duchy · Germany and Central Europe

Duchy of Teck

1187 CE – 1439 CE (approx.) · capital Kirchheim unter Teck

Swabian duchy of a Zähringen branch named after Teck castle near Kirchheim, a ducal title without a duchy that later passed to the British royal family's ancestors.

Origins

Adalbert, a younger son of Duke Conrad of Zähringen, inherited lands around the castle of Teck on the edge of the Swabian Jura and called himself Duke of Teck from 1187. The ducal title came from his family's rank rather than any ancient duchy, and the lands were modest, centred on Kirchheim and Owen.

Rule and society

The dukes ruled a small cluster of castles, towns and farmland and often served greater lords, including the Habsburgs. The family split into lines and, under financial pressure, sold its holdings piece by piece. Most of the territory, including Kirchheim, was sold to the Counts of Württemberg in 1381 to 1386.

Decline and legacy

The last duke, Ludwig, Patriarch of Aquileia, died in 1439. Württemberg later took the ducal title, and in 1871 it was revived for Francis of Teck, father of Queen Mary of Great Britain. Teck castle survives in part.

Lineage

Duchy of TeckCounty of Württemberg 1083 CE – 1495 CE

Connections (1)

Duchy of Teck was part of Holy Roman Empire1187 CE – 1439 CE

More states of Germany and Central Europe →

Cite this page

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