The name Kleve probably derives from the word cliff (German "Kliff"), referring to the promontory upon which the Schwanenburg was constructed. However, the city's coat of arms displays three clovers, (German "Klee") which is comparable to the pronunciation of Kleve in the Low Rhenish dialect and in Dutch, "Kleef". Interestingly, Kleve was spelled with a "c" throughout its history until spelling reforms introduced in the 1930s required that the name be spelled with a "k". As of 2008, the CDU announced ambitions to return the name to its original spelling.
The Schwanenburg (English: Swan Castle), where the dukes of Cleves resided, was founded on a steep hill. It is located at the northern terminus of the Kermisdahl where it joins with the Spoykanal, which was previously an important transportation link to the Rhine. The old castle has a massive tower, the Schwanenturm 180 feet (55 m) high, that is associated in legend with the Knight of the Swan, immortalized in Richard Wagner's Lohengrin.
Medieval Kleve grew together from four parts � the Castle Schwanenburg, the village below the castle, the first city of Kleve on the Heideberg Hill, and the Neustadt ("New City") from the 14th century. In 1242 Kleve received city rights. The Duchy of Cleves, which roughly covered today's districts of Kleve, Wesel and Duisburg, was united with the Duchy of Mark in 1368, was made a duchy itself in 1417, and then united with the neighboring duchies of J�lich and Berg in 1521, when John III, Duke of Cleves, married Mary, the heiress of J�lich-Berg-Ravenburg.
Kleve's most famous native is Anne of Cleves (1515�1557), daughter of John III, Duke of Cleves and (briefly) wife of Henry VIII of England. Several local businesses are named after her, including the Anne von Kleve Galerie.
The local line became extinct in the male line in 1609, leading to a succession crisis in the duchies. After the Thirty Years' War, in 1648, the succession dispute was finally
