Moravia

Please help support the mission of New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more — all for only $19.99...

(German MÄHREN).

Austrian crown land east ofBohemia. In the century before theChristian era the Germanic Quadi (a tribe closely related to the Macromanni, who had just driven the Celtic Boii fromBohemia) took possession of the modern Moravia. Of these two tribes settled inBohemia and Moravia weknow nothing beyond their collisions with the Romans e.g., theirwars withMarcus Aurelius in A.D. 165 and 181 and with Valentinian I (364-75). The invasion of the Huns underAttila drove the majority of the Marcomanni and Quadi from their settlements. In the fifth century the deserted territory was occupied bySlav tribes. About the middle of the sixth century, these were conquered by the Atars, who advanced as far as Thuringia. TheSlavs were delivered from the Avar yoke temporarily (622-58) by Samo, who was perhaps ofFrankish parentage, and finally byCharlemagne, whose defeat of the Avars in 796 enabled the Moravians to recover the territory extending from Mannhartsberg to the mouth of the Gran. During this period a uniform principality had developed on Moravian soil, and received the name of the Kingdom of the Moimorides from the founder of the dynasty, Moimir. Moravia stood towards theFrankish Empire in relations of dependence; at least, the "Maharaner" brought presents to Emperor Louis at the Diet ofRatisbon in 822. When Moimir sought to assert his independence of the empire, he was deposed by theGermans and his nephew Wratislaw appointed prince. The latter's struggle for complete freedom ended in his betrayal into the hands of Louis the German by his nephew Swatopluk, who then attained to power under German protection.

In theecclesiastical domain Wratislaw had also desired independence of theGerman Empire.Christianity had already been preached in Moravia, but had failed to reach the great mass of the people, as the German and Italian missionaries wereignorant of the vernacular speech. In 863 Wratislaw asked the Greek emperor to send new apostles acquainted with theSlav tongue. This monarch dispatched the brothers of Constantine (afterwards called Cyril) and Methodius in 864. Having onlyminor orders, the missionaries confined themselves to the training of the youth and the translation of a portion of theBible into theSlav language, for which purpose they invented specialSlav characters. In 867 they set out forRome to seekpapal permission to conduct the Divine Service in the vulgar tongue.Pope Adrian II, whoconsecrated both brothersbishops, is said to have acceded to their petition. While Constantine, having a presentiment of his approaching end (869), remained inRome, Methodius returned to Moravia and there resumed his work of evangelization, in opposition to the Germanclergy. After the fall of Wratislaw, Methodius had to submit to the German spiritual authorities, was confined for two and half years in a Germanmonastery, and was freed only at the strict command of thepope in 873. His activity was, however, even now narrowly restricted by theBavarianbishops, although the use of theSlav Liturgy was expressly recognized by thepope in 880.

The understanding between Swatopluk and theFrankish Empire was of short duration. From 882 Swatopluk was engaged in fierce conflict with Arnulf, who administered Carinthia and Pannonia. In 885, however, a complete reconciliation took place, and the Moravian prince lent Arnulf hiszealous support until the latter successfully established his claim to the German Crown. But the energetic Arnulf was not likely to tolerate any longer the growth of Swatopluk's power, so dangerous to his empire. In 892war again broke out, and Swatopluk died in 895 before any decisive result had been reached. Subsequently the Moravian Kingdom was rent asunder by the struggle of various claimants for the throne, and in the first decade of the tenth century succumbed to the attack ofHungary at the battle of Presburg. The country remained in the hands ofHungary until the battle of Lechfeld in 955, when it was united withBohemia by theBohemian Duke Boleslaw of the Premyslfamily, the confederate ofEmperor Otto I. Towards the end of the tenth century Moravia was conquered by the Polish duke, Boleslaw Chrobry (992-1025), but, when domestic disturbances broke out inPoland after his death, Duke Udalrich ofBohemia, with the assistance of his son Bretislaw, recovered Moravia from the Poles. Bretislaw administered the land as Duke of Moravia, and established his residence atOlmütz. With the booty from his campaigns against the Poles, he founded the first Moravianmonastery, that of Raigern near Brünn (1048). The strife, caused by thelaw establishing inBohemia the right of succession by seniority (1054), extended also to Moravia (which would have been divided to provide petty principalities for the younger sons of the ducal house), especially to the principalities ofBrünn,Olmütz, and Znaim. The suzerainty of theBohemian duke was however maintained. In 1063 Duke Wratislaw (1061-92) gave the land its ownecclesiastical centre by establishing theDiocese of Olmütz, which was placed underMainz.

