
Duchy of Carniola within Austria-Hungary (number 4).
The 'Duchy of Carniola' (''Vojvodina Kranjska'', ''Herzogtum Krain'') was an administrative unit of the
Habsburg Monarchy from 1849 to 1918. Its capital was
Ljubljana. The duchy had an area of 3,857 square miles (9,990 km²) and population of 510,000.
History
It was formed in the central part of the territory of former Habsburg
Kingdom of Illyria whose capital was also Ljubljana. It was bounded on the north by
Carinthia, on the north-east by
Styria, on the south-east and south by
Croatia, and on the west by
Trieste,
Gorica, and
Istria.
The duchy was constituted by rescript of
20 December 1860, and by imperial patent of
26 February 1861, modified by legislation of
21 December 1867, granting power to the home parliament to enact all laws not reserved to the imperial diet, at which it was represented by eleven delegates, of whom two elected by the landowners, three by the cities, towns, commercial and industrial boards, five by the village communes, and one by a fifth curia by secret ballot, every duly registered male twenty-four years of age has the right to vote. The home legislature consisted of a single chamber of thirty-seven members, among whom the prince-bishop sits ex-officio. The emperor convened the legislature, and it is presided over by the governor. The landed interests elected ten members, the cities and towns eight, the commercial and industrial boards two, the village communes sixteen. The business of the chamber was restricted to legislating on agriculture, public and charitable institutions, administration of communes, church and school affairs, the transportation and housing of soldiers in war and during manoeuvres, and other local matters. The land budget of 1901 amounted to 3,573,280 crowns ($714,656).
In 1918, the duchy ceased to exist and its territory became part of the newly formed
State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs and subsequently part of the
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later known as the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia). The western part of the duchy, with the towns of
Postojna,
Ilirska Bistrica,
Idrija,
Vipava and
Šturje was annexed to
Italy in
1920, but was subsequently also included into Yugoslavia in 1945.
Administrative divisions
Carniola was divided into Upper Carniola (Slovenian name: Gorenjska), Lower Carniola (Slovenian: Dolenjska), and Inner Carniola (Slovenian: Notranjska). Politically the province was divided into eleven districts consisting of 359 municipalities; the provincial capital was the residence of the imperial governor. The districts were: Kamnik, Kranj, Radovljica, the neighbourhood of Ljubljana, Logatec, Postojna, Litija, Krsko, Novo Mesto, Crnomelj, and Gotschee or Kocevje. There were 31 judicial circuits.
See also
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Carniola
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History of Slovenia
External links
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Map - Duchy of Carniola in 1849