1561–1795 Polish–Lithuanian vassal state in the Baltics
This article is about the early modern duchy. For the short-lived state founded during World War I, see Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (1918).
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Duchy of Courland and Semigallia" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR(March 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Duchy of Courland and Semigallia
Ducatus Curlandiæ et Semigalliæ(Latin) Kurzemes un Zemgales hercogiste(Latvian) Księstwo Kurlandii i Semigalii(Polish) Kuršo ir Žiemgalos kunigaikštystė(Lithuanian) Herzogtum Kurland und Semgallen(German) Hertigdömet Kurland och Semgallen(Swedish)
1561–1795
Flag
Coat of arms
Duchy of Courland and Semigallia in 1714
Duchy of Courland and Semigallia
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Status
Vassal state of Grand Duchy of Lithuania (1561–1569) and Poland–Lithuania (1569–1795)
Capital
Mitau
Common languages
German, Latvian, Livonian, Latgalian
Religion
Lutheran, Roman Catholic
Demonym(s)
Courlander, Couronian, Courish, Courlandish
Government
Monarchy
Duke
• 1561–1587
Gotthard Kettler (first)
• 1769–1795
Peter von Biron (last)
Legislature
Landtag
History
• Treaty of Vilnius
28 November 1561
• Colonial acquisitions
1637–1690
• Third Partition of Poland
28 March 1795
Area
• Total
27,290 km2 (10,540 sq mi)
Population
• Estimate
~200,000 (17th century)
Currency
Thaler
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Bishopric of Courland
Livonian Order
Courland Governorate
Today part of
Latvia
The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (Latin: Ducatus Curlandiæ et Semigalliæ; German: Herzogtum Kurland und Semgallen; Latvian: Kurzemes un Zemgales hercogiste; Lithuanian: Kuršo ir Žiemgalos kunigaikštystė; Polish: Księstwo Kurlandii i Semigalii) was a duchy in the Baltic region, then known as Livonia, that existed from 1561 to 1569 as a nominally vassal state of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and subsequently made part of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom from 1569 to 1726[1] and incorporated into the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1726.[2] On March 28, 1795, it was annexed by the Russian Empire in the Third Partition of Poland.
There was also a short-lived wartime state with the same name that existed from March 8 to September 22, 1918. Plans for it to become part of the United Baltic Duchy, subject to the German Empire, were thwarted by Germany's surrender of the Baltic region at the end of the First World War.[3] The area became a part of Latvia at the end of World War I.
^Volumina Legum, t. II, Petersburg 1859, p. 106
^Volumina Legum, t. VI, Petersburg 1860, p. 209.
^"How the Duchy of Courland was briefly resurrected in 1918". eng.lsm.lv. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
and 25 Related for: Duchy of Courland and Semigallia information
The DuchyofCourlandandSemigallia (Latin: Ducatus Curlandiæ et Semigalliæ; German: Herzogtum Kurland und Semgallen; Latvian: Kurzemes un Zemgales hercogiste;...
third largest city in Latvia. The regions ofSemigalliaand Selonia are sometimes considered as part ofCourland[citation needed] as they were formerly held...
1795 out of the territory of the DuchyofCourlandandSemigallia, which was incorporated into the Russian Empire as the Viceroyalty ofCourland with its...
of Semigallia belonged to the DuchyofCourlandandSemigallia, a vassal duchyof the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, until the Third Partition of Poland...
to the colonisation efforts of the DuchyofCourlandandSemigallia (today part of Latvia). Small, but wealthy, the Duchy took a modest part in the European...
The Curonian colonization of the Americas was performed by the DuchyofCourlandandSemigallia (now Latvia), which was the second-smallest state to colonise...
Commonwealth – as the Duchyof Livonia and the DuchyofCourlandandSemigallia. The island of Saaremaa became part of Denmark. Since the beginning of the 20th century...
unofficial symbol of the region ofCourland in Northern Europe, and historically served as the symbol of the DuchyofCourlandandSemigallia. Today, it has...
Duchy of CourlandandSemigallia is a duchy in the Baltic region that existed from 1562 to 1791 as a vassal state of the Grand Duchyof Lithuania and later...
such territories was indirectly through the actions of the DuchyofCourlandandSemigallia, a fief of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Polish nobility...
City and the rest of the territory was divided into Polish-Lithuanian vassal states - DuchyofCourlandandSemigallia (Polish vassal) and the Duchyof Livonia...
southwest of Riga. It is the largest town in the region of Zemgale (Semigalia). Jelgava was the capital of the united DuchyofCourlandandSemigallia (1578–1795)...
fief of the Crown of Poland. The DuchyofCourlandandSemigallia was a vassal state of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom from 1569 to 1726, and incorporated...
sovereign) duchies have disappeared. DuchyofCourlandandSemigalliaDuchyof Estonia (disambiguation) Duchyof Livonia United Baltic Duchy Lower Pannonia...
order and converted to Lutheranism. In the southern part of the Brothers' lands he created the DuchyofCourlandandSemigallia for his family. Most of the...
December [O.S. 18 December] 1772) was a Duke ofCourlandandSemigallia (1737–1740 and 1763–1769) and briefly regent of the Russian Empire in 1740. Biron was...
(1783–1907) British West Indies Belize New Courland (Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago) (1654–1689); Courland is now part of Latvia Dano-Norwegian West Indies (1754–1814)...
basis of Baltic nobility. The DuchyofCourlandandSemigallia existed as a German-speaking country until 1795, while the northern part ofDuchyof Livonia...
of the Russian Empire set up in the territories of Swedish Estonia, Swedish Livonia (1721) and, afterwards, of the DuchyofCourlandandSemigallia (1795)...
Lutheranism and secularised SemigalliaandCourland. On the basis of the Treaty of Vilnius (28 November 1561), he created the DuchyofCourlandandSemigallia as...
Princess ofCourlandand Duchess of Acerenza (24 June 1783 – 11 April 1876) was a German princess from the ruling family ofCourlandandSemigallia (today...
Global Information
