Tiel, a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of Gelderland, is thought to have been founded around 889, as it
was able to take over the role of port for Dorestad—which was never rebuilt after its complete destruction by the Normans
in 863—and because transit traffic had gradually shifted from the Rhine to the Waal. Tiel subsequently developed into an important
centre, the possession of which was highly valued by the German king/emperor. It possessed a ‘royal court’, which belonged
to the imperial estates and was administered by an imperial prefect. Tiel experienced its heyday in the 11th century, particularly
under Henry II and Conrad II. Over the course of the 11th century, its function as a port town was gradually lost, as transit
trade shifted to Dordrecht, situated further to the west. Under Otto III, a royal mint was established, which must have had
a very high production rate, particularly in the first half of the 11th century, rivalling that of Deventer. Around 1100,
the activities of the imperial mint came to a rather abrupt end, in which the loss of its status as a port may have played
a role.
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