Frederick III, Elector Palatine

Frederick III of Simmern, the Pious, Elector Palatine of the Rhine was a ruler from the house of Wittelsbach, branch Palatinate-Simmern-Sponheim. He was a son of John II of Simmern and inherited the Palatinate from the childless Elector Otto-Henry, Elector Palatine in 1559...

 of the Rhine in 1569. It was in the same year that Emilia

Emilia of Nassau

Countess Emilia of Nassau was the youngest daughter of William the Silent and his second wife Anna of Saxony.-Biography:thumb|160px|left|Prince Manuel, presumed Heir to the Throne of Portugal, son of Anthony I of Portugal...

, the second daughter of William the Silent

William the Silent

William I, Prince of Orange , also widely known as William the Silent , or simply William of Orange , was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years' War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. He was born in the House of...

 and his second wife Anna of Saxony

Anna of Saxony

Anna of Saxony was the only child and heiress of Maurice, Elector of Saxony, and Agnes, eldest daughter of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. She was the second wife of William the Silent.Anna was born and died in Dresden...

 was named after her. This is because she was in charge of Anna's household at the time. Frederick died in 1576.

From 1579 until 1587 she was in charge of Vianen, which she inherited from her first husband. In 1589 she inherited Limburg from Adolf

Adolf van Nieuwenaar

Adolf van Nieuwenaar, Count of Limburg and Meurs was a statesman and soldier, who was stadtholder of Gelderland and Utrecht for the States-General of the Netherlands during the initial stages of the Eighty Years' War.-Early life:Nieuwenaar was the son of Count Gumprecht II von...

, her half-brother. In 1590 she was given the rights of use of Alpen

Alpen, Germany

Alpen is a municipality in the district of Wesel, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.- Division of the town :The municipality consists 4 districts:* Alpen* Menzelen* Veen* Bönninghardt- Transportation :...

, Helpenstein, Lennep and Erbvogtei of Köln

KOLN

KOLN, digital channel 10, is the CBS affiliate in Lincoln, Nebraska. It operates a satellite station, KGIN, on digital channel 11 in Grand Island. KGIN repeats all KOLN programming, but airs separate commercials...

 by her half-sister, Magdalena. Alpen was occupied by the Dutch Republic

Dutch Republic

The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...

in 1597 and the following year by Spanish forces.