View source for Duchy of Carinthia

{{Short description|Central European state of the Holy Roman Empire and later Austrian Empire (976–1918)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2025}}
{{Infobox country
| native_name            = {{native name|de|Herzogtum Kärnten}} <br/>{{native name|la|Ducatus Carinthiae}}<br/>{{native name|sl|Vojvodina Koroška}}
| conventional_long_name = Duchy of Carinthia
| common_name            = Carinthia
| era                    = [[Middle Ages]]
| status                 = Duchy
| status_text            = [[States of the Holy Roman Empire|State]] of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] (until 1806),<br/>Part of the [[Habsburg monarchy]] (from 1526),<br/>constituent land of the [[Austrian Empire]] (1804–67),<br/>[[Cisleithania]]n crown land of [[Austria-Hungary]] (from 1867)
| empire                 = Holy Roman Empire
| government_type        = [[Duchy]]
| leader1                = [[Henry III, Duke of Bavaria|Henry I]] <small>(first)</small>
| leader2                = [[Charles I of Austria|Charles I]] <small>(last)</small>
| year_leader1           = 976–978
| year_leader2           = 1916–1918
| title_leader           = Duke
| year_start             = 976
| year_end               = 1918
| event_start            = Created [[Duchy]]
| date_start             = <!--- Optional: Date of establishment, as 1 January 1801--->
| event1                 = To [[House of Habsburg|Habsburg]] dukes of [[Duchy of Austria|Austria]]
| date_event1            = 1335
| event2                 = [[Treaty of Neuberg|Incorporated]] into [[Inner Austria]]
| date_event2            = 1379
| event3                 = Joined [[Austrian Circle]]
| date_event3            = 1512
| event4                 = Upper Carinthia [[Treaty of Schönbrunn|ceded]] to [[Illyrian Provinces]]
| date_event4            = 1809
| event5                 = [[Congress of Vienna|Restored]] to [[Austrian Empire]]
| date_event5            = 1815
| event_post             = [[Carinthian Plebiscite]]
| date_post              = 1920
| p1                     = March of Carinthia
| flag_p1                = Ancient_arms_of_the_Duchy_of_Carinthia.svg
| border_p1              = no
| s1                     = Republic of German-Austria
| flag_s1                = Flag of Austria.svg
| s2                     = Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
| flag_s2                = Flag of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.svg
| s3                     = Kingdom of Italy
| flag_s3                = Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg
| image_flag             = Flag of Carinthia until 1946.svg
| image_coat             = Coat of arms of the Duchy of Carinthia.svg
| symbol_type            = 
| image_map              = AvI Provinz Innerösterreich.jpg
| image_map_caption      = Carinthia (yellow) within [[Inner Austria]], {{circa|1790}}
| capital                = [[Sankt Veit an der Glan]] (''Šentvid ob Glini'') until 1518, then [[Klagenfurt]] (''Celovec'')
| common_languages       = {{ubl|[[Southern Bavarian]]|[[Latin]]|[[Carinthian dialect group|Carinthian Slovene]]}}
| today                  = {{ubl|[[Austria]]|[[Italy]]|[[Slovenia]]}}
| footnotes              = <!--- Accepts wikilinks --->
}}

The '''Duchy of Carinthia''' ({{Langx|la|Ducatus Carinthiae}}; {{langx|de|Herzogtum Kärnten}}; {{langx|sl|Vojvodina Koroška}}) was a [[duchy]] located in southern [[Austria]] and parts of northern [[Slovenia]]. It was separated from the [[Duchy of Bavaria]] in 976, and was the first newly created [[Imperial State]] after the original German [[stem duchy|stem duchies]].

Carinthia remained a State of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] until its dissolution in 1806, though from 1335 it was ruled within the [[Archduchy of Austria|Austrian]] dominions of the [[House of Habsburg|Habsburg]] dynasty. A constituent part of the [[Habsburg monarchy]] and of the [[Austrian Empire]], it remained a [[Cisleithania]]n crown land of [[Austria-Hungary]] until 1918. By the [[1920 Carinthian plebiscite]] in October 1920, the main area of the duchy formed the Austrian state of [[Carinthia]].

