The German Duchy of Swabia was a historical region in southwestern Germany that existed from the 10th century until 1803. It was one of the five stem duchies of the medieval German kingdom, and its dukes were thus among the most powerful magnates of Germany. The duchy was named after the Germanic tribe of the Suebi, and it was ruled by the Hohenstaufen dynasty until their extinction in 1268. Swabia was then divided among the successor states of the Holy Roman Empire.