duchy · Germany and Central Europe
Grand Duchy of Berg
Origins
The Duchy of Berg on the right bank of the Rhine belonged to Bavaria, which ceded it to Napoleon in 1806. He combined it with Cleves and other lands and gave it to his brother-in-law Joachim Murat as the Grand Duchy of Berg, with Düsseldorf as capital.
Rule and society
When Murat became King of Naples in 1808, Napoleon ruled Berg himself on behalf of his young nephew Napoleon Louis. The grand duchy was organised in French-style departments, abolished serfdom and introduced the Napoleonic Code. The industrial region of Elberfeld and Barmen, with textile and metal trades, suffered from the Continental System, which cut it off from British markets, and conscription led to riots in 1813.
Decline and legacy
After Napoleon's defeat at Leipzig, allied troops took Berg in late 1813. It was placed under provisional administration, and in 1815 the Congress of Vienna gave it to Prussia as part of the Rhine Province.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Grand Duchy of Berg was a vassal of French Empire1806 CE – 1813 CE
- Grand Duchy of Berg was part of Confederation of the Rhine1806 CE – 1813 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Grand Duchy of Berg. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/grand-duchy-of-berg
- MLA
- “Grand Duchy of Berg.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/grand-duchy-of-berg. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Grand Duchy of Berg.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/grand-duchy-of-berg.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Grand Duchy of Berg’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/grand-duchy-of-berg (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