
The House of Apponyi, also known as Apponyi de Nagy-Appony, was a prominent and powerful Hungarian family of the high
upper nobility of the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...
, whose members remained notable even after the kingdom's
dismemberment
Dismemberment is the act of completely disconnecting and/or removing the limbs, skin, and/or organs from a living or dead being. It has been practiced upon human beings as a form of capital punishment, especially in connection with regicid ...
in the successor states of
Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, 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 and ...
and
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
.
History
While tracing its origins to the
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the periodization, period of European history between and ; it was preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended according to historiographical convention ...
, the family became prominent in the 18th century with its elevation to the rank of
Counts
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
of Nagy-Appony in 1739 and the acquisition of seventeen grand domains between 1760 and 1800. In the last century of the
Habsburg monarchy
The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...
, four of its members
received the
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece (, ) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in 1430 in Brugge by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, to celebrate his marriage to Isabella of Portugal, Duchess of Burgundy, Isabella of Portugal. T ...
, a total held in a draw among the European nobility by the houses of
Esterházy
The House of Esterházy, also spelled Eszterházy (), is a Hungarian nobility, Hungarian noble family with origins in the Middle Ages. From the 17th century, the Esterházys were the greatest landowner magnates of the Kingdom of Hungary, durin ...
,
Batthyány
The House of Batthyány () is an ancient and distinguished Hungarian noble magnate family. The Head of the family bears the title Prince (Fürst) of Batthyány-Strattmann, while other members of this family bear the title Count/Countess ( Graf ...
, and
Pálffy (4 each). In addition,
Albert Apponyi
Albert György Gyula Mária Apponyi, Count of Nagyappony (; 29 May 18467 February 1933) was a Hungarian aristocrat and politician. He was a board member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Chairman of from 1921 to 1933, and a List of Knights ...
received the Order in 1921 shortly after the end of the monarchy. In addition to this the Apponyi family sat within all Hungarian Kings and then
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...
private courts which was reserved only for the most powerful and important members of the Kingdom.
The family's name refers to Appony, now
Oponice, a region located North of
Nitra
Nitra (; also known by other #Etymology, alternative names) is a city in western Slovakia, situated at the foot of Zobor Mountain in the valley of the river Nitra (river), Nitra. It is located 95 km east of Bratislava. With a population of ...
in present-day
Slovakia
Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
, in which the family established itself in the late 14th century. Nagy-Appony ("Greater Appony") is the southern part of the area, which was long ruled by the Apponyi family.
Many Apponyis were active in the military, politics, and/or the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, as was customary in Hungarian aristocratic families. More distinctive of the Apponyi family was its tradition of
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the communication by representatives of State (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, non-governmental institutions intended to influence events in the international syste ...
for the Kingdom of Hungary then the Habsburg monarchy, and briefly for
Interwar Hungary in the significant case of Albert Apponyi.
Bibliophilia
A bookworm or bibliophile is an individual who loves and frequently reads or collects books. Bibliophilia or bibliophilism is the love of books.
Bibliophiles may have large, specialized book collections. They may highly value old editions, au ...
was another distinguished Apponyi family tradition, the most prominent legacy of which is the
Apponyi Library, now a part of the
Slovak National Library and still located in the
former Apponyi Castle in Oponice.
Nomenclature
The Apponyis, like other
Hungarian magnates, juggled different languages when it came to
given names
A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a ...
. They were typically bilingual in
Hungarian and
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
and educated in other languages as well, and went by corresponding names depending on context. Thus, the
Hungarian name
Hungarian names include surnames and given names. Some people have more than one given name, but only one is normally used. In the Hungarian language, whether written or spoken, names are invariably given in the "Eastern name order", with the fa ...
Apponyi Antal refers to the same individual as Anton Apponyi (German), Antoine Apponyi (French), or Antonius Apponyi (Latin) -
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
having remained widely used as a
written language
A written language is the representation of a language by means of writing. This involves the use of visual symbols, known as graphemes, to represent linguistic units such as phonemes, syllables, morphemes, or words. However, written language is ...
in Hungary well into the modern era. English-language
historiography
Historiography is the study of the methods used by historians in developing history as an academic discipline. By extension, the term ":wikt:historiography, historiography" is any body of historical work on a particular subject. The historiog ...
generally displays the first given name in Hungarian, but with the family name put last as customary in Europe outside of Hungary, e.g. Antal Apponyi. During
Josephinism
Josephinism is a name given collectively to the domestic policies of Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor (1765–1790). During the ten years in which Joseph was the sole ruler of the Habsburg monarchy (1780–1790), he attempted to legislate a series o ...
and its aftermath until around the
Compromise of 1867
The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 (, ) established the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary, which was a military and diplomatic alliance of two sovereign states. The Compromise only partially re-established the former pre-1848 sovereign ...
, however, the use of Hungarian was suppressed in nobility families such as the Apponyis, and German names were more customary.
From the 14th to the 18th century
The Apponyis claimed ancestors among the
Magyar tribes
The Magyar or Hungarian tribes ( , ) or Hungarian clans were the fundamental political units within whose framework the Hungarians (Magyars) lived, before the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin and the subsequent establishment of the Prin ...
through the
Péc clan. Beyond
genealogy
Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kin ...
, little is known of the family history until the
Late Middle Ages
The late Middle Ages or late medieval period was the Periodization, period of History of Europe, European history lasting from 1300 to 1500 AD. The late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period ( ...
.
