county · Germany and Central Europe

County of Kladsko

1459 CE – 1742 CE · capital Kłodzko

A mountain-ringed county on the Bohemian-Silesian border, created by George of Poděbrady in 1459 and won by Prussia in 1742.

Origins

The Kłodzko (Glatz) Land, a basin enclosed by the Sudeten mountains, had long belonged to Bohemia, though at times it was held by Silesian dukes. In 1459 George of Poděbrady, king of the Kingdom of Bohemia, raised it to a county and granted it to his sons, who also held the Duchy of Ziębice.

Rule and society

The county passed through several hands before coming under the Habsburgs in the 16th century. Its fortress at Kłodzko guarded the road from Silesia into Bohemia. Lutheranism spread widely until the Counter-Reformation restored Catholicism after 1622. Glassmaking, linen weaving and spa towns such as Kudowa and Duszniki supported the economy.

Decline and legacy

In 1742 Frederick II of Prussia annexed the county with most of Silesia, and it was incorporated into Prussian Silesia. After the Second World War it became part of Poland, and its German population was expelled.

Connections (2)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). County of Kladsko. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/county-of-kladsko
MLA
“County of Kladsko.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/county-of-kladsko. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “County of Kladsko.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/county-of-kladsko.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘County of Kladsko’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/county-of-kladsko (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