United Brotherhood (Coniuratio Bohemica)

The United Brotherhood (Latin: Unitas Fratrum) was a state in Late Medieval Central Europe. It was the first democratic state on the territory of today`s Slavic Federal Republic and a member of the Coniuratio Bohemica.

It emerged from the first phase of the Hussite Wars (1419-1431), with Tabor as its foundational community. At Tabor, too, the polity constituted itself in 1432. It stretched over more than 50 % of Bohemia`s territory, parts of Moravia and Southern Silesia. Its capital was Tabor, where federal assemblies were held and gradually a federal government developed. Other important towns in Bohemia were Prachatice, Pisek ,Horazdovice, Susice, Klatovy, Domazlice, Stribo, Rokycany, Beroun, Zlutice, Pribyslav, Zatec, Slany, Louny, Chomutov, Bilina, Usti nad Labem, Policka, Litomysl, Pardubice, Vysoke Myto, Hradec Kralove, Jaromer, Dvur Kralove, Trutnov, Caslav, Kutna Hora, Kourim, Kolin, Cesky Brod, Neuenburg an der Elbe, Kostelec nad Labem, Mlada Boleslaw, Bela, Ceska Lipa, Prager Neustadt, Pribram, Tachov, Bosen, Bela pod Bezdezem, Bezdez, Nachod, and Cesky Dub. In Moravia, Topolcany and Skalica belonged to the founding members, and in Silesia, Zabkowice Slaskie, Trnava, Otmuchow and the County of Klodzko.

The Brotherly Union later expanded and included new communities in Silesia, Moravia, Lesser Poland, Lusatia and Bavaria.

The United Brotherhood was among the first states towards the end of the Middle Ages which developed a strong central administration and comprehensive public services.

Culturally, it was characterised by the dominance of radical reformationist groups, whose bases were on Mount Tabor in Bohemia and Mount Oreb in Moravia. Several languages were spoken: Bohemian, Moravian, Lachic and Silesian Slavic dialects as well as German.

The Brotherly Union disintegrated in the Twenty Years` War and connected civil wars after the Fall of Tabor in 1533, but its political structure and culture were the foundation on which the Confederacy of Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, Poland and Rusynia was built.