Duchy of Cleves
Encyclopedia
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. Its history is closely related to that of its southern neighbours: the Duchies of Jülich
and Berg
, as well as Guelders
and the Westphalia
n county of Mark.
The duchy's territory roughly covered the present-day German
districts of Cleves (northern part), Wesel
and the city of Duisburg
, as well as adjacent parts of the Limburg
, North Brabant
and Gelderland
provinces in the Netherlands
.
entrusted the administration of the Klever Reichswald
, a large forested area around the Kaiserpfalz
at Nijmegen directly subordinate to the Imperial rule, to local Lower Lorrainian
nobles at Geldern
and Kleve. A County of Cleves was first mentioned in the 11th century. In 1417, the county
became a duchy
. Upon the death of Count Johann
in 1368, the fief was inherited by his nephew Adolf III of the Marck
. Cleves and Mark were finally ruled in personal union
by the House of La Marck after Adolf's elder brother Count Engelbert III had died without issue in 1391. King Sigismund of Germany
raised Count Adolph I
to the status of a duke and a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire
in 1417.
The Cleves-Mark territories became one of the most significant estates of the Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle in 1500, rivaled by the Prince-Bishops of Münster. In 1511 John III of La Marck
, son of Duke John II of Cleves
, by his marriage with Maria
inherited the fiefs of Jülich and Berge upon the death of his father-in-law Duke William IV. When John III succeeded his father as Duke of Cleves in 1521, the states of Jülich, Berge, Cleves and Mark formed the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg. His daughter Anne of Cleves
(1515–57) even became Queen Consort of England
for a few months in 1540, as her brother William, duke since 1539, quarelled with Emperor Charles V
over the possession of Guelders
and sought support from King Henry VIII
.
When the last duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berge died issueless in 1609, the War of the Jülich succession
broke out. The lands were finally divided between the Wittelsbach dukes of Palatinate-Neuburg
(Jülich and Berge) and the Margraviate of Brandenburg
, who gained Cleves with Mark and Ravensberg according to the 1614 Treaty of Xanten
. The Hohenzollern
margraves thereby got a first foothold in the Rhineland
, however, large parts of the Duchy of Cleves were occupied by the United Provinces
until the Franco-Dutch War
in 1672. Finally incorporated into Brandenburg-Prussia
by the Great Elector Frederick William I of Brandenburg in 1666 and part of the Kingdom of Prussia
after 1701, Cleves was occupied by French
forces in the Seven Years' War
(1757–62).
In 1795 the Duchy of Cleves west of the Rhine and Wesel
was occupied by France
, and became part of the French département of the Roer
. The rest of the duchy was occupied between 1803 and 1805, and became part of the département of Yssel-Supérieur
and the puppet-state Grand Duchy of Berge (after 1811, the département of Lippe
). In 1815, after the defeat of Napoleon
, the duchy became part of the Prussian Province of Jülich-Cleves-Berge, which merged in the Prussian Rhine Province
in 1822. The cities Gennep
, Zevenaar
, and Huissen
became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands
as a result of the 1815 Congress of Vienna
.
Imperial State
An Imperial State or Imperial Estate was an entity in the Holy Roman Empire with a vote in the Imperial Diet assemblies. Several territories of the Empire were not represented, while some officials were non-voting members; neither qualified as Imperial States.Rulers of Imperial States were...
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...
. It was situated in the northern Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
on both sides of the Lower Rhine
Lower Rhine
The Lower Rhine flows from Bonn, Germany, to the North Sea at Hoek van Holland, Netherlands.Almost immediately after entering the Netherlands, the Rhine splits into many branches. The main branch is called the Waal which flows from Nijmegen to meet the river Meuse; after which it is called Merwede...
, around its capital Cleves and the town of Wesel
Wesel
Wesel is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district.-Division of the town:Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrighoven, Ginderich, Feldmark,Fusternberg, Büderich, Flüren and Blumenkamp.-History:...
