Berg (state)
Encyclopedia
Berg was a state – originally a county, later a duchy
– in the Rhineland
of Germany
. Its capital was Düsseldorf
. It existed from the early 12th to the 19th centuries.
, which traced its roots back to the 9th-century Kingdom of Lotharingia
, and in the 11th century became the most powerful dynasty in the region of the lower Rhine. In 1160 the territory split into two portions, one of them later becoming the County of the Mark
, which returned to the possession of the family line in the 16th century. In 1280 the counts moved their court from Schloss Burg
on the Wupper
river to the town of Düsseldorf
. The most powerful of the early rulers of Berg, Engelbert II of Berg
died in an assassination on November 7, 1225. Count Adolf VIII of Berg
fought on the winning side in the Battle of Worringen
against Guelders
in 1288.
The power of Berg grew further in the 14th century. The County of Jülich
united with the County of Berg in 1348, and in 1380 the Emperor Wenceslaus
elevated the counts of Berg to the rank of dukes, thus originating the Duchy of Jülich-Berg.
, made a strategic marriage to Maria von Geldern, daughter of William IV, Duke of Jülich-Berg
, who became heiress to her father's estates: Jülich
, Berg and the County of Ravensberg, which under the Salic law
s of the Holy Roman Empire
caused the properties to pass to the husband of the female heir (women could not hold property except through a husband or a guardian). With the death of her father in 1521 the Dukes of Jülich-Berg became extinct, and the estate thus came under the rule of John III, Duke of Cleves — along with his personal territories, the County of the Mark
and the Duchy of Cleves
(Kleve) in a personal union. As a result of this union the dukes of the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg controlled much of present-day North Rhine-Westphalia
, with the exception of the clerical states of the Archbishop of Cologne and of the Bishop of Münster.
However, the new ducal dynasty also became extinct in 1609, when the last duke died insane. This led to a lengthy dispute over succession to the various territories before the partition of 1614: the Count Palatine of Neuburg
, who had converted to Catholicism, annexed Jülich
and Berg; while Cleves and Mark fell to John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg
, who subsequently also became Duke of Prussia. Upon the extinction of the senior dynasty ruling the Palatinate in 1685, the Neuburg line inherited the Electorate
and generally made Düsseldorf its capital until the Elector Palatine also inherited the Electorate of Bavaria
in 1777.
separated the two duchies of Jülich and Berg, and in 1803 Berg separated from the other Bavaria
n territories and came under the rule of a junior branch of the Wittelsbach
s. In 1806, in the reorganization of the German lands occasioned by the end of the Holy Roman Empire
, Berg became the Grand Duchy of Berg
, under the rule of Napoleon's brother-in-law, Joachim Murat
. Murat's arms combined the red lion of Berg with the arms of the duchy of Cleves
. The anchor and the batons came to the party due to Murat's positions as Grand Admiral and as Marshal of the Empire. As the husband of Napoleon's sister, Murat also had the right to use the imperial eagle.
In 1809, one year after Murat's promotion from Grand Duke of Berg to King of Naples, Napoleon's young nephew, Prince Napoleon Louis Bonaparte
(1804–1831, elder son of Napoleon's brother Louis Bonaparte
, King of Holland) became the Grand Duke of Berg; French bureaucrats administered the territory in the name of the child. The Grand Duchy's short existence came to an end with Napoleon's defeat in 1813 and the peace settlements that followed.
, Berg became part of a province
of the Kingdom of Prussia
: the Province of Jülich-Cleves-Berg
. In 1822 this province united with the Grand Duchy of the Lower Rhine
to form the Rhine Province
.
und Palatinate-Neuburg
, from 1690 also with the Electoral Palatinate, from 1777 also with Bavaria
–
of Berg shows a red lion with a double tail and blue crown, tongue, and claws – blazoned as: Argent a lion rampant gules, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned azure. This lion originates from the Netherlands, from the arms of the Duke of Limburg as the Berg titel in the 13th century fell to the Limburg line.
Duchy
A duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess.Some duchies were sovereign in areas that would become unified realms only during the Modern era . In contrast, others were subordinate districts of those kingdoms that unified either partially or completely during the Medieval era...
– in the Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Its capital was Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
. It existed from the early 12th to the 19th centuries.
Ascent
The Counts of Berg emerged in 1101 as a junior line of the dynasty of the EzzonenEzzonen
The Ezzonids were a dynasty of Lotharingian stock dating back as far as the ninth century. They attained prominence only in the eleventh century, through marriage with the Ottonian dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors. Named after Ezzo, Count Palatine of Lotharingia from 1015 to 1034, they dominated the...
