European Kingdoms

Duchy of Carinthia (Tirol / Tyrol) (Austria) (Central Europe)
AD 1286 - 1335

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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'. The county of Spontheim provided the next dynasty of ruling dukes, the 'Spontheim Dukes', although the last of those, Ulrich III, 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 was appended to Ottokar's own powerful kingdom of Bohemia, making him the one and only 'Przemyslid Duke' of Carinthia.

Implacably opposing Ottokar, Rudolph of Austria gained the duchies of Austria and 'Habsburg Carinthia' in 1276, slicing them away from Bohemian control as he geared up towards killing Ottokar just two years later in battle on the Moravia Field. Rudolph became Holy Roman emperor, so that various of his territories needed to be handed out to relatives and subjects.

At the Imperial Diet of Augsburg in 1286, Carinthia was handed to the family of Gorizia-Tyrol, the ruling counts of the Tyrol in the person of Meinhard II, who had already been raised to the position of a prince of the empire in 1278. Rudolph and his Habsburg successors would remain the titular rulers of Carinthia until the end of the First World War, but its day-to-day governance had to be passed to a subordinate, hence the apparent hand-over.

The county of Gorizia, a title which dated at least to 1107, was a minor seat which was based around the town of Gorizia in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of north-eastern Italy. It was joined to Tyrol with the accession of Meinhard I (of Tyrol, and III of Gorizia) in 1253, although his rule was relatively brief thanks to his age (around fifty-three). He was soon succeeded by his son, Meinhard II of Tyrol.

(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information from Meinhard der Zweite. Tirol, Kärnten und ihre Nachbarländer am Ende des 13. Jhs, Hermann Wiesflecker, 1955 (1995), from Eines Fürsten Traum. Meinhard II. - Das Werden Tirols (Catalogue, 1995), 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).)

1286 - 1295

II of Tyrol & Carniola & IV of Gorizia in 'Habsburg Carinthia'.

1295 - 1310

Son. Also Count Otto of Tyrol. Died without male issue.

1310

Once it has been weakened by a lack of strong leadership and internal conflict, the kingdom of Bohemia becomes integrated into the Holy Roman empire. King Jindrich (Heinrich, or Henry, of Tyrol) loses his title but as a form of compensation gains Carinthia following the death of his elder brother, Otto.

Otto was succeeded by his younger brother, Henry, who had enjoyed some success in his own career, becoming king of Bohemia for a short time before gaining Carinthia - his crest is show here

1310 - 1335

Brother. Also Count Henry II of Tyrol & in Carniola.

1335

Henry V is the last male of his line. Thanks to a stipulation of the original accession of Meinhard in 1286, the duchy is returned to the Habsburgs, with Holy Roman Emperor Louis IV 'the Bavarian' handing it to Otto and Albert, the sons of Duke Albert I of Austria. The southern section of the Tyrol is added to Carinthia's holdings as it is drawn into 'Habsburg Inner Austria'.