==History==
In the seventh century the area was part of the Slavic principality of [[Carantania]], which fell under the suzerainty of Duke [[Odilo of Bavaria]] in about 743. The [[History of Bavaria|Bavarian]] stem duchy was incorporated into the [[Carolingian Empire]] when [[Charlemagne]] deposed Odilo's son Duke [[Tassilo III of Bavaria|Tassilo III]] in 788. In the 843 partition by the [[Treaty of Verdun]], Carinthia became part of [[East Francia]] under King [[Louis the German]]. From 889 to 976 it was the [[March of Carinthia|Carinthian March]] of the renewed Bavarian duchy, though in 927 the local Count [[Berthold, Duke of Bavaria|Berthold]] of the [[Luitpoldings|Luitpolding dynasty]] was vested with ducal rights by the [[Kingdom of Germany|German]] king [[Henry the Fowler]]. After Berthold became Duke of Bavaria in 938, both territories were ruled by him. Upon his death in 948 the Luitpoldings, though heirs of the royal [[Ottonian dynasty]], were not able to retain their possessions, as King [[Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor|Otto I]] bought the loyalty of his younger brother [[Henry I, Duke of Bavaria|Henry I]] with the Bavarian lands.

===Establishment===
[[File:Karte Herzogtum Bayern im 10. Jahrhundert.png|400px|thumb|upright|right|Carinthia with the Bavarian Duchy in the mid-late 10th century.]]
Duke Henry's son [[Henry II, Duke of Bavaria|Henry II]] "the Quarreller" from 974 onwards, revolted against his cousin Emperor [[Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor|Otto II]], whereupon he was deposed as Duke of Bavaria in favour of Otto's nephew Duke [[Otto I, Duke of Swabia and Bavaria|Otto I of Swabia]]. At the same time Emperor Otto II created a sixth duchy in addition to the original [[stem duchy|stem duchies]], the new Duchy of Carinthia. He reverted the possession of the territories to the Luitpoldings, when he split Carinthia from the Bavarian lands and installed the former Duke Berthold's son [[Henry III, Duke of Bavaria|Henry the Younger]] as duke in 976.

Over the centuries, the name 'Carinthia' (''Kärnten'') gradually replaced former 'Carantania'. The realm of the Carinthian dukes initially comprised a vast territory including the marches of [[March of Styria|Styria]] (''marchia Carantana''), [[March of Carniola|Carniola]] and [[March of Istria|Istria]]; they also ruled over the Italian [[March of Verona]] in the south. Nevertheless, Henry the Younger was the first and also the last Luitpolding duke; as he chose to join the unsuccessful [[War of the Three Henries (977–978)|War of the Three Henries]] against [[Emperor Otto II]], he lost Carinthia two years later and was succeeded by the Emperor's nephew [[Otto I, Duke of Carinthia|Otto I]], a scion of the [[Salian dynasty]]. Though Henry once again managed to regain the ducal title in 985, Carinthia upon his death in 989 fell back to the Imperial Ottonian dynasty in Bavaria.

===Eppensteins and Sponheims===
[[File:Central Europe, 919-1125.jpg|400px|thumb|right|The Duchy of Carinthia within the Holy Roman Empire at its maximum expansion]]
Carinthia, however, remained a separate entity, and in 1012 Count [[Adalbero, Duke of Carinthia|Adalbero I of Eppenstein]], Margrave of the Carinthian March (later Styria) since about 1000, was vested with the duchy by the last Ottonian emperor [[Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry II]], while the Istrian march was separated and given to Count [[Poppo I, Margrave of Carniola|Poppo of Weimar]]. Adalbero was removed from office in 1035 after he had fallen out of favour with the Salian Emperor [[Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor|Conrad II]]. In 1039 Carinthia was inherited by Emperor [[Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry III]] himself, who split off the Carniolan march the following year and granted it to Margrave Poppo of Istria. In 1077, the duchy was given to [[Luitpold of Carinthia|Luitpold]], again a member of the [[Eppenstein]]er family, which, however, became extinct with the death of Luitpold's younger brother [[Henry III of Carinthia]] in 1122. Upon his death the duchy was further reduced in area: a large part of the Eppenstein lands in what is today [[Upper Styria]] passed to Margrave [[Ottokar II of Styria]].