The Moravian petty princes repeatedly rebelled against the sovereignty of theBohemian duke; thus when, on the death of Wratislaw II, Bretislaw II appointed his brother his successor in contravention of thelaw regulating succession by seniority, longwars were waged against him by the rightful heir, Duke Udalrich ofBrünn (1101, 1105, and 1107). Thesewars reached their climax in 1125, when Prince Otto ofOlmütz rose against Duke Sobeslaw, the youngest son of Wratislaw II, and was supported by Lothair of Supplinburg. Lothair led an army in person for his confederate Otto, but was defeated in a decisive battle near Kulm (1126). Sobeslaw (1125-40) and his nephew and successor, Wladislaw II, energetically maintained theBohemian supremacy over Moravia; during the reign of the latter the Moravian branch of the Premyslfamily became extinct, where-upon Prince Conrad Otto of Znaim, who probably belonged to the collateral line of theBohemian Premysls, united the three divisions of the Moravain kingdom (1174). On his attempting also to annexBohemia (from which, on the death ofWladislaw, his son Frederick had been expelled by his barons),Barbarossa, to whom Frederick had fled, summoned both the Premysl nobles to appear before his tribunal atRatisbon, and decided (29 Sept., 1182) that Frederick should rule inBohemia, but that thenceforth Conrad Otto should hold Moravia as an immediate margraviate, independent ofBohemia. After Conrad Otto's death inSicily (1191), a newwar of succession broke out between the brothers Ottokar and Henry Wladislaw: to avoid bloodshed, the latter renounced in 1197 his claims toBohemia, accepting Moravia as a margraviate feudatory to theBohemian crown. Thenceforth, this was the political condition of Moravia.

The German colonization of Moravia, begun under Henry Wladislaw, greatly increased under his successors Henry Wladislaw II and Premysl, as the invasions of the Mongols in 1241 and the Cumans in 1252 had swept away numbers of the inhabitants into captivity. This immigration of Germans led to the formation of German townships, the development of which was encouraged by the Premyslfamily, especially by Ottakar II. The privileges, accorded to these towns, were based generally on those ofMagdeburg andNuremberg. After Ottakar had fallen in the battle of Marchfeld fighting against Rudolf of Hapsburg (1278), Moravia remained for five years as a pledge in Rudolf's hands, but was then under Ottakar's successor, Wenceslaus II, reunited withBohemia, though its area was somewhat reduced. With Wenceslaus III the ruling line of the Premysls became extinct in 1306. Moravia at first fell withBohemia to Albert I of Hapsburg; then on Albert's death in 1307 to Henry of Carinthia, and in 1309 to John of Luxemburg, son of Emperor Henry VII. In the Privilege of 1311 John granted the country important liberties, which formed the foundation of the subsequently augmentedrights of the estates. Under the provincial governor Henry of Lipa and Margrave Charles (1333), later Emperor Charles IV, a new period of prosperity began. In 1349 Charles enfeoffed his brother John in the margraviate. In 1371 John divided the country among his three sons, Jobst (Jodocus) receiving the title of Ancient Margrave and Overlord; his two younger sons were also given the title of Margrave, but they were to hold their lands in fief from Jobst. This partition and the greatWestern Schism, which evoked twoecclesiastical parties in Moravia as elsewhere, gave rise to much discord and disturbances between 1380 and 1405. On the death of the childless Jobst, Moravia, as a vacant fief, reverted to theBohemian Crown, and its administration was entrusted to certain district governors by Wenceslaus IV.

