Jülich

Jülich (Fr. Juliers), a town of Rhenish Prussia, on the Roer, 20 miles by rail NE. of Aix-la-Chapelle. It is the Juliacum of the Romans. Until its fortifications were razed in 1860 it ranked as a fortress of the second class. Pop. 5234.—From the 12th century Jülich was the capital of an independent countship, created a duchy in 1356. In 1423 Jülich and Berg (q.v.) were united; and Cleves was added in 1521. In 1609 a dispute arose as to the succession, which was not settled till 1666, when a decision was given in favour of the House of Pfalz-Neuburg, the Elector of Brandenburg obtaining Cleves. The Pfalz-Neuburg family becoming extinct in 1742, Jülich passed to the Pfalz-Sulzbach branch, afterwards electors of Bavaria. In 1801 the duchy was annexed to France, in 1814 to Prussia. See Ritter, Der Jülicher Erfolggestreit (2 vols. 1874-78).