duchy · Germany and Central Europe
Duchy of Ziębice
Origins
In 1322 the sons of Duke Bolko I of Świdnica divided his lands, and Bolko II received Ziębice (Münsterberg), south of Wrocław, as a separate duchy split from the Duchy of Świdnica. Bolko II resisted Bohemian overlordship longer than most Silesian dukes but did homage to King John of Bohemia in 1336.
Rule and society
The duchy was a modest agrarian territory of small towns and villages. The Piast line ended in 1428, and in 1456 the duchy passed to George of Poděbrady, later king of Bohemia, whose sons held it as dukes of Münsterberg and introduced the Reformation. In 1654 the emperor granted it to the Auersperg family, who seldom lived there.
Decline and legacy
Silesia came under Prussia in 1742, though the Auerspergs kept the ducal title and estates. In 1791 they sold their remaining Silesian holdings to the Prussian crown, ending the duchy. The town, now Ziębice, became part of Poland in 1945.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (3)
- Duchy of Ziębice was a vassal of Kingdom of Bohemia1336 CE – 1742 CE
- Duchy of Ziębice was a vassal of Kingdom of Prussia1742 CE – 1791 CE
- Duchy of Ziębice was part of Kingdom of Prussia1742 CE – 1791 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Duchy of Ziębice. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-ziebice
- MLA
- “Duchy of Ziębice.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-ziebice. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Duchy of Ziębice.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-ziebice.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Duchy of Ziębice’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-ziebice (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