, which traced its roots back to the 9th-century Kingdom of Lotharingia
Lotharingia
Lotharingia was a region in northwest Europe, comprising the Low Countries, the western Rhineland, the lands today on the border between France and Germany, and what is now western Switzerland. It was born of the tripartite division in 855, of the kingdom of Middle Francia, itself formed of the...
, and in the 11th century became the most powerful dynasty in the region of the lower Rhine. In 1160 the territory split into two portions, one of them later becoming the County of the Mark
Mark (county)
The County of Mark was a county and state of the Holy Roman Empire in the Lower Rhenish-Westphalian Circle. It lay on both sides of the Ruhr River along the Volme and Lenne Rivers....
, which returned to the possession of the family line in the 16th century. In 1280 the counts moved their court from Schloss Burg
Schloss Burg
Burg Castle , located in Burg an der Wupper , is the largest reconstructed castle in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and a popular tourist attraction...
on the Wupper
Wupper
The Wupper is a right tributary to the Rhine river in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Rising near Marienheide in western Sauerland it runs through the mountainous area of the Bergisches Land Berg County and enters the Rhine at Leverkussen, south of Düsseldorf...
river to the town of Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
. The most powerful of the early rulers of Berg, Engelbert II of Berg
Engelbert II of Berg
Count Engelbert II of Berg, also known as Saint Engelbert, Engelbert of Cologne, Engelbert I, Archbishop of Cologne or Engelbert I of Berg, Archbishop of Cologne was Archbishop of Cologne and a saint; he was the victim of a notorious murder by a member of his own family.-Early life:Engelbert was...
died in an assassination on November 7, 1225. Count Adolf VIII of Berg
Adolf VIII of Berg
Adolf VIII of Berg was the eldest son of Count Adolf VII of Berg and Margaret of Hochstaden....
fought on the winning side in the Battle of Worringen
Battle of Worringen
The Battle of Worringen was fought on June 5, 1288, near the town of Worringen , which is now the northernmost borough of Cologne...
against Guelders
Guelders
Guelders or Gueldres is the name of a historical county, later duchy of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the Low Countries.-Geography:...
in 1288.
The power of Berg grew further in the 14th century. The County of Jülich
Duchy of Jülich
The Duchy of Jülich comprised a state within the Holy Roman Empire from the 11th to the 18th centuries. The duchy lay left of the Rhine river between the Electorate of Cologne in the east and the Duchy of Limburg in the west. It had territories on both sides of the river Rur, around its capital...
united with the County of Berg in 1348, and in 1380 the Emperor Wenceslaus
Wenceslaus, King of the Romans
Wenceslaus ) was, by election, German King from 1376 and, by inheritance, King of Bohemia from 1378. He was the third Bohemian and second German monarch of the Luxembourg dynasty...
elevated the counts of Berg to the rank of dukes, thus originating the Duchy of Jülich-Berg.
Problems of succession
In 1509, John III, Duke of ClevesJohn III, Duke of Cleves
John III the Peaceful, Duke of Cleves and Count of Mark was a son of John II, Duke of Cleves and Matilda of Hesse, daughter of Henry III, Landgrave of Upper Hesse.John III became Regent of the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg in 1521, and Lord of Ravensberg in 1528.John represented...
, made a strategic marriage to Maria von Geldern, daughter of William IV, Duke of Jülich-Berg
William IV, Duke of Jülich-Berg
William IV of Jülich-Berg was the last ruler of the Duchy of Jülich-Berg.- Life :William was the son of Gerhard VII, Duke of Jülich-Berg and Sophie of Saxe-Lauenburg. When his father died in 1475, William became Duke of Jülich-Berg.He married the rich Countess Elisabeth of Nassau-Saarbrücken in...
, who became heiress to her father's estates: Jülich
Duchy of Jülich
The Duchy of Jülich comprised a state within the Holy Roman Empire from the 11th to the 18th centuries. The duchy lay left of the Rhine river between the Electorate of Cologne in the east and the Duchy of Limburg in the west. It had territories on both sides of the river Rur, around its capital...
