Duchy of Cleves

51°47′N 6°8′E / 51.783°N 6.133°E / 51.783; 6.133

County (Duchy) of Cleves
Grafschaft (Herzogtum) Kleve (German)
Graafschap (Hertogdom) Kleef (Dutch)
1020–1795
Coat of arms of Cleves
Coat of arms
Map of the Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle (around 1560), Duchy of Cleves highlighted in Red
Map of the Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle (around 1560),
Duchy of Cleves highlighted in Red
StatusState of the Holy Roman Empire
CapitalCleves
Common languages
Religion
GovernmentDuchy
Historical eraMiddle Ages
• Dietrich I first
Count of Cleves
1020
• United with Mark
1391
• Raised to duchy
1417
• United with Jülich
and Berg
1521
• To Brandenburg
1614
• Annexed by France
1795
• Province of
Jülich-Cleves-Berg
1815
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Lower Lotharingia
Roer (department)

The Duchy of Cleves (German: Herzogtum Kleve; Dutch: Hertogdom Kleef) was a state of the Holy Roman Empire which emerged from the medieval Hettergau [de]. 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.

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.