Czech lands
This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (January 2017) |
The Czech lands or the Bohemian lands[1][2][3] (Czech: České země, pronounced [ˈtʃɛskɛː ˈzɛmɲɛ]) is a historical-geographical term that, in a historical context, refers the three historical regions of Bohemia, Moravia, and Czech Silesia together before Czechoslovakia and later the Czech Republic were formed. Together the three have formed the Czech part of Czechoslovakia since 1918 and the Czech Republic since 1 January 1993.
In a historical context, Czech texts use the term to refer to any territory ruled by the
Alternative names
The term Czech lands has been used to describe different things by different people. While the Czech name of Bohemia proper is Čechy, the adjective český refers to both "Bohemian" and "Czech". The non-auxiliary term (i.e. the term used in official Czech geographical terminology lists) for the present-day Czech lands (i.e. Bohemia, Moravia, Czech Silesia) is Česko, documented as early as 1704.[citation needed]
During the period of the First and Second Czechoslovak Republic the Czech lands were frequently referred to as Historical lands in particular when mentioned together with Slovakia (which was never an autonomous historical region within the Kingdom of Hungary).
History
The Bohemian lands had been settled by Celts (
In 1198 Duke
The Silesian lands north of the Sudetes mountain range had been ruled by the Polish Piast dynasty from the 10th century onwards. While Bohemia rose to a kingdom, the Silesian Piasts alienated from the fragmenting Kingdom of Poland. After in 1310 the Bohemian crown had passed to the mighty House of Luxembourg, nearly all Silesian dukes pledged allegiance to King John the Blind and in 1335 the Polish king Casimir III the Great officially renounced Silesia by the Treaty of Trentschin. King John had also acquired the lands of Bautzen and Görlitz (later Upper Lusatia) in 1319 and 1329. His son and successor Charles IV, also King of the Romans since 1346, incorporated the Silesian and Lusatian estates into the Bohemian Crown and upon his coronation as Holy Roman Emperor confirmed their indivisibility and affiliation with the Holy Roman Empire.
In 1367 Emperor Charles IV also purchased the former
-
The Czech state in form of Duchy of Bohemia (green) in 11th century, within the Holy Roman Empire (light green).
-
Czech lands in form of Lands of the Bohemian Crown (red) in the 17th century, within Holy Roman Empire
Coats of arms
The coat of arms of the Czech Republic incorporates those of the three integral Czech lands: Bohemia proper, Moravia, and Czech Silesia. The arms of Bohemia originated with the Bohemian kingdom, like those of Moravia with the Moravian margraviate. The arms of Czech Silesia originated as those of all of the historical region of Silesia, much of which is now in Poland.
-
Bohemia, also used as the Lesser coat of arms of the modern Czech Republic
-
Moravia
-
Greater coat of arms of the present-day Czech Republic
See also
References
- ISBN 978-90-04-30127-6, retrieved 2023-12-07
- ^ "Between Politics and Culture: New Perspectives on the History of the Bohemian Lands and the First Czechoslovak Republic (1880s–1930s)". Archived from the original on 2018-07-31. Retrieved 2017-01-23.
- ^ ArtMap. "ArtMap knihkupectví". knihy.artmap.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 2023-12-07.
Sources
- Pánek, Jaroslav; Tůma Oldřich; et al. (2009). A History of the Czech lands. Prague: Karolinum. ISBN 978-80-246-1645-2.