As inBohemia, where similar political andecclesiastical conditions prevailed, Hussitism made rapid and great progress in Moravia under the feeble rule of Wenceslaus, especially among the nobility and peasantry; theBishop ofOlmütz and almost all the imperial cities inhabited by Germans, however, remained true to theCatholic cause. On Wenceslau's death his brother, Emperor Sigismund, was recognized in Moravia as margrave, although theBohemians refused to recognize him as king. Against theHussites, who, under the leadership of twoapostatepriests, had established a fortified camp in the neighbourhood of Ungarisch-Hradisch (Neu Tabor), the emperor received vigorous support from Duke Albert ofAustria. In 1423 Albert received for these services the Margraviate of Moravia in fief. After the chief power of the fanaticalHussites inBohemia had been crushed in the battle near Lipau (1434), a treaty of peace was also arranged in Moravia, according to which theHussites were allowed to receive Communion under both species, theseCompactata, as they were called, being published at the Diet of Iglau (1436). Under Albert's son, Wladislaw Posthumus (1449), began the first attempts to stem Utraquism and to restore to theCatholicChurch its earlier dominant position. Especially efficacious towards this end was the missionary activity of St. John Capistran, whoseignorance of the native speech, however, prevented him from attaining complete success. George of Podiebrand, who became King ofBohemia on Wladislaw's death in 1457, had to resort to arms to secure recognition in Moravia from the German andCatholic towns. In 1464 he promised the Moravian Estates that the margraviate should never be separated from the Crown ofBohemia by sale, exchange, or mortgage. After his death, however, the strife betweenMatthias Corvinus and Wladislaw ofPoland for theBohemian Crown resulted in the peace of 1478, according to whichCorvinus received Moravia for life and WladislawBohemia. On the death ofCorvinus, Moravia also fell under the sway ofWladislaw (1490). Thanks to the excellent administration of the governor Ctibor of Cymburg (1469-94), who, although a Utraquist, enjoyed the confidence of both princes, Wladislaw was able to leave to his son Louis II in 1516, considering the troubled era, a splendidly ordered land. Louis was slain in the Battle of Mohács against theTurks (1526). As he was childless, Ferdinand of Hapsburg, husband of Anna Jagellon, the sister of Louis, claimed Moravia withBohemia andHungary. His claim was admitted by the assembly of the Moravian Estates, who did homage to Ferdinand atBrünn and Olmütz in 1527.

Turning toecclesiastical affairs, there was in Moravia in the fifteenth century, besides theCatholics and Utraquists, a third confession, the so-called "Brethren's Union". This body had spread widely, thanks mainly to the patronage of certain influential nobles, who could defy all decrees of banishment.Luther's teaching thus found a favourable soil in Moravia, and spread rapidly, especially in the cities ofOlmütz, Znaim, and Iglau. From 1526 Moravia was also the refuge and new home of theAnabaptists, the adherents of Hubmaier, the Gabrielists, and the Moravian Brethren, who lateremigrated toRussia and thence to theUnited States. The friendly attitude of Emperor Maximilian II (1564-76) towardsProtestantism favoured the growth of all these non-Catholic movements. With the foundation of theJesuitColleges ofBrünn and Olmütz (1574) theCatholicCounter-Reformation set in, its direction being undertaken by Franz von Dietrichstein,Bishop ofOlmütz (1599-1636). TheBohemian rising against the emperor in 1618 extended for a short time to Moravia, and on 19 August, 1619, the opposition party of the Moravian Estates voted in common with theBohemian Estates at Prague for the deposition of Ferdinand and the election of Frederick of the Palatinate as King ofBohemia. In Feb., 1620, the latter succeeded in making his entry intoBrünn as Margrave of Moravia, but the Battle of the White Mountain gave victory to the cause of the emperor andCatholicism, and the imperial generals occupied the land. Sharp punishment was meted out to the leaders of the rebellion and the revolting cities; in 1622 theAnabaptists were compelled to leave the land, and in 1623-8 the Brethren's Union.