, Berg and the County of Ravensberg, which under the Salic law
Salic law
Salic law was a body of traditional law codified for governing the Salian Franks in the early Middle Ages during the reign of King Clovis I in the 6th century...
s of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
caused the properties to pass to the husband of the female heir (women could not hold property except through a husband or a guardian). With the death of her father in 1521 the Dukes of Jülich-Berg became extinct, and the estate thus came under the rule of John III, Duke of Cleves — along with his personal territories, the County of the Mark
Mark (county)
The County of Mark was a county and state of the Holy Roman Empire in the Lower Rhenish-Westphalian Circle. It lay on both sides of the Ruhr River along the Volme and Lenne Rivers....
and the Duchy of Cleves
Duchy of Cleves
The Duchy of Cleves was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was situated in the northern Rhineland on both sides of the Lower Rhine, around its capital Cleves and the town of Wesel, bordering the lands of the Prince-Bishopric of Münster in the east and the Duchy of Brabant in the west...
(Kleve) in a personal union. As a result of this union the dukes of the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg controlled much of present-day North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
, with the exception of the clerical states of the Archbishop of Cologne and of the Bishop of Münster.
However, the new ducal dynasty also became extinct in 1609, when the last duke died insane. This led to a lengthy dispute over succession to the various territories before the partition of 1614: the Count Palatine of Neuburg
Palatinate-Neuburg
Palatinate-Neuburg is a former territory of the Holy Roman Empire, founded in 1505. Its capital was Neuburg an der Donau. Its area was about 2,750 km², with a population of some 100,000.-History:...
, who had converted to Catholicism, annexed Jülich
Duchy of Jülich
The Duchy of Jülich comprised a state within the Holy Roman Empire from the 11th to the 18th centuries. The duchy lay left of the Rhine river between the Electorate of Cologne in the east and the Duchy of Limburg in the west. It had territories on both sides of the river Rur, around its capital...
and Berg; while Cleves and Mark fell to John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg
John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg
John Sigismund was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from the House of Hohenzollern. He also served as a Duke of Prussia.-Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia:...
, who subsequently also became Duke of Prussia. Upon the extinction of the senior dynasty ruling the Palatinate in 1685, the Neuburg line inherited the Electorate
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
and generally made Düsseldorf its capital until the Elector Palatine also inherited the Electorate of Bavaria
Electorate of Bavaria
The Electorate of Bavaria was an independent hereditary electorate of the Holy Roman Empire from 1623 to 1806, when it was succeeded by the Kingdom of Bavaria....
in 1777.
French revolution, Grand Duchy of Berg
The French occupation (1794–1801) and annexation (1801) of Jülich (French: Juliers) during the French revolutionary warsFrench Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
separated the two duchies of Jülich and Berg, and in 1803 Berg separated from the other Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n territories and came under the rule of a junior branch of the Wittelsbach
Wittelsbach
The Wittelsbach family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria.Members of the family served as Dukes, Electors and Kings of Bavaria , Counts Palatine of the Rhine , Margraves of Brandenburg , Counts of Holland, Hainaut and Zeeland , Elector-Archbishops of Cologne , Dukes of...
s. In 1806, in the reorganization of the German lands occasioned by the end of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, Berg became the Grand Duchy of Berg
Grand Duchy of Berg
The Grand Duchy of Berg was established by Napoleon Bonaparte after his victory at the 1805 Battle of Austerlitz on territories between the French Empire at the Rhine river and the Kingdom of Westphalia.-History:...
, under the rule of Napoleon's brother-in-law, Joachim Murat
Joachim Murat
Joachim-Napoléon Murat , Marshal of France and Grand Admiral or Admiral of France, 1st Prince Murat, was Grand Duke of Berg from 1806 to 1808 and then King of Naples from 1808 to 1815...
. Murat's arms combined the red lion of Berg with the arms of the duchy of Cleves
Duchy of Cleves
The Duchy of Cleves was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was situated in the northern Rhineland on both sides of the Lower Rhine, around its capital Cleves and the town of Wesel, bordering the lands of the Prince-Bishopric of Münster in the east and the Duchy of Brabant in the west...
. The anchor and the batons came to the party due to Murat's positions as Grand Admiral and as Marshal of the Empire. As the husband of Napoleon's sister, Murat also had the right to use the imperial eagle.
In 1809, one year after Murat's promotion from Grand Duke of Berg to King of Naples, Napoleon's young nephew, Prince Napoleon Louis Bonaparte
Napoleon Louis Bonaparte
Napoléon Louis Bonaparte , or Louis II of Holland, was the middle son of Louis Napoléon, King of Holland, and Hortense de Beauharnais. His father was the younger brother of Emperor Napoléon I and king of Holland, while his mother was the daughter of Josephine de Beauharnais, Napoléon's first wife...
