Duke of Würtemberg
| Duchy of Württemberg | ||||||||||
| Herzogtum Württemberg | ||||||||||
| State of the Holy Roman Empire | ||||||||||
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 The Duchy of Württemberg (in yellow) and the other territories of Swabia. This map is an oversimplification since there were about 80 distinct territories within the Circle of Swabia and hundreds of enclaves and exclaves. Published by Mattäus Seutter, circa 1750.
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| Capital | Stuttgart | |||||||||
| Languages | Swabian German | |||||||||
| Religion |
Roman Catholic Lutheran |
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| Government | Feudal monarchy | |||||||||
| Duke of Württemberg | ||||||||||
| • | 1797–1803 | Frederick I of Württemberg | ||||||||
| Historical era | Modern Ages | |||||||||
| • | Raised to Duchy | 1495 | ||||||||
| • | Diet of Worms | 1495 | ||||||||
| • | Raised to Electorate | 1803 | ||||||||
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| Today part of |
 Germany
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The Duchy of Württemberg (German: Herzogtum Württemberg) was located in the south-western part of the area which is now called Germany. It was a member of the Holy Roman Empire from 1495 to 1806. The dukedom's long survival for nearly four centuries was mainly due to its size, being larger than its immediate neighbors. During the Protestant Reformation, Württemberg faced great pressure from the Holy Roman Empire to remain a member. Württemberg resisted repeated French invasions in the 17th and 18th centuries. Württemberg was directly in the path of French and Austrian armies who were engaged in the long rivalry between the House of Bourbon and the House of Habsburg. In 1803, Napoleon raised the duchy to be the Electorate of Württemberg of the Holy Roman Empire, and when he abolished the Empire in 1806, the Electorate was elevated as the Kingdom of Württemberg.
Eberhard V proved to be one of the most energetic Württemberg of rulers. In 1495 his county became a duchy, and he was now Duke Eberhard I. At his death in 1496 his cousin, Duke Eberhard II succeeded him for a short reign of two years, ending when he was terminated by a deposition.
The long reign (1498–1550) of Duke Ulrich, who succeeded to the duchy while only a child, proved to be a most eventful period for the country, and many traditions cluster round the name of this gifted, unscrupulous and ambitious man. His extortions to raise money for his extravagant pleasures excited a rising known as the arme Konrad (Poor Conrad), which was similar to the rebellion in England led by Wat Tyler. The authorities soon restored order, and in 1514 under the Treaty of Tübingen, the people agreed to pay the duke's debts, but only in return for various political privileges, thereby forming the foundation for the constitutional liberties of the country.
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Wikipedia