County (Duchy) of Cleves | ||||||||||
Grafschaft (Herzogtum) Kleve (de) Graafschap (Hertogdom) Kleef (nl) |
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State of the Holy Roman Empire | ||||||||||
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Map of the Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle around 1560,
Duchy of Cleves highlighted in red |
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Capital | Cleves | |||||||||
Languages | Kleverlandish and German | |||||||||
Religion | Roman Catholicism | |||||||||
Government | Principality | |||||||||
Historical era | Middle Ages | |||||||||
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Dietrich I first Count of Cleves |
1092 | ||||||||
• | United with Mark | 1368 | ||||||||
• | Raised to duchy | 1417 | ||||||||
• | United with Jülich and Berg |
1521 | ||||||||
• | To Brandenburg | 1614 | ||||||||
• | Annexed by France | 1795 | ||||||||
• | Province of Jülich-Cleves-Berg |
1815 | ||||||||
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Coordinates: 51°47′N 6°8′E / 51.783°N 6.133°E
The Duchy of Cleves (German: Herzogtum Kleve; Dutch: Hertogdom Kleef) was a State of the Holy Roman Empire emerged from the mediaeval Duisburggau. It was situated in the northern Rhineland on both sides of the Lower Rhine, around its capital Cleves and the towns of Wesel, Kalkar, Xanten, Emmerich, Rees and Duisburg 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 Westphalian county of Mark. The Duchy was archaically known as Cleveland in English.