(1804–1831, elder son of Napoleon's brother Louis Bonaparte
Louis Bonaparte
Louis Napoléon Bonaparte, Prince Français, Comte de Saint-Leu , King of Holland , was the fifth surviving child and the fourth surviving son of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino...
, King of Holland) became the Grand Duke of Berg; French bureaucrats administered the territory in the name of the child. The Grand Duchy's short existence came to an end with Napoleon's defeat in 1813 and the peace settlements that followed.
Province of Jülich-Cleves-Berg
In 1815, after the Congress of ViennaCongress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
, Berg became part of a province
Provinces of Prussia
The Provinces of Prussia constituted the main administrative divisions of Prussia. Following the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 and the Congress of Vienna in 1815 the various princely states in Germany gained their nominal sovereignty, but the reunification process that culminated in...
of the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
: the Province of Jülich-Cleves-Berg
Province of Jülich-Cleves-Berg
The Province of Jülich-Cleves-Berg was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1815–22. The province was largely made up of the land held by the former United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg...
. In 1822 this province united with the Grand Duchy of the Lower Rhine
Grand Duchy of the Lower Rhine
The Grand Duchy of the Lower Rhine , or simply known as the Lower Rhine Province was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and existed from 1815 to 1822....
to form the Rhine Province
Rhine Province
The Rhine Province , also known as Rhenish Prussia or synonymous to the Rhineland , was the westernmost province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia, within the German Reich, from 1822-1946. It was created from the provinces of the Lower Rhine and Jülich-Cleves-Berg...
.
Rulers of Berg
House of Ezzonen
- Hermann I "Pusillus"Hermann I (count palatine)Herman I , called Pusillus or the Slender, was the Count Palatine of Lotharingia and of several counties along the Rhine, including Bonngau, Eifelgau, Mieblgau, Zulpichgau, Keldachgau, Alzey and Auelgau, from 945 until his death....
, Count PalatineCount palatineCount palatine is a high noble title, used to render several comital styles, in some cases also shortened to Palatine, which can have other meanings as well.-Comes palatinus:...
of LotharingiaLotharingiaLotharingia was a region in northwest Europe, comprising the Low Countries, the western Rhineland, the lands today on the border between France and Germany, and what is now western Switzerland. It was born of the tripartite division in 855, of the kingdom of Middle Francia, itself formed of the... - Adolf I of LotharingiaAdolf I of LotharingiaAdolf I of Lotharingia, count of Keldachgau, Vogt of Deutz from 1008 until 1018, was the son of Hermann I "Pusillus" , count palatine of Lotharingia. He left three sons:*Hermann III, Vogt of Deutz in St...
, Vogt of Deutz - Adolf II of LotharingiaAdolf II of LotharingiaAdolf II of Lotharingia count in Keldachgau, Vogt of Deutz , son of Adolf I of Lotharingia, count in Keldachgau, Vogt of Deutz. He left two sons:...
, Vogt of Deutz
House of Berg
- 1077–1082 Adolf I of BergAdolf I of BergAdolf I of Berg, count of Berg from 1077 until 1082, Vogt of Werden, Deutz, Berg and Gerresheim , son of Adolf II of Lotharingia count of Keldachgau, Vogt of Deutz...
, 1st Count of Berg - 1082–1093 Adolf II of BergAdolf II of BergAdolf II of Berg-Hövel , count of Berg, count in Auelgau and Siegburg, Vogt of Werden , was the son of Adolf I of Berg. He married in 1035 Adelheid von Laufen, a daughter of Heinrich II count von Laufen and Ida von Werl-Hövel , and heiress of Hövel/Huvili, Unna, Telgte, Warendorf, etc...
-Hövel (Huvili), Count of Berg - 1093–1132 Adolf III, Count of Berg
- 1132–1160 Adolf IV, Count of Berg
- 1160–1189 Engelbert IEngelbert I of Berg (count)Count Engelbert I of Berg ruled the County of Berg from 1160 to 1189. He was the son of Adolf IV of Berg.Through his loyalty to the German Emperor and the Archbishops of Cologne he succeeded in stabilising the county and increasing its revenues...
, Count of Berg - 1189–1218 Adolf VI, Count of Berg
- 1218–1225 Engelbert II of BergEngelbert II of BergCount Engelbert II of Berg, also known as Saint Engelbert, Engelbert of Cologne, Engelbert I, Archbishop of Cologne or Engelbert I of Berg, Archbishop of Cologne was Archbishop of Cologne and a saint; he was the victim of a notorious murder by a member of his own family.-Early life:Engelbert was...
