Czech Republic Through History: Who Ruled Its Lands
The land of today's Czech Republic appears on 39 historical border maps from 500 BC to today. Over that time it was held, in whole or in part, by 16 different states, among them Holy Roman Empire, Czechoslovakia, Austrian Empire, Austria Hungary, Czech Republic.
Czech RepublicExplore the history of Czech Republic in the interactive map
Who ruled the land of Czech Republic, map by map
Share of sample points inside today's borders held by each state on each map. Areas with no organised state on the map are left out.
| Map | Main states on this land |
|---|---|
| 1 BC | Roman Empire 23% |
| AD 100 | Roman Empire 8% |
| AD 200 | Roman Empire 8% |
| AD 400 | Western Roman Empire 8% |
| AD 500 | Ostrogoths 8% |
| AD 600 | Frankish Kingdom 13% · Ostrogoths 8% |
| AD 700 | Avars 4% · Frankish Kingdom 2% |
| AD 800 | Carolingian Empire 2% |
| AD 900 | Great Moravia 83% · East Francia 6% |
| 1000 | Holy Roman Empire 100% |
| 1100 | Poland 92% · Holy Roman Empire 8% |
| 1200 | Poland 92% · Holy Roman Empire 8% |
| 1300 | Holy Roman Empire 100% |
| 1400 | Holy Roman Empire 100% |
| 1492 | Holy Roman Empire 100% |
| 1500 | Holy Roman Empire 100% |
| 1600 | Holy Roman Empire 100% |
| 1650 | Holy Roman Empire 100% |
| 1700 | Holy Roman Empire 100% |
| 1783 | Austrian Empire 100% |
| 1800 | Austrian Empire 100% |
| 1815 | Austrian Empire 100% |
| 1880 | Austria Hungary 100% |
| 1900 | Austria Hungary 100% |
| 1914 | Austro-Hungarian Empire 100% |
| 1920 | Czechoslovakia 100% |
| 1930 | Czechoslovakia 100% |
| 1938 | Czechoslovakia 50% · Germany 50% |
| 1945 | Czechoslovakia 100% |
| 1960 | Czechoslovakia 100% |
| 1994 | Czech Republic 100% |
| 2010 | Czech Republic 100% |
Historic cities in Czech Republic
Famous people of Czech Republic
| Lived | Person | |
|---|---|---|
| c. 1372 – 1415 | Jan Hus | Church reformer |
| 1756 – 1791 | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Composer |
| 1856 – 1939 | Sigmund Freud | Founder of psychoanalysis |
| 1879 – 1955 | Albert Einstein | Physicist |
| 1883 – 1924 | Franz Kafka | Writer |
Battles and historic sites
| Year | Battle or site |
|---|---|
| 1620 | Battle of the White Mountain |
| 1805 | Battle of Austerlitz |
Landmarks
Charles BridgeStanding · 1357
Questions
Which empires and states ruled the territory of Czech Republic?
On the border maps from 500 BC to today, the largest shares of the territory of modern Czech Republic belonged to Holy Roman Empire, Czechoslovakia, Austrian Empire, Austria Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, along with 10 other states.
What was Czech Republic part of in 1000?
On the border map for 1000, most of the territory of today's Czech Republic lay within Holy Roman Empire.
What was Czech Republic part of in 1500?
On the border map for 1500, most of the territory of today's Czech Republic lay within Holy Roman Empire.
What was Czech Republic part of in 1900?
On the border map for 1900, most of the territory of today's Czech Republic lay within Austria Hungary.
Further reading
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.