History of Carinthia

In 976 Carinthia, which until then had been part of Bavaria, became an independent duchy. When the last Duke of Carinthia from the Götz-Tyrol dynasty died without heirs, the territory passed to the Habsburgs in 1335.

In 1518 Emperor Maximilian I made a gift of Klagenfurt to the Estates. They were thereby able to increase their power and also had a major influence on other towns and communities.

The borders of Carinthia thereafter remained largely unchanged. In 1813 the district of Villach, which had been ceded to Napoleon I in 1809, was reconquered. In 1819 troops of the State of Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia (“SHS State�) occupied the south of Carinthia. The 1919 Treaty of St Germain gave the Canal Valley to Italy, and several municipalities in the south to the SHS State.

Following a referendum in 1920, Carinthia remained part of Austria except for some minor border adjustments. It has existed in its present form since then.