The House of Batthyány () is the name of an ancient and distinguished Hungarian

Magnate The magnate term, from the late Latin ''magnas'', a great man, itself from Latin ''magnus'', "great", means a man from the higher nobility, a man who belongs to the high office-holders, or a man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or ot ...

family. Members of this family bear the title Count/Countess ( Graf/Gräfin) Batthyány von Német-Ujvar respectively, while the title of

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

(

Fürst ' (, female form ', plural '; from Old High German ', "the first", a translation of the Latin ') is a German word for a ruler and is also a princely title. ' were, since the Middle Ages, members of the highest nobility who ruled over states of ...

) von Batthyány-Strattmann is reserved only for the Head of the family. A branch of the family ( hr, Baćan) was notable in

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

as well, producing several Bans (viceroys) of

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in the 16th, 17th and 18th century.

History

The Batthyány family can trace its roots to the founding of

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

in 896 CE by Árpád. The family derives from a chieftain called Örs. Árpád had seven chieftains, one by the name of Örs, which later became Kővágó-Örs. In 1398 Miklós Kővágó-Örs married Katalin Battyány. King Zsigmond (Sigismund) gave Miklós the region around the town of Battyán (now called Szabadbattyán) and he took the name Batthyány (lit. "from Battyán"). The family were first mentioned in documents in 1398 and have had their ancestral seat in

Güssing Güssing (; hu, Németújvár, Német-Újvár, hr, Novi Grad) is a town in Burgenland, Austria. It is located at , with a population of 3,578 (2022), and is the administrative center of the Güssing district. For centuries the town occupied an i ...

in the

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

n region of Burgenland since 1522. In 1570,

Boldizsár Batthyány Boldizsár is both a Hungarian masculine given name and surname. It is a cognate of the Biblical name Balthazar. Individuals bearing the name Boldizsár include: ;Given name: * Boldizsár Báthory (1560–1594), Transylvanian politician *Boldizs ...

transformed the seat of the family,

, into the center of

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

in the region. His descendant

Ádám Batthyány Ádám Batthyány (1610–1659) was a Hungarian count of the Batthyány family. He presided over a period of religious tensions between Protestants and Catholics, which extended to his court. His father had been Calvinist, as had he, but he later b ...

(1610–1659), however, was

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

and founded a Franciscan monastery in Güssing. On 3.1.1764 Count Karl Josef Batthyány was created Prince of the Holy Roman Empire. As he didn't have surviving sons, his princely title was inherited by his nephew Count Adam Wenzel (1722-1787). Count Lajos Batthyány became the first Prime Minister of Hungary during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 and was executed in

Pest Pest or The Pest may refer to: Science and medicine * Pest (organism), an animal or plant deemed to be detrimental to humans or human concerns ** Weed, a plant considered undesirable * Infectious disease, an illness resulting from an infection ** ...

in 1849. After 1945 the Batthyány family's property was largely expropriated in Hungary and other countries under Communist rule, although they retained their property in Austria. The current family members have also strong ties to Hungary currently.

Modern era

Currently, the family has about 60 name bearers who live mainly in Austria, but also in Hungary,

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

. The current head of the family is Prince Laszlo Edmund Christof Maximilian Eugen Anton von Batthyány-Strattmann, son of Prince Laszlo Pascal von Batthyány-Strattmann (1938-2015) and his wife Veronika Hauschka von Treuenfels (b. 1942). Prince Laszlo lives with his wife and children in Austria. The family meets once a year for a so-called Familientag (family gathering) at their ancestral seat

Güssing Castle Güssing Castle (german: Burg Güssing, hu, németújvári vár) is a castle in southern Burgenland, Austria. On June 30, 1524, the castle was acquired by the Batthyány family, which retains ownership through a historical foundation that provi ...

Family members

(1543–1590), baron, well-educated humanist, became Protestant in 1570, protector of the botanist Carolus Clusius Güssing Franziskanerkloster 50386

(1610–1659), count, Founder of the Franciscan monastery in Güssing *

Adam II. Batthyány Count Adam II. Batthyány ( hr, Adam Baćan, 3 June 1662 – 26 August 1703) was a Hungarian general and nobleman. He served as ban (viceroy) of Croatia from 1693 to 1703. Career Adam II. Batthyány was born in 1637, the son of Christoph II Ba ...

(1662–1703), Ban of Croatia *

Lajos Batthyány Count Lajos Batthyány de Németújvár (; hu, gróf németújvári Batthyány Lajos; 10 February 1807 – 6 October 1849) was the first Prime Minister of Hungary. He was born in Pozsony (modern-day Bratislava) on 10 February 1807, and was e ...

