duchy · Germany and Central Europe

Duchy of Bohemia

870 CE – 1198 CE (approx.) · capital Prague

The Czech duchy of the Přemyslid dynasty, home of Saint Wenceslas, which grew from Prague into a strong state and a kingdom of the Empire.

Origins

Bořivoj I, the first historically attested Přemyslid, was baptised around 870, probably by Methodius, while under Great Moravian overlordship. After Great Moravia fell, the Přemyslids of Prague unified the Bohemian tribes. In 895 they sought East Frankish protection, and Bohemia became tied to the German kingdom.

Rule and society

Dukes ruled from Prague Castle through a network of castle districts. Wenceslas, murdered by his brother Boleslaus I in 935, became the country's patron saint. Boleslaus II founded the bishopric of Prague in 973. Dukes were vassals of the German kings, while slave trade, silver and later colonisation shaped the economy.

Decline and legacy

Vratislaus II received a personal royal title in 1085 and Vladislaus II in 1158. In 1198 Ottokar I secured a hereditary royal crown, confirmed by the Golden Bull of Sicily in 1212, and the duchy became the Kingdom of Bohemia, a leading state of the Empire.

Lineage

Great Moravia 833 CE – 907 CEDuchy of BohemiaKingdom of Bohemia 1198 CE – 1918 CE

Connections (6)

Duchy of Bohemia paid tribute to East Francia895 CE – 962 CE
Vistulans was part of Duchy of Bohemia950 CE – 990 CE
Duchy of Bohemia was part of Holy Roman Empire1002 CE – 1198 CE
Duchy of Brno was a vassal of Duchy of Bohemia1054 CE – 1198 CE
Duchy of Olomouc was a vassal of Duchy of Bohemia1061 CE – 1198 CE
Duchy of Znojmo was a vassal of Duchy of Bohemia1092 CE – 1198 CE

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Cite this page

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Duchy of Bohemia. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-bohemia
MLA: “Duchy of Bohemia.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-bohemia. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Duchy of Bohemia.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-bohemia.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Duchy of Bohemia’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-bohemia (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