Jülich

Jülich (German pronunciation: [ˈjyːlɪç] ^ⓘ; in old spellings also known as Guelich or Gülich, Dutch: Gulik, French: Juliers, Ripuarian: Jöllesch) is a town in the district of Düren, in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany. As a border region between the competing powers in the Lower Rhine and Meuse areas, the town and the Duchy of Jülich played a historic role from the Middle Ages up to the 17th century.

The town is well known in the state for being home to Forschungszentrum Jülich, one of the largest national research institutions in Europe.

Jülich stands in the Rur valley on the banks of the river Rur. The town is bordered by the town of Linnich in the north, the municipality of Titz in the northeast, the municipality of Niederzier in the southeast, the municipality of Inden in the south, and by the municipality of Aldenhoven in the west. Its maximum size is 13.3 km from east to west and 10.9 km from north to south.

The highest point in Jülich is in Bourheim, 110 m above sea level (excepting Sophienhöhe, an extensive artificial mountain made up of overburden from a nearby open-pit lignite mine, the Tagebau Hambach). The lowest point, 70 m above sea level, lies in the borough of Barmen [de].

Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as oceanic (Cfb).

The town of Jülich comprises 16 boroughs:

Roman Empire 1st century–5th century
Franks 5th century
Francia 481–843
Middle Francia 843–855
Lotharingia 855–959
Duchy of Lower Lorraine 959–ca. 1003
County of Jülich ca. 1003–1356
Duchy of Jülich 1356–1423
Duchy of Jülich-Berg 1423–1794, part of:
    United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg 1521–1614
    Palatinate-Neuburg 1614–1685
    Electoral Palatinate 1685–1794, part of:
       Electorate of Bavaria 1777–1794
French Republic 1794–1804
French Empire 1804–1814
Kingdom of Prussia 1815–1871
German Empire 1871–1918
Weimar Republic 1918–1933
Nazi Germany 1933–1945
Allied-occupied Germany 1945–1949
West Germany 1949–1990
Germany 1990–present

Jülich is first mentioned in Roman times as Juliacum along an important road through the Rur valley. Fortified during the late Roman period, it was taken over by the Franks and grew to be the centre of a county which became the nucleus of a regional power. The counts and dukes of Jülich extended their influence during the Middle Ages and granted Jülich city status in 1234 (Count Wilhelm IV). During battles with the Archbishop of Cologne, Jülich was destroyed in 1239 and again in 1278.