SWA'BIA, or SUABIA (Ger. Schwaben, Lat. Sueria). A medieval duchy in the southwest of Germany. it took its name from the Snevi. by which the Germanic people of the Alemanni (q.v.). who occupied Southwestern Germany in the third century, were also known. The name Suevia alternates with that of Alemannia as the designation of the country in the early part of the Ages, but the former finally pre vailed. The region occupied by the Alemanni embraced Western Bavaria. Wfirttemberg, Baden, Alsace, and a great part of Switzerland. The Milk of the nation was subjected by the Franks at the close of the fifth century. As part of the Frankish realm, Alemannia was governed by na tive dukes, hut the duchy was abolished before the dissolution of the Frankish Empire. The country from which Alsace and part of the Al pine territories had been detached, and which now came to he known as Swabia, was then placed under the rule of counts and nnntii canterce, and for a time it was nearly independ ent.
In 919 Swabia was constituted one of the great duchies of the German Kingdom. It comprised the region between the Rhine and the Lech and part of Switzerland. The office of duke was fre quently kept in the royal family. In 1079 the duchy passed to the House of Hohenstaufen, being bestowed by the Emperor henry IV. upon Fred erick of Staufen. Under the rule of this house, which occupied the _Imperial throne of Germany from 1138 to 1254, Swabia was the most wealthy and powerful of the German duchies. In 1096 Frederick of Staufen was compelled to give up to Berthold of Ziihringen the Breisgau and the Imperial bailiffship in Zurich. On the extinc
tion of the Hohenstaufen dynasty in 1208 disin tegration took place and the ducal vassals (cities, prelates, counts, etc.) claimed independence ex cept for their allegiance to the emperors. The Count of Wurttemberg occupied the leading place among the petty rulers. The numerous lesser lords were for the most part obliged to accept the overlordship of the House of Ziihrin gen or of Austria. The cities, of which ninny had become wealthy and powerful, were striving for local independence. In 1376 some of them formed the first Swabian League, which extended beyond the bounds of Swabia. in 1405 Wurt temberg, Baden, and seventeen cities joined to gether in the League of Marbach. The two Leagues were of little importance as political powers, but they paved the way for the Great Swabian League, formed in 1488, which und-r the leadership of the Count of Wurttemberg exer cised administrative and judicial authority over the whole country. During this long period of strife a considerable portion of old Swabia had passed into the power of Bavaria. In 1512 Swa bia became one of the ten circles into which Ger many was divided for administrative purposes by Maximilian I. The dissolution of the Great Swabian League took place in 1533. Among the many city commonwealths which arose in Swa bia were Augsburg, Ulm, and Constance. The southwestern Government District of Bavaria hears the name of Swabia (or Swabia and New burg). Its capital is Augsburg. The best gen eral history is 8tfifitim, Geschiehte Wiirttembergs (Gotha, 1882-87).