Duchy of Prussia
| Duchy of Prussia | ||||||||||
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Herzogtum Preußen (de) Księstwo Pruskie (pl) Ducatus Prussiae (la) |
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Fief of the Kingdom of Poland Part of Brandenburg-Prussia (from 1618) |
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 The Duchy of Prussia (yellow)
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| Capital | Königsberg | |||||||||
| Languages | German, Lithuanian, Polish, Old Prussian | |||||||||
| Religion | Lutheranism | |||||||||
| Government | Feudal monarchy | |||||||||
| Duke | ||||||||||
| • | 1525–1568 | Albert | ||||||||
| • | 1568–1618 | Albert Frederick | ||||||||
| • | 1618–1619 | John Sigismund | ||||||||
| • | 1619–1640 | George William | ||||||||
| • | 1640–1688 | Frederick William | ||||||||
| • | 1688–1701 | Frederick | ||||||||
| Legislature | Estates | |||||||||
| Historical era | Late Middle Ages | |||||||||
| • | Secularisation | 10 April 1525 | ||||||||
| • | Disestablished | 1701 | ||||||||
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| Today part of |
 Russia Lithuania Poland
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  History of Brandenburg and Prussia |
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Northern March pre–12th century |
Old Prussians pre–13th century |
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Margraviate of Brandenburg 1157–1618 (1806) |
Teutonic Order 1224–1525 |
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Duchy of Prussia 1525–1618 |
Royal (Polish) Prussia 1466–1772 |
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Brandenburg-Prussia 1618–1701 |
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Kingdom in Prussia 1701–1772 |
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Kingdom of Prussia 1772–1918 |
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Free State of Prussia 1918–1947 |
Klaipėda Region (Lithuania) 1920–1939 / 1945–present |
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Brandenburg (Germany) 1947–1952 / 1990–present |
Recovered Territories (Poland) 1918/1945–present |
Kaliningrad Oblast (Russia) 1945–present |
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The Duchy of Prussia (German: Herzogtum Preußen, Polish: Księstwo Pruskie) or Ducal Prussia (German: Herzogliches Preußen, Polish: Prusy Książęce) was a duchy in eastern Prussia established during the Protestant Reformation in 1525. It was the first Lutheran duchy with a dominant German-speaking population, as well as Polish and Lithuanian minorities. In old texts and in Latin, the term Prut(h)enia refers alike to Ducal Prussia, its western neighbor Royal Prussia, and their common predecessor, Teutonic Prussia. The adjectival form of the name was "Prut(h)enic".
In 1525 during the Protestant Reformation, the Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, Albert, secularized the order's Prussian territory, becoming Albert, Duke of Prussia. His duchy, which had its capital in Königsberg (Polish: Królewiec, Lithuanian: Karaliaučius; modern Kaliningrad), was established as fief of the Crown of Poland. It was inherited by the Hohenzollern prince-electors of Brandenburg in 1618; this personal union is referred to as Brandenburg-Prussia. Frederick William, the "Great Elector" of Brandenburg, achieved full sovereignty over the territory in the 1657 Treaty of Wehlau, which was confirmed in the 1660 Treaty of Oliva. The Duchy of Prussia was elevated to the Kingdom of Prussia in 1701.
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