The remainder of Carinthia passed from Duke Henry III to his godchild Henry from the [[House of Sponheim]], who ruled as Henry IV, from 1122 to his early death the following year.<ref name="Med. Gen.">[http://www.genealogie-mittelalter.de/kaernten/heinrich_4_herzog_vn_kaernten_1123_spanheimer/heinrich_4_von_spanheim_herzog_von_kaernten_+_1123.html Mediaeval Genealogy] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214174231/http://www.genealogie-mittelalter.de/kaernten/heinrich_4_herzog_vn_kaernten_1123_spanheimer/heinrich_4_von_spanheim_herzog_von_kaernten_+_1123.html |date=14 December 2007 }}</ref> The most outstanding of the Spanheim dukes was [[Bernhard von Spanheim|Bernhard]], the first Carinthian duke who was actually described and honoured in documents as "prince of the land".<ref name ="Med. Gen." /> The last Spanheim duke was [[Ulrich III, Duke of Carinthia|Ulrich III]]; he signed an inheritance treaty with his brother Archbishop [[Philip of Spanheim]] of [[Prince-Archbishopric of Salzburg|Salzburg]], who, however, could not prevail against the [[Kingdom of Bohemia|Bohemian]] king [[Ottokar II of Bohemia|Ottokar II Přemysl]]. In spite of being supported by the Habsburg king [[Rudolf I of Germany]], who defeated Ottokar II at the [[Battle on the Marchfeld]] in 1278, Philip never gained actual power. The duchy was seized by Rudolph and Philip died a year later in 1279.

===Habsburgs===
Rudolf, after being elected [[King of the Romans]] and defeating King Ottokar II, at first gave Carinthia to Count [[Meinhard II of Gorizia-Tyrol]]. In 1335, after the death of [[Henry of Carinthia|Henry]], the last male of this line, Emperor [[Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Louis the Bavarian]] gave Carinthia and the southern part of the [[County of Tyrol|Tyrol]] as an imperial [[fief]] to the [[House of Habsburg|Habsburg]] family on 2 May in [[Linz]]. The Habsburgs would continue to rule Carinthia until 1918. As with the other component parts of the [[Habsburg monarchy]], Carinthia remained a semi-autonomous state with its own constitutional structure for a long time. The Habsburgs divided up their territories within the family twice, according to the 1379 [[Treaty of Neuberg]] and again in 1564. Each time, the Duchy of Carinthia became part of [[Inner Austria]] and was ruled jointly with the adjacent duchies of [[Duchy of Styria|Styria]] and [[Duchy of Carniola|Carniola]].

Carinthia saw five [[Ottoman wars in Europe|Turkish incursions]] into its territory between 1473 and 1483, with much plundering and killing at the hands of Ottoman cavalry. These raids led to the [[Carinthian Peasant Revolt]] of 1478, as peasants, left unprotected by the nobility, tried to defend themselves and formed a peasants' league to organize their own defense.<ref>{{cite book |title=Ilustrirana zgodovina Slovencev |language=Slovenian |trans-title=The Illustrated History of the Slovenes |chapter=Kmečki upor na slovenskem Koroškem |trans-chapter=The Peasant Revolt in Slovene Carinthia |year=2000 |first=Peter |last=Štih |editor-first=Marko |editor-last=Vidic |publisher=Mladinska knjiga |isbn=86-11-15664-1 |page=132}}</ref> The raids also prompted the construction of defensive structures like fortified churches and castles (tabor).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=M. Mastnak |first1=Martin |title=Turks, Trubar, and Tabori: Turkish “Incursions,” Peasants, and Built Space in the Nineteenth-Century Slovene National Awakening |journal=Princeton Historical Review |date=5 July 2024 |volume=9 |issue=2 |url=https://history.princeton.edu/undergraduate/princeton-historical-review/summer-2024-issue/turks-trubar-and-tabori}}</ref>

