Johann, Count of Cleves
John of Cleves (c. 1292/93; † November 19, 1368 ) was from 1347 to 1368 Count of Kleve.
Family
John was the second son of the second marriage, Count Dietrich VI. / VIII. of Cleves by Margaret of Neu- Kyburg. Since he had initially pursued a religious career, he married late, in 1348, Mechtild of funds, the sister of Duke Rainald III. of funds, by whom he had no children. However, John was the father of several illegitimate children.
Life
As a younger son, John initially had no prospect of a successor in the County of Cleves. At the latest in 1310 he had embarked on a clerical career and was a canon in Cologne, Mainz, Trier, Utrecht and Xanten; 1320 to 1347 he was dean at the Cologne Cathedral. In 1318, he met with his brother Count Dietrich IX. of Cleves a testamentary agreement, by Johann was also Mr. Linn. To 1333 it came to a dispute between the two brothers Klever for the succession in the county, as Count Dietrich Although three daughters but no son had. Since 1338 Dietrich accepted obviously the future successor of his brother. Johann Dietrich Graf won great influence on its policy in the last years of life.
Johann took over the rule in Kleve after the death of his brother Dietrich sons loose on 7 July 1347 renounced his ecclesiastical dignities. Through a matrimonial alliance with Mechtild of funds Johann was in the Guelders fratricidal war between Duke Rainald III. drawn of funds and his brother Edward, with the Earl Klever supported the Renaud side and the Hekeren. This commitment brought Kleve Although the profit Emmerich, but the county fell into financial difficulties. Count Johann is considered an important modernizer of Klever territory, especially the Count firm into a powerful goal for authority ( registrar since about 1360 ).
Succession
With John's death in 1368, died from the old Klever Graf house. Several candidates were competing for the succession in Kleve. Finally was able to sit down Johanns grandnephew Adolf von der Mark, the brother of Count Engelbert III. of the cord; competitors Dietrich von Horn and Otto von Arkel were unsuccessful. The house Mark Kleve reigned until 1609.