Adolph of Cleves, Lord of Ravenstein
Adolf von Kleve ( * June 28, 1425; † September 18, 1492 in Oostburg, Zeeland) was an influential nobleman at the Burgundian ducal court. Belonging to the inner circle of the court nobility, Adolf served in the period July 1475 to 1477 as the Duke's governor-general of the Burgundian Netherlands and took over after the death of Mary of Burgundy from March 1483 for her at that time still under-age son and successor, Philip the Fair, the regency of the duchy.
Life
Childhood and youth
Adolf was the sixth child and is the youngest son of Duke Adolf I Klever and his second wife Mary of Burgundy to the world. He was the nephew of the Burgundian Duke Philip the Good, at whose court he grew up with his older brother John, and was educated by his mother. He was initially intended for an ecclesiastical career, which is why Philip the Good in 1446 the appointment of Adolf Archbishop of Cologne by Eugene IV caused. The Pope tried in this way to relieve the Archbishop Dietrich II of Moers his office and thus terminate the Feud of Soest. This plan failed, however, and the appointment of Adolf remained without any effect.
Inheritance and climb on Herzogshof
After the death of his father Adolf in 1450 received according to the testamentary possessed inheritance in addition to financial compensation, the fief of Brabant Ravenstein, Herpen and Uden, as well as an entitlement to the rule Winnenberg Dahl, who came from the dowry of his mother. In return, he had to be set to the Duchy of Cleves and waive the County of Mark. However, the rule in Ravenstein he could only begin in 1463 after the death of his mother, that in Winnenberg Dahl even until 1473. There he had the Wijnendale Castle expand his representative main residence.
From 1443 Adolf took part in all the major military campaigns of the Duke of Burgundy, and supported him in 1453 at the Battle of Gavere against the rebellious Ghent. For his loyalty and merits he was inducted in 1456 in The Hague as a knight in the Order of the Golden Fleece.
On May 6, 1453 Adolf married Beatrice of Portugal, a daughter of Peter of Portugal, Duke of Coimbra, and thus granddaughter of the Portuguese King John I brought you in addition to a yearly appanage of 25,000 crowns, the rule three choir in Zeeland as a dowry in the marriage.
Governor General and regency
In the army of Charles the Bold in 1465, Adolf moved in Guerre du Bien Public ( German: War for the common good ) against the French king Louis XI. and participated as one of the leading captains in the period 1466-1468 also Karl's military campaigns against rebellions in Liege and Dinant. In gratitude Karl finally put him as governor in Arras.
1470 Adolf married his second wife Anne of Burgundy, an illegitimate daughter of Duke Philip the Good. He had meanwhile risen to become one of the most influential and respected members of the Burgundian court, which is why Duke Charles appointed him on June 22, 1475 for the period of his absence during the campaign against Lorraine to Lieutenant General of the Burgundian Netherlands. After Charlemagne 's death, his daughter and successor Maria Adolf confirmed on January 28, 1477 as governor over all the land of Burgundy and appointed him beyond on July 7 of the same year the Captain General of France threatened by County of Hainaut. He held until August 6, 1482 this office. How much the new Duchess Adolf of Cleves familiar, evidenced by the fact that they chose him in 1478 to the sponsors for their first child, Philip.
Maria died unexpectedly in 1482 after a hunting accident, and her husband Maximilian, later Roman-German Emperor, sat in June 1483 a regency for Philip, his still minor son and successor of Mary, a. As president, he appointed Adolf of Cleves, the nominally exercised so that the regency for Philip. In addition, he served - from 1485 together with Olivier de la Marche - as an educator of the heir apparent. Maximilian, however, already dissolved the Council in October of the same year again to exercise the guardianship government does, and riots broke out in the Dutch possessions. Adolf tried to mediate between the fronts and could as a result of his efforts on June 28, 1485 recorded the peace of Sluis. However, peace was short-lived, and Adolf stood below temporarily to side with the rebellious Dutch, and they include his son Philip. Therefore Maximilian charged him in April 1491 rebellion, but there was no conviction.
1492 fought Adolf already on the Habsburg side. He died on 18 September in Oostburg during the last days of a siege of Sluis. According to his testamentary wish he was transferred to Brussels, and was buried in October in the church of the local Dominican monastery. His second wife Anna was buried after her death at his side. However, the tomb of the two no longer exists today because it was destroyed in 1695 by French troops of King Louis XIV.
Marriages and descendants
In his first marriage Adolf married on May 6, 1453 Beatrice of Portugal ( 1435-1462 ). This marriage sprang two children:
- Philip (* 1456, † 1528), Lord of Ravenstein
- Louise (* 1457, † 1458 )
On June 21, 1470, Adolf went a second marriage with Anne of Burgundy ( † 1507). This compound had no children.