duchy · Germany and Central Europe

Duchy of Württemberg

1495 CE – 1803 CE · capital Stuttgart

The south-west German duchy, raised in 1495, that combined strong estates, a model Lutheran church and a constitution dating from 1514.

Origins

The County of Württemberg, reunited by Count Eberhard im Bart in 1482, was raised to a duchy at the Diet of Worms in 1495; Eberhard had founded the University of Tübingen in 1477. His successor Ulrich proved a violent ruler, and the peasant revolt of the Poor Conrad in 1514 forced him to accept the Treaty of Tübingen, guaranteeing the estates' rights.

Rule and society

Expelled by the Swabian League in 1519, Ulrich lost the duchy to the Habsburgs until 1534, when he returned and introduced Lutheranism. Duke Christoph built a model Lutheran church order and school system. The Landtag, dominated by town notables because the nobility had left the duchy, controlled taxation. Stuttgart was the capital, and Ludwigsburg was built as a Baroque residence from 1704.

Decline and legacy

Duke Frederick II gained the rank of elector in 1803 and, allied with Napoleon, became king in 1806, doubling his lands; the duchy became the Electorate of Württemberg and then the Kingdom of Württemberg. Its territory is now part of Baden-Württemberg.

Lineage

County of Württemberg 1083 CE – 1495 CEFree Imperial City of Esslingen 1219 CE – 1802 CEFree Imperial City of Reutlingen 1240 CE – 1802 CEFree Imperial City of Schwäbisch Gmünd 1268 CE – 1802 CEFree Imperial City of Rottweil 1268 CE – 1802 CEFree Imperial City of Weil der Stadt 1275 CE – 1802 CEDuchy of WürttembergElectorate of Württemberg 1803 CE – 1806 CE

Connections (3)

More states of Germany and Central Europe →

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