The Duchy of Swabia is one of the five stem duchies of the medieval German kingdom, and its dukes are thus among the most powerful magnates of Germany.Swabia takes its name from the tribe of the Suebi, and the nameis often used interchangeably with Alemannia during the existence of the stem-duchy in the High Middle Ages.

Dwelling in the angle formed by the Rhine and the Danube, they are joined by other tribes, and are called Alamanni, until about the 11th century, when the form Swabia begins to prevail.The duchy is proclaimed by Burchard II in 917.

Burchard had allied himself with king Conrad I and defeated his rivals for the rule of Alemannia in a battle at Wahlwies in 915.The most notable family to hold Swabia are the Hohenstaufen, who hold it, with a brief interruption, from 1079 until 1268.

For much of this period, the Hohenstaufen are also Holy Roman Emperors.The duchy persists until 1268, ending with the execution of Konradin, the last duke of Swabia.