Political districts of Bohemia

The administration was quickly modernised in 1848-1850 by abolition of patrimonial administration and establishment of judicial and political districts as the basic units of the state administration. There were 7 regions with 79 political districts in Bohemia, 2 regions with 25 political districts in Moravia and only 7 districts in Silesia. The following reforms mainly concerned higher-level units. In 1855, the political districts were cancelled and the number of regions increased (Bohemia had 13 regions and 208 mixed districts, Moravia 6 regions and 76 districts and Silesia 2 regions and 22 districts. After 1862 (or 1868), the regional administration was cancelled as an unnecessary link between the districts and the lands. The number of districts gradually grew, mainly in the fast-growing industrial areas.

Map of Český Brod District (ca 1861). Map Collection of the Institute of History, CAS. Display map

General map of Příbram District (1905). Map Collection of the Institute of History, CAS. Display map

References

Semotanová, E.: Historická geografie českých zemí. Praha 2002, 2006;
Dobeš, J.: Dějiny správy v českých zemích: od počátku po současnost. Praha 2005;
Semotanová, E. ‒ Cajthaml, J. a kol.: Akademický atlas českých dějin. Praha 2014, 2. akt. vydání 2016.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0

Borders and Regions

The territorial reach of the individual communities and regions controlled by them has always been delimited by borders, which represent a strong civilizational, historical and geographical variable. Regions of various systems and sizes develop and change within the space and time together with their borders. Their delimitation is affected by the geographical conditions, but above all by the interests of groups with mutual power motivations, strategic, national, economic, cultural and other frequently very specific desires. The issue of the territorial and territorially administrative development is thus extremely complex.
The greatest milestones in the territorial and territorially administrative development of the Czech Lands are turning periods of the Czech and Czechoslovak statehood and the ensuing transformations of the territorial reach and the borders. These periods include the emergence of the Czech state in the 9th and 10th centuries, the Czech state under the last of the Přemyslid dynasty and under Charles IV, incorporation of the Czech Lands into the Habsburg Monarchy in 1526 and collapse of this monarchy (already as Austria-Hungary) in 1918. The temporary demise of our statehood in 1938-1945, the second arrival of totalitarianism in 1948, the strive for a reform in 1968 and above all the return of democracy after 1989 are connected with transformations of the territorial and social circumstances brought about by changes in the territorially administrative arrangements. In total, nine fundamental reforms of territorial administration occurred just at the time of modern administration following 1848. The changing regions and borders became part of the regional identity, often also as regions of historical memory that are reproduced as a part of our cultural heritage.

Tomáš Burda

Subchapters:

• Medieval Times 11th - 13th c.
• Regional System until 1850
• Regional System since 1850
• Administration 1918-1938
• Administration of Protectorate
• Administration since 1945

Political and toponymic map of the Kingdom of Bohemia by Josef Erben from the 2nd half of the 19th century. Map Collection of the Institute of History, CAS. Map display