An imperial edict of 9 March, 1628, ordered the return to theCatholicChurch, and compelled allrecusants toemigrate. TheProtestant religion, however, continued under the surface, especially in the German townships. From 1642 Moravia was the theatre of the devastatingwars between the imperial forces and the Swedes, who maintained a foothold in the land until the Peace of 1648 (in Olmütz 1650). Sixty-three castles, twenty-two large towns, and three hundred and thirty villages were destroyed, and the plague swept away thousands of the inhabitants whom thewar had spared. On the conclusion of theThirty Years' War theCatholic restoration was actively resumed. From Olmütz,Brünn, Iglau, Znaim, and Hradisch outwards, theJesuits displayed a fruitful activity by holding missions far and wide, while thePiarists performed valuable service by establishingschools in numerous places. The lack ofsecular clergy, however, continued for a long time an obstacle to complete Catholicization. Under Leopold I, Joseph I, and Charles VI, Moravia enjoyed as a rule peaceful conditions, although in 1633 theTurks and Tatars penetrated as far as Olmütz and Brünn, devastating the land. Thewars begun byFrederick II ofPrussia for the possession of Silesia reduced Moravia to a piteous state, especially northern Moravia andOlmütz.Maria Theresa andJoseph II introduced extensive alterations in almost all branches of the administrative system. The administration was greatly centralized, the autonomy of the estates and the Diet was abolished, and in 1782 Moravia was united with Silesia for purposes of administration. In favour of theProtestants a patent of tolerance was issued, while on the other hand thirteenmonasteries for men and six forwomen were suppressed. TheUniversity ofOlmütz, deserted after thesuppression of the Jesuit Order, was transferred in 1778 to Brünn, where abishopric had been founded in 1777, Olmütz being simultaneously raised to an archdiocese. Emperor Leopold restored to the estates a certain independence.

TheNapoleonic era did not pass by without leaving a landmark in Moravia, for at Austerlitz, in the centre of the land, was fought the decisive battle of the Third Coalition War, and the subsequent contest betweenAustria andNapoleon took place partly in Moravia (Battle of Znaim). The Restoration was followed by many years of peace. The Austrian Revolution of 1848 gave Moravia and the other crown lands ofAustria a constitution, substantially unaltered today, and admitted the co-operation of the people in the making oflaws. In 1866 Moravia was the scene of the latestwar betweenAustria andPrussia, which was decided at the Battle ofKöniggrätz, and a Moravian town, Nikolsburg, witnessed the preliminary negotiations which resulted in the Peace of Prague. In the subsequent era of peace Moravia made great strides in cultural and economical development. The national quarrels between theGermans and Czechs, which even today (1910) convulseAustria and especially the portion ofBohemia bordering on Moravia, found a friendly settlement in Moravia in 1905. The electoral conditions were altered so as to include in addition to the three electoral classes of the landed interests, the cities, and the rural districts a fourth general electoral class consisting of every qualified voter; separate German and Czech electoral districts were established according to the national land registers, and curiæ of the separate nationalities were instituted to settle all disputes involving the question on nationality. The question of language in the case of the autonomous national and district authorities has been settled on a bilingual basis, and the division of theschool board according to nationality accomplished. Although, by the acceptance of this franchise reform, theGermans lost their previous majority in the Diet, they gave their consent to the change in the interests of public peace.

Politically speaking the Margraviate of Moravia is an Austrian crown land, the highest administrative authority being vested in the governor atBrünn. The Diet consists of 149 deputies: 2 members with individual vote, theArchbishop ofOlmütz and theBishop ofBrünn; 30 members of the landed interests (10 German, 20 Czech); 3 deputies from the Chamber of Commerce ofOlmütz and from that ofBrünn; 40 representatives of the towns (20 German, 20 Czech); 51 representatives of the rural communes (14 German); 20 deputies from the electoral curiæ (6 German). In the Imperial Diet of the Austrian Crownlands Moravia is represented by 49 deputies. Ecclesiastically, the land is divided into thedioceses ofOlmütz and Brünn, which are treated in separate articles. TheProtestants have 1Superintendentur, 14Seniorate, and 45parishes; theJews 50 cultural districts. The area of Moravia is 8573 square miles. According to the census of 1900 the population of Moravia was 2,437,706 inhabitants, including 2,325,574Catholics, 185 Uniats, 66,365Protestants, 44,255Jews; and, according to nationality, 695,492 Germans and 1,727,270 Czechs. At the beginning of 1909 the population was estimated at 2,591,980.

CONTACT US |ADVERTISE WITH NEW ADVENT