The County of Metz originated from the frankish Metzgau . In the second half of the 9th century it went to the Gerhardiner (de) , which held at the same time the County of Paris .
Over the Gerhardiner went the County—perhaps even in male lineage—to the Matfriede , which furthermore in 1047 received the title of Duke in Lorraine , namely Gerard IV, Duke of Alsace (c. 1030 – 1070), Seigneur of Châtenois (see also House of Châtenois ).
The County of Metz was eventually merged into the Bishopric of Metz .
From 1189 the city of Metz was a Free Imperial City of the German Holy Roman Empire .
Counts of Metz Buvinus, Count of Metz, 842/862 attested (Buviniden ) Adalhard of Metz (died 890). Children: Gerhard I (c.870 – 910), son of Adalhard. Married Oda , widow of Zwentibold , king of Lotharingia . They had four children, including Gottfried of Jülich (c.905 – a.949).Matfried (died 930), son of Adalhard. Count of Metz from 926 (?). Married Lantsind, daughter of Radald and his wife Rotrud. They had three children: Adalbert I (born c. 900 , died 944), son of Matfried. Married Luitgard of Aachen (c.910 – a.960), daughter of either Wigerich III of Aachen? (d. 916/919), Count of Bidgau with Kunigunde of Lorraine, granddaughter of Louis II of France , or more likely, a less known Wideric from Bidgau-Trier, son of Roric. Children: Matfried II (b.a. 944) and possibly a daughter Luitgarde Gerhard II (c.920 – a.963), from 963 Count of Metz, Vogt of Remiremont , son of Gottfried of Jülich (Matfriede ) and grandson of Gerhard I. With an unknown wife Gerhard had two possible sons: Richard (or Gerhard), (950/55 – a. 986), may also be son of Count Matfried II. Vogt of Remiremont . 982–1022: Gerhard III (died 1024/25), son of either Count Richard, or Gerhard, son of Gerhard II, with siblings Adalbert and Adelheid (975 – 1039/46). 1022–1033: Adalbert II (b. 974 – 1033/37 in Bouzonville ), brother or son to Gerhard III. Married Judith of Öhningen (c.975 – c. 1038). They had one registered child: 1033–1045: Gerhard IV (nl) (d. 1044/1045), son of Adalbert II. He married Gisela and had several children: 1045–1048: Adalbert, Duke of Lorraine, Adalbert III of Metz (c.1000 – 1048), Count of Metz, possibly also Count of Longwy. Had possibly one child, Emersinde, Countess of Longwy, married possibly to Conrad I, Count of Luxembourg (c. 1040 – 1086) 1048–1070: Gerhard, Duke of Lorraine, Gerhard V of Metz (d. 1070), Count of Metz Conrad, Adalbero, Beatrix, Cuono, Oda, Azelinus, Ida and Adelheid, whereof some actually might be other relatives
Counts Palatine of Metz 982-995: Folmar I, Count of Bliesgau (d. 995), Count of Lunéville and of Metz. Married Bertha and had possibly: 995–1026: Folmar II, Count of Bliesgau (d.a. 1026), son of Folmar I, married to Gerberge, probably daughter of Godfrey I, Count of Verdun (d.c. 1002) and of Mathilde of Saxony , daughter of Hermann, Duke of Saxony 1029–1056: Godefroy, Count of Metz (d. 1056), son of Folmar II, married Judith. 1056–1075: Folmar III/VI, Count of Metz (d. 1075), son of Godefroy, married Swanechilde (Suanehilde). They had Folmar IV/VII.
Counts (Palatine?) of MetzFolmar IV/VII (d. 1111) of Metz, son of Folmar III/VI. Count of Metz, Hüneburg , and Lunéville . He had three known children: Folmar V/VIII (d. 1145), son of Folmar IV/VII. Count of Metz and Hombourg . He married Mechtild of Dagsburg (d.a. 1157), and daughter of Albert I , Count of Moha , Egisheim and Dagsburg , with Ermesinde of Luxembourg (de) . Folmar and Mechtild had: Hugo X (fr) , Count of Dagsburg , Metz, Dabo and Moha , 1137/78 attested, nephew of Folmar V/VIII. He married Luitgarde of Sulzbach , sister of Queen Gertrude of Sulzbach and widow of Godfrey II, Count of Louvain . Hugo and Luitgarde had: Albert II, Albert of Lichtenberg (fr) (died 1212), son of Hugo X, 1175 Count of Dagsburg and Metz. He married Gertrude of Baden (b.1160 – b.1225), daughter of Hermann III, Margrave of Baden . They had: Henri and Guillaume, both dead at young age, and Gertrude , who became the heiress. Gertrude of Dagsburg (1190? – b. 1225), daughter of Albert II and Gertrude of Baden . She married three times: in 1206 to Theobald I (1191–1220), Duke of Lorraine since 1213 and Count of Dagsburg and Metz jure uxoris from 1216; secondly, in 1220, to Count Theobald IV of Champagne ; and finally, in 1224, to Simon III, Count of Saarbrücken . All marriages were childless and Simon inherited Dagsburg , incorporating it and creating Dagsburg-Leiningen .49°07′N 6°11′E / 49.12°N 6.18°E / 49.12; 6.18