Genealogy Chat

Hi, Trying to figure out ( without reading 40 pages of Austrian history in Encyclopedia Britannica hard copy) whether Bohemia in 1843 was in Austria. Meaning that my ancestor was born Austria, Austrian Empire, or Czechoslovakia. I know that it is now part of the Czech Republic, but how do I figure exactly where I should be looking?? Probably sounds a bit disjointed but am confused here. Jackie

Try this site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemia Also At the beginning of the 20th century Bohemia was a part of Austrian Empire. After World War I in 1918 Czechoslovakia declared its independence. The new republic had three parts: Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia. The popular Tomas Garigue Masaryk became the first president. In October 1938 the Nazis occupied the Sudetenland, with the acquiescence of Britain and France, after the infamous Munich Agreement. In March 1939 Germany occupied Bohemia and Moravia. Slovakia proclaimed independence as a Nazi puppet state. After World War II in 1945 Czechoslovakia was reestablished as an independent state.

Bohemia was a separate state which made up part of the massive Holy Roman Empire which traditionally recognised the authority of the Austrian Habsburgs. The Habsburgs personally claimed the throne of Bohemia (and Hungary) directly after the Ottomans (Turks) destroyed the Hungarian nobility on the battlefield at Mohacs in 1527. The dead king of Hungary was also ruler of Bohemia and his daughter Ann was the wife of Maximilian Habsburg who would become Holy Roman Emperor in 1555. All of this was the time of Martin Luther. Bohemia often revolted against the Habsburgs. The Holy Roman Empire began to disintegrate particularly after the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 and then the creation of Germany by 1871 and I would always use the term Austro Hungarian Empire as the description for Bohemia in the 19th century until 1919 after the First World War. Jan an historian on holiday!

Thank you Kay and Janice. Jackie