Duchy of Cieszyn
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The Duchy of Cieszyn (Polish: Księstwo Cieszyńskie, Latin: Ducatus Tessinensis, German: Herzogtum Teschen, Czech: Těšínské knížectví) was an independent duchy in the area of Silesia.
It shared the history of Cieszyn Silesia and after the feudal division of Poland in 1138 was ruled by Piast dukes from the Silesian line. From 1343, when Poland acknowledged imperial Bohemian rule over Silesia, it shared the history of Bohemian Silesia. In 1653 it came under Austrian Habsburg rule (from 1766; a direct one).
In 1708 the duchy of Teschen was given to the dukes of Lorraine as compensation for the loss of Montferrat , until the Lorrain - Austrian emperor Francis I granted it to his eldest surviving daughter, Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria, who married Prince Albert of Saxony, who thus became (the only) Duke of Saxe-Teschen. Their marriage remained childless, and upon the death of the widowed Albert, Teschen passed to their adopted son, Archduke Charles of Austria, who became duke of Teschen and started the Habsburg-Lorraine branch of dukes of Teschen.
[edit] Dukes of Cieszyn
- 1290–1314 Mieszko I
- 1316–1358 Kazimierz I
- 1358–1409 Przemko I Noszak
- 1410–1431 Bolesław I
- 1431–1440 Wacław I, Bolesław II, Władysław, and Przemko II
- 1440–1447 Wacław I and Bolesław II
- 1447–1452 Bolesław II
- 1452–1528 Kazimierz II
- 1528–1579 Wacław III Adam Pogrobowiec (the Posthumous)
- 1579/1594–1617 Adam Wacław
- 1617–1625 Fryderyk Wilhelm
- 1625–1653 Elżbieta Lukrecja
In 1653 Duchy of Teschen (Cieszyn) became part of the Habsburg domains as Herzogtum Teschen. According to the census taken in 1910, the duchy had 434 thousand inhabitants, among them 234 thousand (53.9%) Polish-speaking, 116 thousand (26.7%) Czech-speaking, 77 thousand (17.7%) German-speaking and 7 thousand (1.6%) others. At the end of the First World War local self-governments were established and the duchy was divided between Poland and Czechoslovakia.
| History of Cieszyn and Těšín | |
|---|---|
| Cieszyn | Olza | Český Těšín | |
| Duchy of Cieszyn | Silesia | Upper Silesia | Austrian Silesia | Czech Silesia | Cieszyn Silesia | Zaolzie | |