, bordering the lands of the Prince-Bishopric of Münster in the east and the Duchy of Brabant
Duchy of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant was a historical region in the Low Countries. Its territory consisted essentially of the three modern-day Belgian provinces of Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and Antwerp, the Brussels-Capital Region and most of the present-day Dutch province of North Brabant.The Flag of...
in the west. Its history is closely related to that of its southern neighbours: the Duchies 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...
and Berg
Berg (state)
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.-Ascent:...
, as well as 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:...
and the Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
n county of Mark.
The duchy's territory roughly covered the present-day German
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...
districts of Cleves (northern part), Wesel
Wesel (district)
Wesel is a Kreis in the northwestern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Borken, Recklinghausen, district-free cities Bottrop, Oberhausen, Duisburg and Krefeld, districts Viersen, Cleves.-History:...
and the city of Duisburg
Duisburg
- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
, as well as adjacent parts of the Limburg
Limburg (Netherlands)
Limburg is the southernmost of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands. It is located in the southeastern part of the country and bordered by the province of Gelderland to the north, Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and part of the west, andthe Dutch province of North Brabant partly to...
, North Brabant
North Brabant
North Brabant , sometimes called Brabant, is a province of the Netherlands, located in the south of the country, bordered by Belgium in the south, the Meuse River in the north, Limburg in the east and Zeeland in the west.- History :...
and Gelderland
Gelderland
Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,...
provinces in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
History
In the early 11th century Emperor Henry IIHenry II, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry II , also referred to as Saint Henry, Obl.S.B., was the fifth and last Holy Roman Emperor of the Ottonian dynasty, from his coronation in Rome in 1014 until his death a decade later. He was crowned King of the Germans in 1002 and King of Italy in 1004...
entrusted the administration of the Klever Reichswald
Klever Reichswald
The Klever Reichswald is an Imperial forest near Kleve in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany between the Rivers Rhine and Maas at the Dutch/German border...
, a large forested area around the Kaiserpfalz
Kaiserpfalz
The term Kaiserpfalz or Königspfalz refers to a number of castles across the Holy Roman Empire which served as temporary, secondary seats of power for the Holy Roman Emperor in the Early and High Middle Ages...
at Nijmegen directly subordinate to the Imperial rule, to local Lower Lorrainian
Lower Lorraine
The Duchy of Lower Lorraine or Lower Lotharingia , established in 959 was a stem duchy of the medieval German kingdom, which encompassed part of modern-day Belgium, the Netherlands, the northern part of the German Rhineland and a part of northern France east of the Schelde river.It was created out...
nobles at Geldern
Geldern
Geldern ) is a city in the northwest of the federal state North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is part of the district of Cleves, which is part of the Düsseldorfadministrative region.-Location:...
and Kleve. A County of Cleves was first mentioned in the 11th century. In 1417, the county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
became a duchy
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...
. Upon the death of Count Johann
Johann, Count of Cleves
Johann was last Count of Cleves, from 1347 through 1368. Upon his death in 1368, the counties of Cleves and Count of Mark were united.The County of Cleves was a comital polity of the Holy Roman Empire in present Germany and the Netherlands...
in 1368, the fief was inherited by his nephew Adolf III of the Marck
Adolf III of the Marck
Adolph III of the Marck was the Bishop of Münster from 1357 until 1363, the Archbishop of Cologne in 1363, the Count of Cleves from 1368 until 1394, and the Count of Mark from 1391 until 1393.Adolph was the second son of Count Adolph II of the Marck...
. Cleves and Mark were finally ruled in personal union
Personal union
A personal union is the combination by which two or more different states have the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state...
by the House of La Marck after Adolf's elder brother Count Engelbert III had died without issue in 1391. King Sigismund of Germany
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
raised Count Adolph I
Adolph I, Duke of Cleves
Adolph I of Cleves was 2nd. Count of Cleves and 4th. Count of Mark.- Life :He was the son of Adolph III, Count of Mark, and Margaret of Julich ....
to the status of a duke and a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire
Princes of the Holy Roman Empire
The term Prince of the Holy Roman Empire denoted a secular or ecclesiastical Imperial State, who ruled over an immediate fief directly assigned by the Holy Roman Emperor...
in 1417.