, Archbishop of Cologne, Regent of Berg - 1218–1248 IrmgardIrmgard of BergIrmgard of Berg, heiress of Berg , was the child of Adolf VI count of Berg and Berta von Sayn.She married in 1217 Henry IV, Duke of Limburg , who became count of Berg in 1225. Henry IV of Limburg-Berg died on 25 Feb 1246; their descendants were counts of Berg, the county of Berg leaving the...
, heiress of Berg
House of Limburg
- 1218–1247 Henry IVHenry IV of LimburgHenry IV was the duke of Limburg and count of Berg from 1226 to his death. He was the son of Waleran III, count of Luxembourg and duke of Limburg, and Cunigunda, daughter of Frederick I, Duke of Lorraine....
Duke of Limburg, Count of Berg - 1247–1259 Adolf VIIAdolf VII of BergAdolf VII of Berg was the eldest son of Henry IV, Duke of Limburg and Irmgard of Berg.In 1247, Adolf succeeded his father as Count of Berg while his brother Waleran succeeded as Duke of Limburg...
Count of Limburg, Count of Berg - 1259–1296 Adolf VIIIAdolf VIII of BergAdolf VIII of Berg was the eldest son of Count Adolf VII of Berg and Margaret of Hochstaden....
- 1296–1308 William IWilliam I of BergWilliam I of Berg was the son of Count Adolf VII of Berg and Margaret of Hochstaden.Upon the death of his brother, Count Adolf VIII of Berg, William succeeded as Count of Berg. He had previously served as a Monk but was absolved from his vows by the Pope. His tenure was marked by further...
- 1308–1348 Adolf IXAdolf IX of BergAdolf IX of Berg was the eldest son of Henry of Berg, Lord of Windeck and Agnes of the Mark....
House of Jülich(-Heimbach), Counts
– in union with Ravensberg –- 1348–1360 GerhardGerhard VI of Jülich, Count of Berg and RavensbergGerhard VI of Jülich, Count of Berg and Ravensberg was the son of William V, Duke of Jülich and Joanna of Hainaut.Gerhard was betrothed in 1333 to Margaret of Guelders, daughter of Rainald II of Guelders and Sophia Betrout. However, this marriage was never consummated, likely due either to...
- 1360–1380 Wilhelm II.William VII of Jülich, 1st Duke of BergWilliam VII of Jülich, 1st Duke of Berg was born in Jülich, the son of Gerhard VI of Jülich, Count of Berg and Ravensberg, and Margaret, daughter and heiress of Otto IV, Count of Ravensberg, and Margaret of Berg....
; became duke in 1380
House of Jülich(-Heimbach), Dukes
– in union with Ravensberg (except 1404–1437) and after 1423 in union with the duchy of Jülich –- 1380–1408 William IWilliam VII of Jülich, 1st Duke of BergWilliam VII of Jülich, 1st Duke of Berg was born in Jülich, the son of Gerhard VI of Jülich, Count of Berg and Ravensberg, and Margaret, daughter and heiress of Otto IV, Count of Ravensberg, and Margaret of Berg....
- 1408–1437 AdolfAdolf, Duke of Jülich-BergAdolf, Duke of Jülich-Berg , was the first Duke of the combined duchies of Jülich and Berg. He was the son of William VII of Jülich, 1st Duke of Berg and Anna of the Palatinate....
- 1437–1475 GerhardGerhard VII, Duke of Jülich-BergGerhard VII, Duke of Jülich-Berg was the son of William VIII of Jülich, Count of Ravensberg and Adelheid of Tecklenburg. Gerhard was the second duke of the combined Duchy of Jülich-Berg but the 7th Gerhard in the House of Jülich....
- 1475–1511 Wilhelm IIWilliam IV, Duke of Jülich-BergWilliam IV of Jülich-Berg was the last ruler of the Duchy of Jülich-Berg.- Life :William was the son of Gerhard VII, Duke of Jülich-Berg and Sophie of Saxe-Lauenburg. When his father died in 1475, William became Duke of Jülich-Berg.He married the rich Countess Elisabeth of Nassau-Saarbrücken in...
House of La Marck, Dukes
– from 1521 a part of the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg–- 1511–1539 JohannJohn III, Duke of ClevesJohn III the Peaceful, Duke of Cleves and Count of Mark was a son of John II, Duke of Cleves and Matilda of Hesse, daughter of Henry III, Landgrave of Upper Hesse.John III became Regent of the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg in 1521, and Lord of Ravensberg in 1528.John represented...
