John I, Duke of Cleves
Encyclopedia
John I, Duke of Cleves, Count of Mark (16 February 1419 – 5 September 1481) was Duke of Cleves and Count of Mark.
and Mary of Burgundy. He was raised in Brussels at the Burgundian court of his uncle Philip the Good
He ruled Cleves
from 1448 from 1481, and Mark since 1461 after the death of his uncle Gerhard
, who had waged war on his own brother.
He fought 3 wars with the Electorate of Cologne and finally defeated Ruprecht of the Palatinate
, conquering the cities of Xanten
and Soest
. In these wars, he was supported by his uncle Philip the Good, bringing Cleves-Mark into the Burgundian sphere of influence.
His marriage with Elisabeth of Nevers, from a sideline of the House of Burgundy, only strengthened this influence.
John was also made in 1451 a Knight in the Burgundian Order of the Golden Fleece
, with which he was depicted by Rogier van der Weyden.
In 1473 he helped the Burgundian Duke Charles the Bold conquer the Duchy of Guelders.
, daughter of John II, Count of Nevers
.
They had:
Life
He was the son of Adolph I, Duke of ClevesAdolph 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 ....
and Mary of Burgundy. He was raised in Brussels at the Burgundian court of his uncle Philip the Good
He ruled 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...
from 1448 from 1481, and Mark since 1461 after the death of his uncle Gerhard
Gerhard, Count of Mark
Gerhard, Count zur Mark was the de facto ruler of the County of Mark between 1430 and 1461. He was not allowed to use the title Count of Mark in his own rights....
, who had waged war on his own brother.
He fought 3 wars with the Electorate of Cologne and finally defeated Ruprecht of the Palatinate
Ruprecht of the Palatinate (Archbishop of Cologne)
Ruprecht of the Palatinate was the Archbishop and Prince Elector of Cologne from 1463 to 1480.He was the third son of Louis III, Count Palatine of the Rhine, by his second wife, Matilda of Savoy. He renounced his claim to lands of the Palatinate and studied for holy orders at the universities of...
, conquering the cities of Xanten
Xanten
Xanten is a historic town in the North Rhine-Westphalia state of Germany, located in the district of Wesel.Xanten is known for the Archaeological Park or archaeological open air museum , its medieval picturesque city centre with Xanten Cathedral and many museums, its large man-made lake for...
and Soest
Soest
-Places:* Soest, Netherlands* Soest, Germany** Soest , a district around the location in Germany-Organizations:*SOEST, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa...
. In these wars, he was supported by his uncle Philip the Good, bringing Cleves-Mark into the Burgundian sphere of influence.
His marriage with Elisabeth of Nevers, from a sideline of the House of Burgundy, only strengthened this influence.
John was also made in 1451 a Knight in the Burgundian Order of the Golden Fleece
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
, with which he was depicted by Rogier van der Weyden.
In 1473 he helped the Burgundian Duke Charles the Bold conquer the Duchy of Guelders.
Marriage and Children
On 22 April 1455 he married Elizabeth of NeversElizabeth of Nevers
Elizabeth of Nevers was Duchess of Cleves from 1455 until her death, due to her marriage with John I of Cleves-Mark. She is the matriarch of the house of Cleves-Nevers, and thus the Cleves line of the Counts and dukes of Nevers...
, daughter of John II, Count of Nevers
John II, Count of Nevers
John II, Count of Nevers He was the son of Philip II, Count of Nevers by his wife Bonne of Artois, daughter of Philip of Artois, Count of Eu. From 1442 to 1465 he was Count of Etampes. John's elder brother was also his predecessor in his titles, Charles I, Count of Nevers...
.
They had:
- John II, Duke of ClevesJohn 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...
(13 April 1458 – 15 March 1521) married 3 November 1489 Matilda of Hesse - Adolf (1461–1525)
- 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....
(26 September 1462 – 21 November 1506) married 23 February 1489 Charlotte de Bourbon-Vendôme - Dietrich 1464
- Marie of Cleves (1465–1513)
- Philip of Cleves, Bishop of Nevers, Amiens and Autun (1467–1505)