European Kingdoms

Duchy of Carinthia (Przemyslid) (Austria) (Central Europe)
AD 1269 - 1276

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Situated in the south of Austria, close to modern Slovenia, the medieval region of Carinthia emerged out of Roman domination. In the sixth and seventh centuries it was settled by Slav groups before being organised into a 'Slav Kingdom' across a wide swathe of Central Europe. Following the death of its founder in AD 658 the kingdom fragmented.

The Carinthian section became known by its Slav name of Khorushka. In time it was absorbed by the Eastern Franks and a duchy was created which enjoyed a series of 'Non-Dynastic Dukes' until the death of the ruling Eppensteiners meant a change of governance. The county of Spontheim provided the next dynasty of ruling dukes, the 'Spontheim Dukes', after Count Siegfried I inherited large tracts of territory in Carinthia and Tyrol.

The last of the Spontheim dukes, Ulrich III, had secretly agreed in 1268 to be succeeded by Ottokar II, his Bohemian wife's nephew. This was despite also having formally recognised his own brother as his successor, Philip, deposed archbishop of Salzburg. Ottokar made good on his agreement upon Ulrich's death in 1269, with the old duke having outlived his own children.

The duchy of Carinthia was appended to Ottokar's own powerful kingdom of Bohemia. As he already held Austria, this gave him a continuous corridor of territory down into neighbouring Styria, along with the margraviate of Carniola.

Ottokar 'the Great', as he was known, was also referred to as 'the Golden' and 'the Iron', as he greatly enriched and strengthened his Bohemian lands and his people, the Czechs. Unfortunately they destroyed the gold market in Europe by oversupplying it with their own intensive mining. They also supplied the silver coins which they called tolar (from which the modern word 'dollar' originates). Ottokar's many enemies conspired to bring him down and destroy his powerful kingdom.

(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information from Geschichte Kärntens bis 1335 (Vols 1 & 2), A Jaksch (Klagenfurt, 1928-29), from Geschichte Kärntens (Vols 1 & 2), C Fräss-Ehrfeld (Klagenfurt, 1984-94), from Dynasties of the World, John E Morby, from The History of the Franks, Volume II, Gregory of Tours (O M Dalton, Trans, 1967), from From Roman Provinces to Medieval Kingdoms, Thomas F X Noble, and from External Links: Foundation for Medieval Genealogy, and Encyclopaedia.com, and Cranach Digital Archive (in German and English), and Special Collections (University of Arizona), and The Holy Roman Empire (Heraldica), and The Holy Roman Empire, Christopher Brooks (Portland Community College via LibreTexts Humanities).)

1269 - 1276

King of Bohemia. Held Austria, Carinthia, Slovenia, & Styria.

1271

Ottokar and Stephen of Hungary sign the First Peace of Pressburg (Pozny to the Hungarians, modern Bratislava in Slovakia). This follows another battle between the two over Hungarian claims to areas of Austria and Slovakia (to the east of Moravia, sandwiched between that and Hungary), and Bohemian-captured territory in Hungary itself. Each claim is dropped so that Bohemia unquestionably rules Austria and Slovakia, and Hungary is fully restored to its rulers.

King Przemysl II Ottokar the Great, the 'Golden and Iron', was an inspirational empire-builder for his Czech kingdom of Bohemia-Moravia - he was also a capable politician, who managed to bring the state out of crisis and greatly strengthen it

1276

Rudolf of Habsburg wrests the duchies of Austria and Carinthia from Ottokar, two years before he kills the Przemysl king in battle on the Moravia Field as part of a campaign of bringing down the powerful Bohemian kingdom.

Philip, the deposed archbishop of Salzburg and brother of the late Duke Ulrich III of ' Spontheim Carinthia', had been reduced in rank as far as his surviving hereditary titles had gone. The reduction in rank and power for the family turns out to be short-lived, however. Philip is able to restore his family to regional greatness by becoming the new duke of 'Habsburg Carinthia' in Ottokar's place.