Duchy of Jülich
Jülichgau was a subdivision of the Duchy of Lower Lorraine within the Carolingian Empire. By the mid 12th century, the Duchy had dissolved and the County of Jülich emerged. In 1346, Jülich entered into a personal union with the County of Ravensburg and then, two years later, with the County of Berg. In 1380, the counties of Jülich and Berg (but not Ravensburg) were elevated to duchies and ruled together from Düsseldorf.
In 1521, the Jülich line died out and Jülich, Berg, and Ravensburg entered into a personal union with the Duchy of Cleves, which itself had entered into a personal union with the County of Mark in 1362, making the combined entity part of Markian Germany. I start the database at that point. (Some sources treat all of Markian Germany as a unified country under the name of the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg. I treat each duchy or county as a separate country within the Markian nation.)
In 1609, the Markian line died out and a succession dispute followed. In 1614, it was agreed that the Duchies of Jülich and Berg would enter into personal unions with the Principality of Palatinate-Neuburg and become part of Wittelsbachian Germany. (Cleves and Mark joined Hohenzollern Germany and later, the Kingdom of Prussia. The partition underwent a variety of adjustments—which I ignore—until 1666, when it was finally stabilized.) Because the principality was of lower rank than the duchy, I do not note the personal union in the full country name–I simply call it the Duchy of Jülich. However, the Neuburg branch of the Wittelsbachs inherited the Palatinate Electorate in 1690 and Bavaria in 1777. Those entities outranked the duchy, so I note the personal unions in the full country names—e.g., the Duchy of Jülich (in personal union with the Palatinate Electorate). Within Wittelsbachian Germany, however, I do not use hyphenated simplified names to signal personal unions.
From the time I start the database in 1521, the Duchy of Jülich underwent three significant boundary adjustments.
- 1546—acquired the County of Neuenahr.
- 1659—participated in a three-way trade with one of the co-lords of Landskron and the Elecotor of Trier (who was acting on behalf of the Lordship of Leyen-Adendorf). As a result, Jülich gave up the Dingstühle of Adendorf and Villip in exchange for an interest in the villages of Lohrsdorf, Schalkenbach, and Vinxt. I characterize those villages as a Landskron-Jülich condominium.
- 1710—acquired the Lordships of Kerpen and Lommersum. They became autonomous two years later (simplified country name: Jülich-Kerpen) and fully independent (together) in 1786.
The Duchy had two kinds of subdivisions: those administered by appointees of the Duke (mostly Gerichte), and “Unterherrschaften” (Herrschaften and Herrlichkeiten) that were administered by hereditary lords. The Unterherrschaften in the list of subdivisions below includes only those that were both under Jülich sovereignty and administration. Unterherrschaften that were administered by entities not subject to the Jülich dukes or that were administered by Jülich but not under its sovereignty can be found here.
Subdivisions of the Duchy of Jülich
- Amt Bergheim
- Stadtgericht Bergheim1521 - 1794
- Gericht Bergheimerdorf1521 - 1794
- Gericht Dormagen1521 - 1794
- Gericht Efferen1521 - 1794
- Gericht in der Lohe1521 - 1794
- Gericht Poulheim und Geyen1521 - 1794
- Gericht Stommeln1521 - 1794
- Gericht Verkeshoven1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Bachem1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Frechen1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Hemmersbach und Sindorf1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Vogtsbell1521 - 1794
- Amt Born
- Hauptgericht Sittard (part)1521 - 1794
- Netherlandic portion (excluded)1521 - 1794
- Amt Millen
- Gericht Gangelt1521 - 1794
- Gericht Waldfeucht1521 - 1794
- Amt Boslar
- Stadt Linnich1521 - 1794
- Dingstuhl Boslar1521 - 1794
- Dingstuhl Körrenzig1521 - 1790
- Herrschaft Breitenbend1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Tetz1521 - 1794
- Amt Brüggen
- Brachter Ort1521 - 1794
- Dülkener Ort1521 - 1794
- Süchteler Ort1521 - 1794
- Waldnieler Ort1521 - 1794
- Dahlener Ort1521 - 1794
- Amt Düren1521 - 1794
- Amt Euskirchen
- Quasi-Gericht Euskirchen1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Groß Büllesheim1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Roitzheim1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Vernich1521 - 1794
