The Duchy of Krumlov (''Krumau'' in German) was a titular

duchy A duchy, also called a dukedom, is a country, territory, fiefdom, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess, a ruler hierarchically second to the king or Queen regnant, queen in Western European tradition. There once existed an important differe ...

in the southern part 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 ...

, comprising the town of

Český Krumlov Český Krumlov (; , ''Böhmisch Krumau'') is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 13,000 inhabitants. It is known as a tourist centre, which is among the most visited places in the country. The historic centre ...

and its surrounding territories, now in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. In 1628, it was given to Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg by King Ferdinand II when he bestowed upon Hans Ulrich the title of Duke of Krumlov. The Bohemian possessions of the Eggenbergs later went to Hans Ulrich's son, Johann Anton von Eggenberg (1610–1649). In 1649, the title passed to Johann Anton's son, Johann Christian von Eggenberg. He married Princess Marie Ernestine of Schwarzenberg, who was a member of the noble

House of Schwarzenberg The House of Schwarzenberg () is a German (Franconian Circle, Franconian) and Czech (Kingdom of Bohemia, Bohemian) aristocratic family, formerly one of the most prominent European noble houses. The Schwarzenbergs are members of the German nobili ...

. Upon the death of Johann Christian, the male line of the

House of Eggenberg The House of Eggenberg was the name of an influential Austrian nobility, Austrian noble family from Styria, who achieved Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, princely rank in the 17th century. The family's last male heir died in 1717, bringing an end ...

came to an end. The death of Marie Ernestine in 1719 caused the Bohemian possessions of the Eggenbergs to pass to her closest relatives in the Schwarzenberg family. As a result, the Duchy of Krumlov was obtained by Prince Adam Francis Charles of Schwarzenberg in 1723, and the title of Duke of Krumlov is reserved for the Head of the House of Schwarzenberg.

Dukes of Krumlov

References

Schwarzenberg family Eggenberg family Český Krumlov Former duchies of the Kingdom of Bohemia 1628 establishments in the Habsburg monarchy {{Austria-hist-stub