The Bohemian Diet (, ) was the parliament of the

Kingdom of Bohemia The Kingdom of Bohemia (), sometimes referenced in English literature as the Czech Kingdom, was a History of the Czech lands in the High Middle Ages, medieval and History of the Czech lands, early modern monarchy in Central Europe. It was the pr ...

within the Austro-Hungarian Empire between 1861 and Czechoslovak independence in 1918.

The Diet during the Absolutist Period

In 1471, the Bohemian estates elected the Jagiellon Vladislav II as their king. In 1500, the Land Assembly approved the '' Vladislav Land Establishment,'' named after the king, which gave the Bohemian noblemen an extensive share in political co-decision and is also considered to be the oldest written Czech constitution. The chairman of the assembly was called the '' Supreme Burgrave'' ( Czech: ''Nejvyšší purkrabí'''','' German: ''Oberstburggraf'' ). He led talks with eight jurors appointed by the assembly, two from each state. After the defeat of the Bohemian estates in the

Battle of White Mountain The Battle of White Mountain (; ) was an important battle in the early stages of the Thirty Years' War. It led to the defeat of the Bohemian Revolt and ensured Habsburg control for the next three hundred years. It was fought on 8 November 16 ...

, Ferdinand II would proclaim in 1627 for Bohemia and 1628 for

Moravia Moravia ( ; ) is a historical region in the eastern Czech Republic, roughly encompassing its territory within the Danube River's drainage basin. It is one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The medieval and early ...

the '' Renewed Regional Code'', in which the monopoly position of the states was abolished in favour of the provincial government. Despite these limitations, the Diet and its committees, like the Diets in

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

, remained an effective means of political co-decision. In their meetings, usually once a year, the estates could, through the amount of taxes, resist the lords of the land. All direct and indirect taxes, with the exception of the collection of customs duties, remained within the competence of the estates. The Diet was thus a relic of the estate power rather than an absolutist instrument and even by the 1830s, the diet was again a base for organizing the opposition and a place of political friction. Only during the reign of

Maria Theresa Maria Theresa (Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position suo jure, in her own right. She was the ...

was the strong share of estates in power permanently limited. The diet was, with the exception of 1784–88 under Joseph II, held without interruption until 1848. At the end of its existence in 1848, the diet had 214 members. The diet met at

Prague Castle Prague Castle (; ) is a castle complex in Prague, Czech Republic serving as the official residence and workplace of the president of the Czech Republic. Built in the 9th century, the castle has long served as the seat of power for List of rulers ...

until 1801. From 1801 he was based in the Thun Palace in

Malá Strana Malá Strana ( Czech for "Little Side (of the River)", ) or historically Menší Město pražské () is a district of the city of Prague, Czech Republic, and one of its most historic neighbourhoods. In the Middle Ages, it was a dominant center o ...

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

. This conference location remained the same until 1913. Today the palace is the seat of the Chamber of Deputies of Czechia.

References

{{Reflist Political history of the Czech Republic Legislatures of Austria-Hungary Defunct unicameral legislatures 1861 establishments in Europe 1918 disestablishments in Austria-Hungary Disestablishments in the Empire of Austria (1867–1918) Politics of Austria-Hungary Kingdom of Bohemia

The Diet during the Absolutist Period

See also

References