The Cleves-Mark territories became one of the most significant estates of the Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle in 1500, rivaled by the Prince-Bishops of Münster. In 1511 John III of La Marck
John 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...
, son of Duke John II of Cleves
John II, Duke of Cleves
John II, "The Pious" or "The Babymaker", Duke of Cleves, Count of Mark, was a son of John I, Duke of Cleves and Elizabeth of Nevers. He ruled Cleves from 1481 to his death in 1521...
, by his marriage with Maria
Maria of Jülich-Berg
Maria of Jülich-Berg was born in Jülich, the daughter of Wilhelm IV, Duke of Jülich-Berg and Sibylle of Brandenburg....
inherited the fiefs of Jülich and Berge upon the death of his father-in-law Duke William IV. When John III succeeded his father as Duke of Cleves in 1521, the states of Jülich, Berge, Cleves and Mark formed the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg. His daughter Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves was a German noblewoman and the fourth wife of Henry VIII of England and as such she was Queen of England from 6 January 1540 to 9 July 1540. The marriage was never consummated, and she was not crowned queen consort...
(1515–57) even became Queen Consort of England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
for a few months in 1540, as her brother William, duke since 1539, quarelled with Emperor Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
over the possession of 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:...
and sought support from King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
.
When the last duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berge died issueless in 1609, the War of the Jülich succession
War of the Jülich Succession
The War of the Jülich Succession was a conflict that began in 1609 and ended in 1614 with the signing of the Treaty of Xanten.-Background:...
broke out. The lands were finally divided between the Wittelsbach dukes of 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:...
(Jülich and Berge) and the Margraviate of Brandenburg
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
, who gained Cleves with Mark and Ravensberg according to the 1614 Treaty of Xanten
Treaty of Xanten
The Treaty of Xanten was signed in the Lower Rhine town of Xanten on November 12, 1614 between Wolfgang William, Duke of Palatinate-Neuburg and John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg, with representatives from England and France serving as mediators....
. The Hohenzollern
House of Hohenzollern
The House of Hohenzollern is a noble family and royal dynasty of electors, kings and emperors of Prussia, Germany and Romania. It originated in the area around the town of Hechingen in Swabia during the 11th century. They took their name from their ancestral home, the Burg Hohenzollern castle near...
margraves thereby got a first foothold 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....
, however, large parts of the Duchy of Cleves were occupied by the United Provinces
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...
until the Franco-Dutch War
Franco-Dutch War
The Franco-Dutch War, often called simply the Dutch War was a war fought by France, Sweden, the Bishopric of Münster, the Archbishopric of Cologne and England against the United Netherlands, which were later joined by the Austrian Habsburg lands, Brandenburg and Spain to form a quadruple alliance...
in 1672. Finally incorporated into Brandenburg-Prussia
Brandenburg-Prussia
Brandenburg-Prussia is the historiographic denomination for the Early Modern realm of the Brandenburgian Hohenzollerns between 1618 and 1701. Based in the Electorate of Brandenburg, the main branch of the Hohenzollern intermarried with the branch ruling the Duchy of Prussia, and secured succession...
by the Great Elector Frederick William I of Brandenburg in 1666 and part 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...
after 1701, Cleves was occupied by French
Early Modern France
Kingdom of France is the early modern period of French history from the end of the 15th century to the end of the 18th century...
forces in the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
(1757–62).
In 1795 the Duchy of Cleves west of the Rhine and Wesel
Wesel
Wesel is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district.-Division of the town:Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrighoven, Ginderich, Feldmark,Fusternberg, Büderich, Flüren and Blumenkamp.-History:...
was occupied by France
French Directory
The Directory was a body of five Directors that held executive power in France following the Convention and preceding the Consulate...
