Slovenia 895-1200 16th Century Slovenia






Late Medieval Slovenia (1200-1500)



In the late middle ages, Slovenia formed part of the Holy Roman Empire; its south-eastern border still marks the border between Slovenia and Croatia, except on the peninsula of Istria.
Slovenia, within the Holy Roman Empire, was not a political unit; the territory of modern Slovenia, in the 13th/14th century, formed part of the Duchies of Carinthia (Kärnten), Styria (Steiermark), Carniola (Krain), the Counties of Gorizia (Gö) and Cilli, the Wendian March (Windische Mark); some territories belonged to the Princebishoprics of Salzburg, Freising, Brixen and to the Patriarchate of Aquileja.
As Slovenia was politically scattered, we should keep in mind, that Slovenians were living beyond the borders of modern Slovenia, especially in parts of Carinthia presently belonging to Austria, in stretches of Friuli (northeastern Italy and in western Hungary (Prekmurje). On the other hand, within the borders of modern Slovenia there were German settlements, the most important around Gottschee in the Windische Mark (Krain), established in the 14th century. Assimilation of minorities into larger ethnicities took place, in both directions (from Slovenian to German, from German to Slovenian); for the Styrian segment, the emergence of the language border is given at around 1300. The Duchy of Carinthia had Slavic tradition; the enthronement ceremonies were held in Slovenian until 1414.
Ecclesiastically, most of Slovenia belonged to the Patriarchate of Aquileja; the territory to the north of the Drau River was part of the Archdiocesis of Salzburg, since 1225/1228 of the Diocesis of Lavant. In 1461 the Diocesis of Ljubljana (Laibach) was established as a suffragan diocesis to Aquileja.
The Habsburg Dynasty acquired Austria and Styria in 1276/1282; Carniola was added to her possessions in 1282/1355, Carinthia in 1355. The other territories followed (Gorizia 1500); the ecclesiastical territories were mediatized (transferred under Habsburg sovereignty); on the eve of the reformation, the various territorial units covering Slovenia were united under Habsburg rule. However, the Duchies of Carinthia, Styria, Carniola (Krain) and the County of Gorizia continued to exist as separate administrative units, until World War I.






EXTERNAL
LINKS 		Chronology of Catholic Dioceses : Slovenia, from Kirken i Norge
Timeline of Styria (Steiermark), from Steirisches Landesarchiv, detailed, in German
A Brief History of Slovenia, by Stane Granda
Die Geschichte des Klarissenklosters in Mekinje, from mekinje.pavliha.net (History of the Monastery St. Clare in Mekinje), in German
DOCUMENTS Slovenian History, from Carantha, under 'Archives Pt.1-4' has long lists of German language regests on the history of Slovenia c.1250-1600
REFERENCE


This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted on August 15th 2002, last revised on February 15th 2006

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