Duchy of Bohemia: Map & History
The Duchy of Bohemia, also later referred to in English as the Czech Duchy, was a monarchy and a principality of the Holy Roman Empire in Central Europe during the Early and High Middle Ages.
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The Duchy of Bohemia, also later referred to in English as the Czech Duchy, was a monarchy and a principality of the Holy Roman Empire in Central Europe during the Early and High Middle Ages. It was formed around 870 by Czechs as part of the Great Moravian realm. Bohemia separated from disintegrating Great Moravia after Duke Spytihněv swore fealty to the East Frankish king Arnulf in 895.
Modern Countries Once Part of Duchy of Bohemia
At its mapped extent, Duchy of Bohemia covered territory in 2 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Duchy of Bohemia's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Duchy of Bohemia in Depth
History
The lands encompassed by the Bohemian Forest, the Ore Mountains, the Sudetes and the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands were settled by Slavic Bohemian peoples about 550. In the 7th century, the local Czech people were part of the union led by the Frankish merchant Samo (d. 658). Bohemia as a geographical term, probably derived from the Celtic (Gallic) Boii tribes, first appeared in 9th-century Frankish sources. In 805, Emperor Charlemagne prepared to conquer the lands, invading Bohemia in 805 and laying siege to the fortress of Canburg. However, the Czech forces shirked from open battle and retired into the deep forests to launch guerilla attacks. After forty days the emperor had to withdraw his forces for the lack of supplies.
Economy
The Duchy earned a significant income from the Prague slave trade, trafficking Pagan Slavs, termed as saqaliba, to slavery in al-Andalus in the 10th and 11th centuries.
Mining of tin and silver began in the Ore mountains in the early 12th century.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Duchy of Bohemia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Duchy of Bohemia: Key Facts
| Capital | Prague |
|---|---|
| Form of government | monarchy |
| Founded | 870 CE |
| Dissolved | 1198 |
Succeeded by
Facts from Wikidata Q2162698 (CC0).
Duchy of Bohemia Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Duchy of Bohemia appears, with the other states of the time.
Duchy of Bohemia Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 128,568 km² in 960 CE.
Duchy of Bohemia: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Duchy of Bohemia exist?
Duchy of Bohemia is dated to 896 CE – 1002 CE, in the Early Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of Duchy of Bohemia?
The capital of Duchy of Bohemia was Prague.
How large was Duchy of Bohemia at its peak?
At its peak in 960 AD Duchy of Bohemia covered about 128,568 km².
How did the map of Duchy of Bohemia change over time?
Duchy of Bohemia appears on 2 dated world maps in the atlas, from 900 CE to 1000 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
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