Bohemia was a former province with the title of kingdom belonging to the Austro-Hungarian monarchy (Austrian or Cisleithan portion), bounded by Bavaria, Saxony, the Prussian province of Silesia, Moravia, and the archduchy of Austria. Around 1900 it comprised an area of 20,223 square miles and a population of 6,318,280, of whom more than 2,000,000 were Germans, the rest being mostly Czechs. The prevailing religion was the Roman Catholic, the country being an archbishopric with three bishoprics. The language of the country is the Czechdialect of the Slavonic; in some districts, and in most of the cities, German was spoken.
Bohemia was surrounded on all sides by mountains, and had many large forests. Its plains were remarkably fertile. The chief rivers were the Elbe and its tributary the Moldau, which is even larger. All sorts of grain were produced in abundance, as also large quantities of potatoes, pulse, sugar-beet, flax, hops (reputed as being the best in Europe), and fruits. Wine was not abundant, but in some parts is of pretty good quality. The raising of sheep, horses, swine, and poultry was carried on to a considerable extent. The mines yield silver, copper, lead, tin, zinc, iron, cobalt, arsenic, uranium, antimony, alum, sulphur, plumbago, and coal. There were numerous mineral springs, but little salt. Spinning and weaving of linen, cotton, and woollen goods was extensively carried on; manufactures of lace, metal and wood work, machinery, chemical products, beet-root sugar, pottery, porcelain, etc, were also largely developed.
Bohemia was famous for its beer, with large quantities of beer (Pilsner) being exported. The glassware of Bohemia, which was known all over Europe, employed 50,000 workers in 1900. The trade, partly transit, is extensive, Prague, the capital, being the centre of it. The largest towns were Prague, Pilsen, Reichenberg, Budweis, Teplitz, Aussig, and Eger. The educational establishments included the Prague University and upwards of 4000 ordinary schools. The province sent 92 representatives to the Austrian parliament; the provincial diet consisted of 241 members.
Bohemia possessed a literature of considerable bulk, including in it also works written in Czech by Moravian and Hungarian writers. The earliest fragment is doubtfully referred to the 10th century, and it was not until after the 13th century that it attained to any development. The next century was a period of great activity, and to it belong versified legends, allegorical and didactic poems, historical and theological works, etc. The most flourishing period of the older literature falls within 1409-1620, John Huss (1369-1415) having initiated a new era, which, however, is more fertile in prose works than in poetry. The following period, up to the beginning of the 19th century was one of decline, but towards the end of the 19th century there was a great revival, and in almost all departments Bohemian writers produced works of merit.
Bohemia was named after a tribe of Gallic origin, the Boii, who were expelled from this region by the Marcomans at the commencement of the Christian era. The latter were in turn obliged to give place to the Germans, and these to the Czechs, a Slavic race who had established themselves in Bohemia by the middle of the 5th century, and formed the bulk of the population. The country was at first divided into numerous principalities. Christianity was introduced about 900. In 1092 Bohemia was finally recognized as a kingdom under Wratislas II. In 1230 the monarchy, hitherto elective, became hereditary. The monarchs received investiture from the German emperor, held one of the great offices in the imperial court, and were recognized as among the seven electors of the empire. Frequently at strife with its neighbours, Bohemia was successively united and disunited with Hungary, Silesia, Moravia, etc, according to the course of wars and alliances.
Ottokar II (1253-78) had extended his conquests almost from the Adriatic to the Baltic, when he lost them and his life in contest with Rudolph, the founder of the house of Hapsburg. After the close of the Przemysl dynasty (which had held sway for about six centuries) by the assassination of Ottokar's grandson, Wenceslas III., the house of Luxemburg succeeded in 1310, and governed Bohemia until 1437, the reign of Charles II (1346-78) being especially prosperous. Towards the close of this second dynasty civil wars were excited by the spread of the Hussite movement, the central figure of the struggle being John Ziska, the leader of the Taborites. A temporary union between the moderate Hussites and the Catholics having proved a failure, the reformed party elected as king, in 1433, the Protestant noble, George Podibrad.
On his death in 1471 they chose Wladislas, son of Cassimir, king of Poland, who also obtained the crown of Hungary. His son Louis lost both crowns with his life in the battle of Mohacz against the Turks, and Ferdinand of Austria became in 1527 sovereign of both kingdoms. Bohemia then lost its separate existence, being declared a hereditary possession of the house of Austria; and its subsequent history pertains to that of the Austrian Empire. In 1848 an attempt was made to assert its ancient independence against the Austrian dominion; a conflict took place, Prague was bombarded, and the insurrection suppressed.
Later Bohemia formed the western part of Czechoslovakia, which itself split into the two separate countries of thCzechRepublic and Slovakia at the end of the 20th century, Bohemia then being part of the CzechRepublic.
Abbreviations
Gazetteer
Research Bohemia