 Bützfleth belonged to the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, established in 1180.In 1648 the Prince-Archbishopric was transformed into the Duchy of Bremen, which was first ruled in personal union by the Swedish Crown - interrupted by a Danish occupation (1712-1715) - and from 1715 on by the Hanoverian Crown.In 1807 the ephemeric Kingdom of Westphalia annexed the Duchy, before France annexed it in 1810.