The Margraviate of Moravia (Czech: Markrabství moravské; German: Markgrafschaft Mähren) was one of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown within the Holy Roman Empire and then Austria-Hungary, existing from 1182 to 1918.

In the north, the Sudeten Mountains, which extend to the Moravian Gate, formed the border with the Polish Duchy of Silesia, incorporated as a Bohemian crown land upon the 1335 Treaty of Trentschin.

King Otto I of Germany officially granted it to Duke Boleslaus I in turn for his support against the Hungarian forces in the 955 Battle of Lechfeld.

Temporarily ruled by King Bolesław I Chrobry of Poland from 999 until 1019, Moravia was re-conquered by Duke Oldřich of Bohemia and ultimately became a land of the Crown of Saint Wenceslas held by the Přemyslid dynasty.

Jobst, nephew of Emperor Charles IV inherited the Margraviate in 1375, ruled autonomously and was even elected King of the Romans in 1410.

The rivalry with King Vladislaus II was settled in the 1479 Peace of Olomouc, whereby Matthias renounced the royal title but retained the rule over the Moravian lands.

[3] With the other lands of the Bohemian Crown, the Margraviate was incorporated into the Habsburg monarchy upon the death of King Louis II in the 1526 Battle of Mohács.

In the mid 14th century Emperor Charles IV, also King of Bohemia and Margrave of Moravia, established administrative divisions called kraje (Kreise in German).

These subdivisions were named for their capitals: After the 1848 revolutions, political districts (politický okres, politische Bezirke; formally Bezirkshauptmannschaften) were established, which were organised into two Kreise/kraje – Brünn and Olmütz.

The German minority mostly lived on the borders with Lower Austria and Silesia, and in various language islands (around Brünn, Olmütz, Iglau and Zwittau), as well as in some larger cities.

The ethnic distribution according to the census was as follows: The division was made ineffective by their other brother Spytihnev (1055), who had inherited Bohemia and extended his rule to Moravia, uniting the whole Premyslid domain under his control.