Mark (county)

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Mark was a medieval territory that is recalled in the Märkischer Kreis district (formed in 1975) of today's North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany in lands north of the Ruhr River. The northern portion (north of the Lippe River) is still called Hohe Mark ("Higher Mark"). The former "Lower Mark" (between Ruhr and Lippe rivers) is - for the most part - the present Ruhr area and is no longer called "Mark".

The territory of Mark was for long restricted to the lands between the Ruhr and Lippe rivers ("Lower Mark"). New territories in the north ("Higher Mark") were gained during the 14th century in wars against the Prince-bishops of Münster.

Originally belonging to a collateral line of the counts of Berg, the territory emerged in 1160 under the name of Berg-Altena. After moving their court to the castle of Mark (close to the present city of Hamm) in 1198, the rulers called themselves "counts of the Mark". The town of Hamm was founded by count Adolf I in 1226 and was soon the most important town of the county.

In 1368 Mark was united with the duchy of Cleves on the western banks of the Rhine. The duchy was then called Mark-Cleves (Mark-Kleve). In 1510 the heir to the throne of Mark-Cleves married the daughter of the duke of Berg. This resulted in a personal union of Mark-Cleves and Berg (1521). Almost all of present North Rhine-Westphalia (except for the clerical states) was then ruled by the dukes.

The ducal dynasty became extinct in 1609, when the insane last duke had died. A long dispute about the succession followed, before the territory was annexed by Brandenburg in 1614 (generally accepted in 1666).

The title, in the form "Count of the Mark", survived the territory as a subsidiary title of the Dukes of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and as such passed briefly through the British Royal Family.^{[citation needed]} Although the dukes abdicated in 1919, their descendants continue.

For the origins of the designation Mark, see Marches.

[edit] Rulers of Mark

Altena-Mark

1160-1180 Eberhard IV of Berg, count of Altena
1180-1198 Friedrich I count of Altena

Mark

1198-1249 Adolf I
1249-1277 Engelbert I
1277-1308 Eberhard II
1308-1328 Engelbert II
1328-1347 Adolf II
1347-1391 Engelbert III
1391-1394 Adolf III
1394-1398 Dietrich

Kleve-Mark

1398-1417 Adolf IV
1417-1461 Gerhard
1461-1481 Johann I
1481-1521 Johann II "The Pious"

Kleve-Mark-Jülich-Berg-Ravensberg

[edit] Coat of arms

Image:Mark coat of arms.png

The coat of arms of the county is a red and white checked fess of three rows on a gold field. These arms are used today by the city of Hamm. Very many other places in the area include the red and white checked fess in their arms as a reference to the county.