Origins Adolph was the second son of Count
Adolph II of the Marck and
Margaret of Cleves.
Reign On 16 November 1357
Pope Innocent VI appointed him the Bishop of
Münster. In 1362 he signed a contract with his uncle Bishop
Engelbert III of the Marck of
Liège whereby he would inherit Cleves in the likely event Count
John of Cleves died childless. On 13 June 1363 he was appointed the
Archbishop of Cologne against the favourite
John of Virneburg, but by the end of the year had resigned from the position to focus on the County of Cleves, despite the fact that his short tenure was scandalous and ridden with controversy. In 1368 he succeeded his uncle John of Cleves and could maintain his rule there through the support of
Liège.
Marriage and issue In 1369 he married
Margaret of Jülich, daughter of
Gerhard VI of Jülich, Count of Berg and Ravensberg and had fourteen children, at least five of whom did not survive infancy. •
Adolph (1373–1448), his successor in Cleves and later also in Marck. •
Dietrich (1374–1398), his successor in Marck. •
Gerhard († 1461),
de facto Count of the Marck, but not allowed to use the title. •
Margaret (1375–1411), married in 1394
Albert I, Duke of Bavaria († 1404) •
Elisabeth (1378–1439), married Reinold of Valkenburg († 1396) and
Stephen III, Duke of Bavaria • Engelberta († 1458), married Friedrich IV of Moers.
Later life and death After his brother
Engelbert III of the Marck died without heirs in 1391, Adolph inherited the Marck too. However, he gave Marck to his son
Dietrich in 1393. Adolph died in 1394 and was succeeded in Cleves by another of his sons,
Adolph. Cleves and Marck were reunited again four years later, when Dietrich died and was succeeded by Adolph IV. ==References==