- Amt Geilenkirchen1521 - 1794
- Amt Grevenbroich
- Stadt or Gericht Gladbach1521 - 1794
- Gericht Hardt1521 - 1794
- Gericht Grevenbroich1521 - 1794
- Gericht Königshoven1521 - 1794
- Gericht Otzenrath1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Neurath1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Rheydt1521 - 1794
- Amt Heimbach1521 - 1794
- Amt Heinsberg
- Heinsberger Bank1521 - 1794
- Dremmener Back1521 - 1794
- Haagbank1521 - 1794
- Karkener Bank1521 - 1794
- Kempener Bank1521 - 1794
- Kirchhovener Bank1521 - 1794
- Waldenrather Bank1521 - 1794
- Gericht Brachelen1521 - 1794
- Oberamt Jülich
- Amt Aldenhoven1521 - 1794
- Dingstuhl Barmen und Koslar1521 - 1794
- Amt Eschweiler1521 - 1794
- Hauptstadt or Amt Jülich1521 - 1794
- Dingstuhl Pier und Merken1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Kinzweiler1521 - 1639
- ___and later1747 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Laurenzberg1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Setterich1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Stolberg1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Warden1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Weisweiler1521 - 1794
- Stadt Kaiserswerth1772 - 1806
- Amt Kaster
- Gericht Holzweiler1521 - 1794
- Gericht Jüchen1521 - 1794
- Gericht Kaster1521 - 1794
- Gericht Kirchherten1521 - 1794
- Gericht Lövenich1521 - 1794
- Gericht Oberembt1521 - 1794
- Gericht Paffendorf1521 - 1794
- Gericht Rödingen1521 - 1794
- Gericht Wanlo1521 - 1794
- Amt Montjoie1521 - 1794
- Amt Münstereifel
- Gericht Arloff1521 - 1794
- Gericht Bleibuir1521 - 1794
- Gericht Elsig1521 - 1794
- Gericht Hostel1521 - 1794
- Gericht Keldenich1521 - 1794
- Gericht Kuchenheim1521 - 1794
- Gericht Münstereifel1521 - 1794
- Gericht Schoch1521 - 1794
- Gericht Schönau1521 - 1794
- Gericht Tondorf1521 - 1794
- Pfandschaft Effelsberg1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Pesch1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Schweinheim1521 - 1794
- Herrschaft Wachendorf1521 - 1794
- Herrschaft Wildenburg1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Zievel1521 - 1794
- Amt Neuenahr
- Dingstuhl Bengen1546 - 1794
- Dingstuhl Ersdorf1546 - 1794
- Dingstuhl Fritzdorf1546 - 1794
- Dingstuhl Holzweiler1546 - 1794
- Dingstuhl Karweiler1546 - 1794
- Dingstuhl Leimersdorf1546 - 1794
- Dingstuhl Ramersbach1546 - 1794
- Dingstuhl Ramershoven1546 - 1794
- Dingstuhl Ringen1546 - 1794
- Dingstuhl Villip1546 - 1659
- Dingstuhl Wadenheim1546 - 1794
- Dingstuhl Wormersdorf1546 - 1794
- Herrschaft Gelsdorf1688 - 1737
- Amt Nideggen
- Stadtgebiet or Gericht Nideggen1521 - 1794
- Gericht Bürvenich1521 - 1794
- Gericht Froitzheim1521 - 1794
- Gericht Kalenberg1521 - 1794
- Gericht Kreutzau1521 - 1794
- Gericht Vettweiss1521 - 1794
- Gericht Wollersheim1521 - 1794
- Gericht Enzen1521 - 1794
- Gericht Niederberg1648 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Binsfeld1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Bollheim1521 - 1794
- Herrschaft Dreiborn1521 - 1794
- Herrschaft Drove1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Euenheim1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Maubach1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Merzenich1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Sinzenich1521 - 1794
- Amt Nörvenich
- Gericht Derichsweiler1521 - 1794
- Gericht Golzheim1521 - 1794
- Gericht Hambach1521 - 1794
- Gericht Isweiler1521 - 1794
- Gericht Lendersdorf1521 - 1794
- Gericht Nörvenich1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Gladbach1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Gürzenich1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Merode1521 - 1794
- Amt Randerath1521 - 1794
- Amt Schönforst1521 - 1794
- Amt Sinzig und Remagen
- Dingstuhl Gimmigen1593 - 1641
- ___and later1661 - 1794
- Dingstuhl Heimersheim1546 - 1794
- Dingstuhl Kirchdaun1593 - 1641
- ___and later1661 - 1794
- Herrschaft Oberwinter1546 - 1794
- Dingstuhl Remagen1546 - 1794
- Dingstuhl Sinzig1546 - 1794
- Dingstuhl Unkelbach1546 - 1794
- Herrschaft Ahrenthal1546 - 1702
- Wehrmeisterei1521 - 1794
- Amt Wassenberg
- Gericht Arsbeck1521 - 1794
- Gericht Beeck1521 - 1794
- Gericht Doveren1521 - 1794
- Gericht Klein Gladbach1521 - 1794
- Gericht Mellich (excluded)1521 - 1794
- Gericht Wassenberg1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Tüchenbroich1521 - 1794
- Amt Wilhelmstein
- Quasi-Gericht Wilhelmstein1521 - 1794
- Herrlichkeit Freuz1521 - 1794
- Herrschaft Heyden1521 - 1794