(1696–1765), Hungarian Court Chancellor and Palatine of Hungary. *

Károly József Batthyány Count Károly József Batthyány of Németújvár ( hu, németújvári gróf Batthyány Károly József, Károly József Batthyány, german: Karl Josef Graf Batthyány, hr, Karlo Josip grof Baćan; 28 April 1697, Rohonc – 15 April 1772, Vienn ...

(1698–1772), Austrian field marshal and later educator of Joseph II, Ban (viceroy) of

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

József Batthyány József () is a Hungarian masculine given name. It is the Hungarian name equivalent to Joseph. Notable people bearing this name include: * József Braun (also known as József Barna; 1901–1943), Hungarian Olympic footballer * József Cserm ...

(1727–1799), bishop * Ignác Batthyány (1741–1798), bishop and founder of the

Batthyaneum Library Alba Iulia (; german: Karlsburg or ''Carlsburg'', formerly ''Weißenburg''; hu, Gyulafehérvár; la, Apulum) is a city that serves as the seat of Alba County in the west-central part of Romania. Located on the Mureș River in the historical ...

, Alba Iulia, now Romania * Kázmér Batthyány (1807–1854), politician, minister in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 *

Franciska Batthyány Franciska is a given name. It is a feminine form of the Latin Franciscus. Notable people with the name include: * Franciska Clausen (1899–1986), Danish painter * Franciska Farkas (born 1984), Hungarian actress * Franciska Gaal (1903–1973), ...

(1802–1861), born Széchenyi *

(1807–1849), executed, first Hungarian Prime Minister * Count

József Sándor Batthyány József () is a Hungarian language, Hungarian masculine given name. It is the Hungarian name equivalent to Joseph. Notable people bearing this name include: * József Braun (also known as József Barna; 1901–1943), Hungarian Olympic football ...

(1777–1812), his father * Gusztáv, 5th Prince Batthyány-Strattmann (1803–1883), English sportsman, Thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder * Edmund Gustavus, 6th Prince Batthyany-Strattmann (1826–1914) * Ludovika Olga Karoline Philippine Antonia Batthyany (1869–1939) * Count

Tivadar Batthyány Count Tivadar Batthyány de Németújvár (23 February 1859 in Zalaszentgrót, Zala County – 2 February 1931 in Budapest) son of Count Zsigmond Batthyány de Német-Ujvár, and Johanna Nepomucena Justina Maria Goberta Erdődy. The father, ...

(1859–1931) * László, 7th Prince Batthyány-Strattmann (1870–1931), ophthalmologist, beatified in 2003 *

Ervin Batthyány Count Ervin Batthyány (17 October 1877 – 9 June 1945) was a Hungary, Hungarian political activist, school founder and journalist. He promoted Anarchism, anarchist principles in early 20th century Hungary. Early life Ervin Batthyány was born o ...

(1877–1945),

anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not neces ...

and school reformer * Countess Margit Batthyány (1911–1989) :de:Margit von Batthyány, lived until the end of World War II on Castle

Rechnitz Rechnitz ( hr, Rohunac, hu, Rohonc, Rohoncz, Romani: ''Rochonca'') is a municipality in Burgenland in the Oberwart district in Austria. Geography The municipality is located in southern Burgenland, on the border with Hungary, near Bozsok and ...

( Burgenland) where she was engaged in breeding horses and maintaining a reconvalescence home for members of the SS. Her involvement in the infamous Rechnitz massacre is still controversial. *

Sacha Battyhány Sasha is a unisex name which originated in Eastern and Southern European countries as the shortened version of Alexander and Alexandra. It is also used as a surname, although very rarely. Alternative spellings include: ( – Russian, Ukrainian ...

Swiss journalist and writer, author of the book "A Crime in the Family" about the participation of Comtesse Margit Battyhány and other members of the family in the Rechnitz massacre

External links

Family website
*Archival material (ca. 212 running meters)
The Batthyány Family Archive at the National Archives of Hungary [P (4545)
/nowiki>">''P (4545)">The Batthyány Family Archive at the National Archives of Hungary [P (4545)
/nowiki>*Archival material (about 200 records)
Batthyány Family Collection at the National Library of Israel (ARC. 4* 2031)
*Shaul Greenstein, ''
he Hungarian Noble Family That Took in the Exiled Jews
', The Librarians, Blog of the National Library of Israel, December 18, 2018 {{DEFAULTSORT:Batthyany Hungarian noble families Croatian noble families Hungarian-language surnames

History

Modern era

Family members

See also

References

External links