[[File:Duchy of Carinthia.jpg|thumb|left|Early 18th century map of Carinthia showing fiefs owned by Salzburg (in pink) and Bamberg (in yellow)]]
Empress [[Maria Theresa of Austria]] and her son [[Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor|Joseph II]] attempted to create a more [[Unitary state|unitary]] Habsburg state, and in 1804 Carinthia was integrated into the newly established [[Austrian Empire]] under [[Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor|Francis II/I]]. According to the 1809 [[Treaty of Schönbrunn]], the Upper Carinthian territories around [[Villach]] formed part of the short-lived Napoleonic [[Illyrian Provinces]]; Carinthia as a whole remained a part of the [[Kingdom of Illyria (1816–1849)|Habsburg Kingdom of Illyria]] until its dissolution in 1849.

In 1867, the duchy became a crown land of [[Cisleithania]], the western part of [[Austria-Hungary]] (see [[History of Austria]]).

[[File:Kaernten Donaumonarchie.png|thumb|The Cisleithanian crown land of Carinthia within Austria-Hungary]]

Over the centuries, the [[German language]], which carried more prestige, expanded at the expense of [[Slovene language|Slovene]], but the fact that in the 16th century the Estates of Carinthia could still point out that Carinthia was "a [[Windic March|Windic]] [[Archduchy]]", i.e. a sovereign Slovene principality, shows that the Carinthian people were aware of their ancient and pre-German roots.

===World War I and Carinthian Plebiscite===
{{main|Carinthian Plebiscite}}
During [[World War I]], Carinthia experienced a relatively high number of war deaths: thirty-seven for every 1,000 inhabitants. This was higher than in most other German-speaking areas of [[Austria-Hungary]] (except [[German South Moravia]]).<ref>Rothenburg, G. ''The Army of Francis Joseph''. West Lafayette: Purdue University Press, 1976. p 218.</ref>

Following the end of the war and the dissolution of Austria-Hungary, the 1919 [[Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919)|Treaty of Saint-Germain]] stipulated the [[Carinthian Canal Valley]] stretching from [[Tarvisio]] as far as [[Pontebba|Pontafel]] (187 square miles)<ref name ="Britannica">”Kärnten.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Ultimate Reference Suite. Chicago 2010.</ref> go to [[Italy]] and that the Slovene-speaking areas of the Meža Valley, the Drava Valley area around [[Unterdrauburg]], which was afterwards renamed [[Dravograd]], and the [[Municipality of Jezersko|Jezersko]] area (128 square miles of territory)<ref name="Britannica" /> be ceded to the new SHS State. The [[Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes]], however, was not satisfied with these parts of the former duchy and also occupied land north of the Karawanks mountain range, including the capital city of Klagenfurt. The [[Allies of World War I|Entente]] powers decided on a two-stage referendum, of which the first stage, the [[Carinthian Plebiscite]] was held on 10 October 1920 to determine the fate of Carinthia. The outcome in favour of Austria did not change the borders as decided upon in the Treaty of Saint-Germain.
[[File:Klagenfurt Landhaus 25042009 31.jpg|thumb|Klagenfurt ''Landhaus'']]
[[File:Landhaus Wappensaal Fuerstenstein 01.jpg|thumb|[[Prince's Stone]] (''Knežji kamen'')]]
[[File:Vojvodski stol.jpg|thumb|[[Duke's Chair]] (''Vojvodski prestol'')]]
The Austrian part of the former duchy today forms the [[States of Austria|federal state]] of [[Carinthia (state)|Carinthia]] ({{langx|de|Land Kärnten}}), while the area that was ceded to Italy as a part of the claimed "[[Julian March]]" belongs to the autonomous [[regions of Italy|region]] of [[Friuli–Venezia Giulia]]. Most of the area awarded to Yugoslavia (cf. [[Slovenian Carinthia]]) now forms part of the larger [[Carinthia Statistical Region]] in [[Slovenia]].

