duchy · Germany and Central Europe
Grand Duchy of Frankfurt
Origins
In 1810 Dalberg ceded Regensburg to Bavaria and in exchange received Hanau and Fulda. These were combined with Frankfurt, Aschaffenburg and Wetzlar to form the Grand Duchy of Frankfurt, with Napoleon's stepson Eugène de Beauharnais named as Dalberg's successor.
Rule and society
The grand duchy was divided into four departments on the French model. A constitution of 1810 introduced the Napoleonic Code and equal rights, and the Jews of Frankfurt bought their civic equality in 1811. Frankfurt remained a major trading and banking centre, but the Continental System hurt trade and the state had to provide troops for Napoleon.
Decline and legacy
After the battle of Leipzig Dalberg abdicated in October 1813, and Eugène never succeeded. The allies placed it under provisional administration; Frankfurt became a free city, while Hanau and Fulda went to the Electorate of Hesse and Aschaffenburg to Bavaria.
Lineage
On the connections map
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- Grand Duchy of Frankfurt was part of Confederation of the Rhine1810 CE – 1813 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Grand Duchy of Frankfurt. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/grand-duchy-of-frankfurt
- MLA
- “Grand Duchy of Frankfurt.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/grand-duchy-of-frankfurt. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Grand Duchy of Frankfurt.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/grand-duchy-of-frankfurt.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Grand Duchy of Frankfurt’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/grand-duchy-of-frankfurt (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