The Treaty of Eger (german: Vertrag von Eger), also called Main Compromise of Eger (''Hauptvergleich von Eger'') or Peace of Eger ( cs, Chebský mír) was concluded on 25 April 1459 in the

Imperial City In the Holy Roman Empire, the collective term free and imperial cities (german: Freie und Reichsstädte), briefly worded free imperial city (', la, urbs imperialis libera), was used from the fifteenth century to denote a self-ruling city that ...

of Eger (''Cheb''), administrative seat of the immediate pawn of Egerland (''Reichspfandschaft Eger''). The treaty established the border between the Kingdom of Bohemia and the

Electorate of Saxony The Electorate of Saxony, also known as Electoral Saxony (German: or ), was a territory of the Holy Roman Empire from 1356–1806. It was centered around the cities of Dresden, Leipzig and Chemnitz. In the Golden Bull of 1356, Emperor Charles ...

on the main ridge of the Ore Mountains stretching from Eger to the River Elbe. The border remains largely unchanged up to today, separating the Czech Republic and Germany, and is thus one of the oldest still extant borders in Europe.

Background

At that time, the Wettin elector Frederick II of Saxony and his brother Landgrave William of Thuringia had re-arranged their dominions in the 1445

Division of Altenburg The Division of Altenburg (German: ''Altenburger Teilung'') was the plan for the division of the Meissen lands agreed upon by the two hostile Wettin brothers Elector Frederick II of Saxony and William III on 16 July 1445 at Altenburg.Historisc ...

and the following

Saxon Fratricidal War The Saxon Fratricidal WarThis translation is employed by the Museum Leuchtenburg in thei (German: ''Sächsischer Bruderkrieg'') was a war fought between the two brothers Frederick II, Elector of Saxony and Duke William III over Wettin ruled area ...

. In 1432 Frederick had already reached a separate peace agreement with the Bohemian Hussites. After the death of the

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

king Albert II of Germany, the Utraquist leader George of Poděbrady had been elected Bohemian regent by local nobles in 1448 against the resistance of the Catholic supporters of Albert's minor son and heir Ladislaus the Posthumous, led by Burgrave

Meinhard of Neuhaus Menhart z Hradce (also known as ''Meinhard of Hradec'', or ''Meinhard von Neuhaus'' in German; 1398 – 3 February 1449 in Říčany), was one of the leaders of the moderate Utraquists from 1437 onwards, and was colonel of burgrave of Bohemi ...

. In the Saxon Fratricidal War, George had backed the younger brother Landgrave William. After the sudden death of Ladislaus, he was crowned Bohemian king by the Utraquist nobility in 1458, while William had also been a candidate for the succession. Cheb hrad 4

Agreement

In 1459 the Wettin brothers agreed with George of Poděbrady that towns, castles, markets and villages south of the Ore Mountains that formerly had belonged to the Lands of the Bohemian Crown (like Most, Rýzmburk Castle at Osek and Duchcov) together with all spiritual and secular bodies, pensions, interest, duties, etc. belonged to the estates of King George, and the estates and castles on the northern side in the Vogtland region and the former

Margraviate of Meissen The Margravate of Meissen (german: Markgrafschaft Meißen) was a medieval principality in the area of the modern German state of Saxony. It originally was a frontier march In medieval Europe, a march or mark was, in broad terms, any kind of bor ...

should be left with the Saxon electors. Through the agreement, the constant border disputes ultimately ended, but some places and dominions north of the Ore Mountains continued to be fiefdoms of the Bohemian crown.

Aftermath

Upon the death of Elector Frederick II in 1464, his eldest son Ernest ruled jointly with his younger brother Albert. Their realm comprised all Wettin lands, when their uncle Landgrave William of Thuringia died without male heirs in 1482. However, by the 1485 Treaty of Leipzig the brothers again divided the Saxon lands, with the western Thuringia and Vogtland regions passing to Ernest and eastern Meissen falling to Albert. George of Poděbrady had to face the continuous resistance of the Catholic nobility backed by

Pope Paul II Pope Paul II ( la, Paulus II; it, Paolo II; 23 February 1417 – 26 July 1471), born Pietro Barbo, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 August 1464 to his death in July 1471. When his maternal uncle Eugene IV ...

, who designated Matthias Corvinus Bohemian king in 1469. The most significant change to the border fixed by the 1459 treaty happened in 1546, when Duke

Maurice of Saxony Maurice (21 March 1521 – 9 July 1553) was Duke (1541–47) and later Elector (1547–53) of Saxony. His clever manipulation of alliances and disputes gained the Albertine branch of the Wettin dynasty extensive lands and the electoral dignity. ...

and King

Ferdinand I Ferdinand I or Fernando I may refer to: People * Ferdinand I of León, ''the Great'' (ca. 1000–1065, king from 1037) * Ferdinand I of Portugal and the Algarve, ''the Handsome'' (1345–1383, king from 1367) * Ferdinand I of Aragon and Sicily, '' ...

divided the

Barony of Schwarzenberg The Barony of Schwarzenberg (german: Herrschaft Schwarzenberg) was a domain that emerged in the middle of the 12th century in the Saxon Ore Mountains in central Europe. It continued to exist following its acquisition by John Frederick the Magnani ...

, former possession of Elector John Frederick I, as part of the spoils of war following the Schmalkaldic War, with Boží Dar and

Horní Blatná Horní Blatná (german: Bergstadt Platten) is a town in Karlovy Vary District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 400 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as urban monument zone. Histor ...

passing to Bohemia.

Literature

* Erich Berlet: ''Die sächsisch-böhmische Grenze im Erzgebirge''. Oldecop's Erben (Stockmar), Oschatz 1900
Digitalised
* Sven Rabeler, Alexandra Kursawe und Claudia Ulrich (Bearbeiter)

* {{citation, surname1=Richard Schmidt, editor-surname1=Gebirgsvereinsverband Sudetenland-West, periodical=Erzgebirgs-Zeitung. Monatsschrift für Volkskunde und Heimatforschung, Wanderpflege und Fremdenverkehr, title=Die Landesgrenze zwischen der Farbleite und dem Sonnenwirbel – ein Zeuge bedeutungsvoller Obererzgebirgischer Heimatgeschichte, volume=11. und 12. Heft des 63. Jahrgangs, location=Teplitz-Schönau, pages=81–87, date=December 1942, language=German, url=http://www.znkr.cz/de/fotogalerie/obrazek/40148-dsc-7248-jpg/ History of Europe Eger, 1459 1459 in Europe Cheb 1450s treaties Treaties of the Electorate of Saxony Treaties of the Kingdom of Bohemia Borders of Germany Borders of the Czech Republic 1450s in the Holy Roman Empire 15th century in Saxony 15th century in Bohemia 1459

Background

Agreement

Aftermath

See also

Literature