On 30 March 1147, Godfrey was present at the coronation of
Henry Berengar, son of
Conrad III of Germany, in
Aachen. When Conrad left on Crusade, war began anew in 1148. Peace was elusive until the election of Conrad's successor,
Frederick Barbarossa. By marriage to Margaret, daughter of
Henry II of Limburg, Godfrey united two powerful and antagonistic houses in the region. In 1159 Godfrey ended the war with the Berthout, lords of
Grimbergen, by burning their impressive
castle at Grimbergen. In 1171, Godfrey was at war with
Hainaut, but was defeated. In 1172, he bought the
County of Aarschot from its wayward count
Godfried III, which in future generations would give rise to the dynasty of the
dukes of Aarschot that remain to this day. In 1179, he gave his son
Henry in marriage to a niece of
Philip of Alsace,
Count of Flanders. Between 1182 and 1184 Godfrey went on a Jerusalem campaign. In the interim, Barbarossa granted
Henry the title "
Duke of Brabant". Godfrey died in 1190, on 10 or 21 August. He left an increased territory and built the fortress of Nedelaer (near
Vilvoorde). The ducal title was transmitted to his son at the
Diet of
Schwäbisch Hall (September 1190). ==Marriages and children==