- 1539–1592 William IIIWilhelm, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-BergWilliam of Jülich-Cleves-Berg was a Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg .William was born in and died in Düsseldorf. He was the only son of John III, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg, and Maria, Duchess of Jülich-Berg. William took over rule of his father's estates upon his death in 1539...
- 1592–1609 Johann Wilhelm IJohn William, Duke of Julich-Cleves-BergJohn William of Jülich-Cleves-Berg was a Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg.His parents were William the Rich, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg and Maria of Austria , a daughter of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary. He grew up and was educated in Xanten. John William became...
House of Wittelsbach, Dukes
– in union with JülichDuchy of Jülich
The Duchy of Jülich comprised a state within the Holy Roman Empire from the 11th to the 18th centuries. The duchy lay left of the Rhine river between the Electorate of Cologne in the east and the Duchy of Limburg in the west. It had territories on both sides of the river Rur, around its capital...
und Palatinate-Neuburg
Palatinate-Neuburg
Palatinate-Neuburg is a former territory of the Holy Roman Empire, founded in 1505. Its capital was Neuburg an der Donau. Its area was about 2,750 km², with a population of some 100,000.-History:...
, from 1690 also with the Electoral Palatinate, from 1777 also with Bavaria
History of Bavaria
The history of Bavaria stretches from its earliest settlement and its formation as a stem duchy in the 6th century through its inclusion in the Holy Roman Empires to its status as an independent kingdom and, finally, as a large and significant Bundesland of the modern Federal Republic of...
–
- 1614–1653 Wolfgang WilhelmWolfgang Wilhelm, Count Palatine of NeuburgWolfgang William was a German Count palatine and the Duke of Jülich and Berg.-Life:...
- 1653–1679 Phillip WilhelmPhilipp Wilhelm, Elector PalatinePhilip William of Neuburg, Elector Palatine was Count Palatine of Neuburg from 1653 to 1690, Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1653 to 1679 and Elector of the Palatinate from 1685 to 1690...
- 1679–1716 Johann Wilhelm IIJohann Wilhelm, Elector PalatineJohann Wilhelm II, Elector Palatine was Elector Palatine , Duke Palatine of Neuburg/Danube , Duke of Jülich and Berg , and Duke of Upper Palatinate and Cham...
- 1716–1742 Karl PhillipKarl III Philip, Elector PalatineCharles III Philip, Elector Palatine was a ruler from the house of Wittelsbach. He was Elector Palatine, Count of Palatinate-Neuburg, and Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1716 to 1742...
- 1742–1799 Karl TheodorCharles Theodore, Elector of BavariaCharles Theodore, Prince-Elector, Count Palatine and Duke of Bavaria reigned as Prince-Elector and Count palatine from 1742, as Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1742 and also as Prince-Elector and Duke of Bavaria from 1777, until his death...
- 1799–1806 Maximilian Josef
- 1803–1806 William of Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld-GelnhausenDuke Wilhelm in BavariaDuke Wilhelm in Bavaria, full German name: Wilhelm, Herzog in Bayern was Count Palatine of Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen between 1789 and 1799 and first Duke in Bavaria from 16 February 1799 until his death in 1837...
, Duke in BavariaDuke in BavariaDuke in Bavaria was a title used among others since 1506, when primogeniture was established, by all members of the House of Wittelsbach, with the exception of the Duke of Bavaria which began to be a unique position...
(administrator)
- 1803–1806 William of Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen
French Grand Dukes
- 1806–1808 Joachim MuratJoachim MuratJoachim-Napoléon Murat , Marshal of France and Grand Admiral or Admiral of France, 1st Prince Murat, was Grand Duke of Berg from 1806 to 1808 and then King of Naples from 1808 to 1815...
- 1808–1809 Napoléon Bonaparte
- 1809–1813 Napoleon Louis BonaparteNapoleon Louis BonaparteNapoléon Louis Bonaparte , or Louis II of Holland, was the middle son of Louis Napoléon, King of Holland, and Hortense de Beauharnais. His father was the younger brother of Emperor Napoléon I and king of Holland, while his mother was the daughter of Josephine de Beauharnais, Napoléon's first wife...
(under the regency of Napoléon Bonaparte)
Coat of arms
The historic coat of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of Berg shows a red lion with a double tail and blue crown, tongue, and claws – blazoned as: Argent a lion rampant gules, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned azure. This lion originates from the Netherlands, from the arms of the Duke of Limburg as the Berg titel in the 13th century fell to the Limburg line.