Dietrich VI, Count of Cleves

Who is Dietrich VI, Count of Cleves?

Dietrich VI, also called Dietrich of Meissen, was Count of Cleves from 1260 through 1275. He was married twice; firstly, to Alida of Heinsberg, daughter of Henry I of Sponheim and Agnes of Heinsberg, and secondly to Margaret of Guelders, daughter of Otto II, Count of Guelders. 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. In 1417, the county became a duchy and its rulers were raised to the status of Dukes.

Its history is closely related to that of its neighbours: the Duchies of Jülich, Berg and Guelders and the County of Mark. In 1368, Cleves and Mark were united. In 1521 Jülich, Berg, Cleves and Mark formed the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg. The territory was situated on both sides of the river Rhine, around its capital Cleves and roughly covering today's districts of Cleves, Wesel and the city of Duisburg.