, and became part of the French département of the Roer
Roer (département)
Roer is the name of a département of the First French Empire in present day Germany and the Netherlands. It was named after the river Rur, which flows through the département. It was formed in 1795, when the Southern Netherlands and the left bank of the Rhine were occupied by the French...
. The rest of the duchy was occupied between 1803 and 1805, and became part of the département of Yssel-Supérieur
Yssel-Supérieur
Yssel-Supérieur was the name of a département of the First French Empire in the present Netherlands. It was named after the river IJssel. It was formed in 1810, when the Kingdom of Holland was annexed by France. Its territory corresponded with part of the present Dutch province Gelderland. Its...
and the puppet-state Grand Duchy of Berge (after 1811, the département of Lippe
Lippe (département)
Lippe is the name of a département of the First French Empire in present Germany. It is named after the river Lippe. It was formed in 1811, when a part of the Grand Duchy of Berg was annexed by France. Its territory is part of the present German lands Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. Its...
). In 1815, after the defeat of Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
, the duchy became part of the Prussian Province of Jülich-Cleves-Berge, which merged in the Prussian 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...
in 1822. The cities Gennep
Gennep
Gennep is a municipality and a city in the southeastern Netherlands.- Population centres :Aaldonk, Dam, De Looi, Diekendaal, Gennep, Heijen, Hekkens, Milsbeek, Ottersum, Smele, Ven-Zelderheide and Zelder.- The city of Gennep :...
, Zevenaar
Zevenaar
Zevenaar is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands, near the border with Germany.- Population centres :*Angerlo*Babberich*Giesbeek*Lathum*Ooy*Oud Zevenaar*Zevenaar...
, and Huissen
Huissen
Huissen is a town in Gelderland, Netherlands and has about 17,000 inhabitants. It is located at the Nederrijn, in the area between Arnhem and Nijmegen...
became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands
United Kingdom of the Netherlands
United Kingdom of the Netherlands is the unofficial name used to refer to Kingdom of the Netherlands during the period after it was first created from part of the First French Empire and before the new kingdom of Belgium split out in 1830...
as a result of the 1815 Congress of Vienna
Congress 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,...
.
Rulers of Cleves
Counts of Cleves
- 1092–1119 Dietrich IDietrich I, Count of ClevesDietrich I was the first Count of Cleves. He reigned from 1092 through 1119. The County of Cleves was a comital polity of the Holy Roman Empire in present Germany and the Netherlands . Its rulers, called counts, had a special and privileged standing in the Empire...
- 1119–1147 Arnold IArnold I, Count of ClevesArnold I was Count of Cleves from 1119 through 1147.The County of Cleves was a comital polity of the Holy Roman Empire in present Germany and the Netherlands . Its rulers, called counts, had a special and privileged standing in the Empire. The County of Cleves was first mentioned in the 11th...
- 1147–1172 Dietrich IIDietrich II, Count of ClevesDietrich II was Count of Cleves from 1147 through 1172.The County of Cleves was a comital polity of the Holy Roman Empire in present Germany and the Netherlands . Its rulers, called counts, had a special and privileged standing in the Empire. The County of Cleves was first mentioned in the 11th...
- 1172–1188 Dietrich IIIDietrich III, Count of ClevesDietrich III was Count of Cleves from 1172 through 1188.The County of Cleves was a comital polity of the Holy Roman Empire in present Germany and the Netherlands . Its rulers, called counts, had a special and privileged standing in the Empire. The County of Cleves was first mentioned in the 11th...
- 1188–1198 Dietrich IVDietrich IV, Count of ClevesDietrich IV was Count of Cleves from 1188 through 1198.The County of Cleves was a comital polity of the Holy Roman Empire in present Germany and the Netherlands . Its rulers, called counts, had a special and privileged standing in the Empire. The County of Cleves was first mentioned in the 11th...
