duchy · Germany and Central Europe

Duchy of Racibórz

1281 CE – 1532 CE · capital Racibórz

Upper Silesian duchy on the upper Oder, ruled first by Piasts and then by a Přemyslid branch from Opava until 1521.

Origins

In the 1281 partition of the Duchy of Opole and Racibórz, Przemysław received Racibórz, the old capital of Upper Silesia. His son Leszek accepted Bohemian overlordship in 1327, and when Leszek died without heirs in 1336, the duchy passed to Nicholas II of Opava, a Přemyslid married to Przemysław's daughter.

Rule and society

The Opava Přemyslids ruled Racibórz as part of a combined duchy of Opava and Racibórz, later separate. The duchy was a fertile land of grain and fish ponds, with a Polish-speaking population and German burghers. It was a Bohemian fief, and its dukes took part in the Hussite wars and the struggles between Bohemian and Hungarian kings.

Decline and legacy

After the last Přemyslid duke died in 1521, Racibórz passed to John II the Good of Opole. When he died in 1532, it fell to the Bohemian crown, held by the Habsburgs and pledged to Brandenburg-Ansbach. It passed to Prussia in 1742 and to Poland in 1945.

Lineage

Duchy of Opole and Racibórz 1172 CE – 1281 CEDuchy of RacibórzDuchy of Opole 1281 CE – 1532 CE

Connections (3)

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