== Area and population ==
'''Area:'''
* Total: {{convert|10,327|km2|abbr=on}}

'''Population''' (1910 Census):
* Total: 396,228

=== Linguistic composition ===
According to the last Austrian Imperial census of 1910, the Duchy of Carinthia was composed of the following linguistic communities:

'''Total: 396,228'''

* [[German language|German]]: 304,315 (76.80%)
* [[Slovene language|Slovene]]: 82,212 (20.75%)
* [[Italian language|Italian]]: 82 (0.02%)
* Other languages or foreigners: 9,619 (2.43%)

The Austrian censuses did not count [[ethnic group]]s, nor the [[mother tongue]], but the "language of daily interaction" ({{lang|de|Umgangssprache}}).

=== Religious composition ===
'''Total: 396,228'''

* [[Roman Catholicism|Roman Catholics]]: 371,361 (93.72%)
* [[Protestantism|Protestants]]: 24,299 (6.13%)
* [[Judaism|Jewish]]: 341 (0.09%)
* Other religions or unknown: 227 (0.06%)

==Dukes of Carinthia==

===Various dynasties===
'''[[Luitpoldings]]'''
*[[Berthold, Duke of Bavaria|Berthold I]] (927–938)
*[[Henry III, Duke of Bavaria|Henry I]] (976–978)

'''[[Salian dynasty]]'''
*[[Otto I, Duke of Carinthia|Otto I]] (978–985)

'''[[Luitpoldings]]'''
*Henry I (985–989), again, [[Duke of Bavaria]] 983–985

'''[[Ottonian dynasty]]'''
*[[Henry II, Duke of Bavaria]] (989–995), also [[Duke of Bavaria]] 985–995
*[[Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor]] (995–1002), also [[Duke of Bavaria]] 995–1005

'''[[Salian dynasty]]'''
*Otto I (1002–1004), again
*[[Conrad I, Duke of Carinthia|Conrad I]] (1004–1011)

'''[[Eppenstein|House of Eppenstein]]'''
*[[Adalbero, Duke of Carinthia|Adalbero]]/Albert I (1011–1035)

'''[[Salian dynasty]]'''
*[[Conrad II, Duke of Carinthia|Conrad II]] (1036–1039)
*[[Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor]] (1039–1047), also [[Duke of Bavaria]] 1026–1041 and [[Holy Roman Emperor]] 1046–1056

'''[[Elder House of Welf]]'''
*[[Welf, Duke of Carinthia|Welf]] (1047–1055)

'''[[Ezzonids]]'''
*[[Conrad III, Duke of Carinthia|Conrad III]] (1056–1061)

'''[[House of Zähringen]]'''
*[[Berthold II, Duke of Carinthia|Berthold II]] (1061–1077)

'''[[Eppenstein|House of Eppenstein]]'''
*[[Liutold of Eppenstein|Luitpold]] (1077–1090)
*[[Henry of Eppenstein|Henry III]] (1090–1122)

===House of Sponheim===
[[File:Ancient_arms_of_the_Duchy_of_Carinthia.svg|thumb|100px|The Carinthian [[Black panther (symbol)|ducal coat of arms]] until 1246]]
[[File:Arms of the Duchy of Carinthia.svg|thumb|100px|The Carinthian coat of arms from 1246]]
*[[Henry IV, Duke of Carinthia|Henry IV]] (1122–1123)
*[[Engelbert, Duke of Carinthia|Engelbert]] (1123–1134)
*[[Ulrich I of Carinthia|Ulrich I]] (1134–1144)
*[[Henry V, Duke of Carinthia|Henry V]] (1144–1161)
*[[Herman, Duke of Carinthia|Herman]] (1161–1181)
*[[Ulrich II, Duke of Carinthia|Ulrich II]] (1181–1201)
*[[Bernhard von Spanheim|Bernhard]] (regent from 1199, duke 1202–1256)
*[[Ulrich III, Duke of Carinthia|Ulrich III]] (1256–1269)