- 1198–1201 Arnold IIArnold II, Count of ClevesArnold II was Count of Cleves from 1198 through 1201.The County of Cleves was a comital polity of the Holy Roman Empire in present Germany and the Netherlands . Its rulers, called counts, had a special and privileged standing in the Empire. The County of Cleves was first mentioned in the 11th...
- 1201–1260 Dietrich VDietrich V, Count of ClevesDietrich V was Count of Cleves from 1201 through 1260.The County of Cleves was a comital polity of the Holy Roman Empire in present Germany and the Netherlands . Its rulers, called counts, had a special and privileged standing in the Empire. The County of Cleves was first mentioned in the 11th...
- 1260–1275 Dietrich VIDietrich VI, Count of ClevesDietrich VI, also called Dietrich of Meissen, was Count of Cleves from 1260 through 1275.The County of Cleves was a comital polity of the Holy Roman Empire in present Germany and the Netherlands . Its rulers, called counts, had a special and privileged standing in the Empire...
- 1275–1305 Dietrich VII of MeissenDietrich VII, Count of ClevesDietrich VII was Count of Cleves from 1275 through 1305.The County of Cleves was a comital polity of the Holy Roman Empire in present Germany and the Netherlands . Its rulers, called counts, had a special and privileged standing in the Empire. The County of Cleves was first mentioned in the...
- 1305–1310 OttoOtto, Count of ClevesOtto was Count of Cleves from 1305 through 1310.The County of Cleves was a comital polity of the Holy Roman Empire in present Germany and the Netherlands . Its rulers, called counts, had a special and privileged standing in the Empire. The County of Cleves was first mentioned in the 11th century...
- 1310–1347 Dietrich VIIIDietrich VIII, Count of ClevesDietrich VIII was Count of Cleves from 1310 through 1347.The County of Cleves was a comital polity of the Holy Roman Empire in present Germany and the Netherlands . Its rulers, called counts, had a special and privileged standing in the Empire...
- 1347–1368 JohannJohann, Count of ClevesJohann was last Count of Cleves, from 1347 through 1368. Upon his death in 1368, the counties of Cleves and Count of Mark were united.The County of Cleves was a comital polity of the Holy Roman Empire in present Germany and the Netherlands...
Counts of Cleves
- 1368–1394 Adolf III
- 1394–1448 Adolph IIAdolph I, Duke of ClevesAdolph I of Cleves was 2nd. Count of Cleves and 4th. Count of Mark.- Life :He was the son of Adolph III, Count of Mark, and Margaret of Julich ....
Dukes of Cleves
- 1394–1448 Adolph IIAdolph I, Duke of ClevesAdolph I of Cleves was 2nd. Count of Cleves and 4th. Count of Mark.- Life :He was the son of Adolph III, Count of Mark, and Margaret of Julich ....
, since 1417 Duke of Cleves as Adolph I - 1448–1481 John IJohn I, Duke of ClevesJohn I, Duke of Cleves, Count of Mark was Duke of Cleves and Count of Mark.- Life :He was the son of Adolph I, Duke of Cleves and Mary of Burgundy...
, father of Engelbert, Count of NeversEngelbert, Count of NeversEngelbert of Cleves, Count of Nevers was the younger son of John I, Duke of Cleves and Elizabeth of Nevers, only surviving child of John II, Count of Nevers.... - 1481–1521 John II the PiousJohn II, Duke of ClevesJohn II, "The Pious" or "The Babymaker", Duke of Cleves, Count of Mark, was a son of John I, Duke of Cleves and Elizabeth of Nevers. He ruled Cleves from 1481 to his death in 1521...
- 1521–1539 John III the PeacefulJohn 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...
after 1511 Duke of JülichDuchy of JülichThe 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 Count of Ravensberg - 1539–1592 William the Rich after 1528 Lord of Ravenstein
- 1592–1609 John WilliamJohn 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...