Duchy of Courland: Map & History
Duchy of Courland is mapped in the atlas for 1734 CE – 1793 CE, with a peak mapped extent of about 28,201 km².
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The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was a duchy in the Baltic region, then known as Livonia, that existed from 1561 to 1569 as a nominal vassal state of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and subsequently made part of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom from 1569 to 1726 and incorporated into the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1726. On 24 October 1795, it was annexed by the Russian Empire in the Third Partition of Poland.
Modern Countries Once Part of Duchy of Courland
At its mapped extent, Duchy of Courland covered territory in 1 present-day country. 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 Courland'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 Courland in Depth
History
In 1561, during the Livonian Wars, the Livonian Confederation was dismantled and the Livonian Order was disbanded. On the basis of the Treaty of Vilnius, the southern part of Estonia and the northern part of Latvia were ceded to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. On 25 December 1566, the Union of Grodno established a real union between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Duchy of Livonia. The part of Latvia between the west bank of the Daugava River and the Baltic Sea became the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia. It was ruled by the dukes from the House of Kettler with the exception of Ernst Johann von Biron and his son Peter von Biron.
Gotthard Kettler, the last Master of the Livonian Order, became the first duke of Courland.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Duchy of Courland: Key Facts
| Capital | Jelgava |
|---|---|
| Official language | German |
| Religion | Lutheranism |
| Form of government | monarchy |
| Currency | thaler |
| Founded | 1561 |
| Dissolved | 1795 |
Preceded by
- Terra Mariana
Facts from Wikidata Q156038 (CC0).
Duchy of Courland Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 28,201 km² in 1752 CE.
Duchy of Courland: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Duchy of Courland exist?
Duchy of Courland is dated to 1734 CE – 1793 CE, in the Early Modern & Age of Discovery era.
What was the capital of Duchy of Courland?
The capital of Duchy of Courland was Mitau.
How large was Duchy of Courland at its peak?
At its peak in 1752 Duchy of Courland covered about 28,201 km².
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