===Various dynasties===
'''[[Přemyslid dynasty]]'''
*[[Ottokar II of Bohemia|Otakar]]/Otto II (1269–1276), also [[List of rulers of Bohemia|King of Bohemia]] 1253–1278

'''[[House of Habsburg]]'''
*[[Rudolph I, Holy Roman Emperor|Rudolph I]] (1276–1286), also [[List of German monarchs|King of Germany]] 1273–1291

===Gorizia-Tyrol===
*[[Meinhard II of Gorizia-Tyrol|Meinhard]] (1286–1295)
*[[Henry of Bohemia|Henry VI]] (1295–1335), also [[List of rulers of Bohemia|King of Bohemia]] 1306/1307–1310, jointly with his brothers
**[[Louis of Gorizia-Tyrol|Louis]] (1295–1305)
**[[Otto III of Carinthia|Otto III]] (1295–1310)

===House of Habsburg===
*[[Otto, Duke of Austria|Otto IV]] (1335–1339), jointly with his brother
**[[Albert II of Austria|Albert II]] (1335–1358)
*[[Frederick III of Austria|Frederick Ι]] (1358–1362), jointly with his brother
**[[Rudolph IV of Austria|Rudolph II]] (1358–1365)
*[[Albert III of Austria|Albert III]] (1365–1379)

====Leopoldian line====
**[[Leopold III of Austria (Habsburg)|Leopold]] (1379–1386)
**[[William of Austria|William]] (1386–1406)
*[[Ernest of Austria (Habsburg)|Ernest]] (1406–1424)
*[[Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick ΙΙ]] (1424–1493)

====Habsburg territories reunified in 1458====
*[[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian]] (1493–1519), also [[Holy Roman Emperor]] 1508–1519
*[[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles I]] (1519–1558), also Holy Roman Emperor 1519–1556
*[[Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor|Ferdinand I]] (1521–1564), also Holy Roman Emperor 1558–1564

====Inner Austrian Habsburgs====
*[[Charles II of Austria|Charles II]] (1564–1590)
*[[Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor|Ferdinand II]] (1590–1637), also Holy Roman Emperor 1619–1637

Carinthia was unified with the rest of the Habsburg territories again in 1619.
See [[List of rulers of Austria]]

==See also==
*[[Carantania]]
*[[Carantanians]]
*[[Carinthian Slovenes]]
*[[History of Austria]]
*[[History of Slovenia]]
*[[Black panther (symbol)]]

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}
* [http://www.deutsche-schutzgebiete.de/kuk_kaernten.htm Kärnten (Religious population data is inaccurate)]

==External links==
{{EB1911 poster|Carinthia}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070629031714/http://www.terra.es/personal7/jqvaraderey/185915BK.GIF Map of the Balkans (1815–59)]
Val Canale/Canal Valley - region of Carinthia now part of Italy
*[http://www.italy-tours-in-nature.com/val-canale.html]

{{Austrian Circle}}
{{Provinces of the Austrian Empire}}
{{Subdivisions of Austria-Hungary}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carinthia, Duchy}}
[[Category:Duchy of Carinthia| ]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in 1919]]
[[Category:States and territories established in the 970s]]
[[Category:Carinthia]]
[[Category:Dukes of Carinthia| ]]
[[Category:States of the German Confederation]]
[[Category:Duchies of the Holy Roman Empire]]
[[Category:Austrian Circle]]
[[Category:Subdivisions of Austria-Hungary]]
[[Category:Historical regions in Austria]]
[[Category:Former states and territories in Slovenia]]
[[Category:970s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire]]
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[[Category:Lands of the Empire of Austria (1867–1918)|Carinthia]]
[[Category:Former duchies]]