Miklós (Nicolaus) Apponyi (late 14th/early 15th century)
In Miklós's time the family was granted the
fortress
A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from L ...
of Appony (now
Oponice) by
King Sigismund
Sigismund of Luxembourg (15 February 1368 – 9 December 1437) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1433 until his death in 1437. He was elected King of Germany (King of the Romans) in 1410, and was also King of Bohemia from 1419, as well as prince-elect ...
in 1392, upon which it took up the Apponyi name.
Barons Péter (?–1626) and Pál Apponyi (1564–1624)
Brothers Péter and Pál were made
Barons Barons may refer to:
*Baron (plural), a rank of nobility
*Barons (surname), a Latvian surname
*Barons, Alberta, Canada
* ''Barons'' (TV series), a 2022 Australian drama series
* ''The Barons'', a 2009 Belgian film
Sports
* Birmingham Barons, a Min ...
in June 1606 by
King Rudolf in recognition of their fight against the
Ottomans
Ottoman may refer to:
* Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire
* Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II"
* Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...
. They were signatories of the
Peace of Vienna with
Stephen Bocskai
Stephen Bocskai or Bocskay (, ; 1 January 155729 December 1606) was Prince of Transylvania and Hungary from 1605 to 1606. He was born to a Hungarian nobility, Hungarian noble family. His father's estates were located in the Eastern Hungarian Kin ...
in the same year. They died without heirs, which meant no sons could carry on the baronial title.
Baron Balázs (Blasius) Apponyi (?–1637)
Balázs, a cousin of Péter and Pál, inherited the Appony domain after Péter's death.
He in turn was made a
Baron
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...
by
King Ferdinand II, on 12 November 1624, possibly for his literary activity and/or role in negotiations in Vienna with the supporters of
Gabriel Bethlen
Gabriel Bethlen (; 1580 – 15 November 1629) was Prince of Transylvania from 1613 to 1629 and Duke of Opole from 1622 to 1625. He was also King-elect of Hungary from 1620 to 1621, but he never took control of the whole kingdom. Bethlen, sup ...
. On 8 January 1636 Ferdinand II appointed him one of his Hungarian royal advisers. He was a distinguished writer of religious poetry in Latin. He died without male heirs, which meant the Apponyi family remained untitled until the elevation of Lázár to Baron in 1718. He was buried in the monastery of
Horné Lefantovce
Horné Lefantovce () is a village and municipality in the Nitra District of the Nitra Region, in western Slovakia.
History
In historical records the village was first mentioned in 1113. It was the ancestral estate of the medieval Elefánthy famil ...
.
János Apponyi (early 17th century)
János is said to have joined the
Franciscan order
The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...
as a young nobleman and to have had a vision of
Saint Catherine of Alexandria
Catherine of Alexandria, also spelled Katherine, was, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the emperor Maxentius. According to her hagiography, she was both a princess a ...
, in 1617 or 1618. Tradition has that he died shortly afterwards, after his family refused to acknowledge his religious vocation. In his memory, Count Kristóf
Erdődy
The House of Erdődy de Monyorókerék et Monoszló (also House of Erdödy) is the name of an old Hungarian people, Hungarian-Croats, Croatian noble family with possessions in Kingdom of Hungary, Hungary and Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg), Croati ...
founded a monastery dedicated to Saint Catherine in Dejte (now
Dechtice) in 1618. The monastery, today known as
Katarínka
Katarínka (, ) are the ruins of a Franciscan monastery and church dating back to the early 17th century, located deep in the forests of the Little Carpathians (''Malé Karpaty'') in western Slovakia, 20 km north of Trnava over Dubovský cree ...
, was dissolved in 1786 by
Joseph II
Joseph II (13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from 18 August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 29 November 1780 until his death. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Emperor F ...
but its ruined church still stands.
Count Lázár Apponyi (?–1739)
Lázár fought at the
Siege of Buda (1686)
The siege of Buda (1686) () was a military engagement during the Great Turkish War, in which forces of the Holy League, led by the Habsburg Monarchy, recaptured the fortified city of Buda (now part of modern-day Budapest) from the Ottoman Empir ...
, where his father Miklós Apponyi died. He was personally raised to the hereditary rank of Baron by
Charles VI in
Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
on 16 February 1718, for his outstanding military contribution to the
Habsburg fights against the Ottoman Empire. Charles VI then made Lázár
Count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
of Nagy-Appony on 30 May 1739 in
Laxenburg __NOTOC__
Laxenburg (Central Bavarian: ''Laxnbuag'') is a market town in the district of Mödling, in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. Located about south of the Austrian capital Vienna, it is chiefly known for the Laxenburg castles, which, be ...
, and his descendants kept that title until the end of the monarchic period. The family's coat of arms also dates from that moment.
József Apponyi (1718–1787)
József, son of Lázár, joined the
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded in 1540 ...
in Vienna in 1736, studied there and in
Graz
Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...
until 1741, then taught grammar in
Győr
Győr ( , ; ; names of European cities in different languages: E-H#G, names in other languages) is the main city of northwest Hungary, the capital of Győr-Moson-Sopron County and Western Transdanubia, Western Transdanubia region, and – halfwa ...
(1742) and
Trnava
Trnava (, , ; , also known by other #Names and etymology, alternative names) is a city in western Slovakia, to the northeast of Bratislava, on the Trnávka river. It is the capital of the Trnava Region and the Trnava District. It is the seat o ...
(1743). He later lectured in philosophy, logic, mathematics, physics, theology, and ethics. His ''Oratio de augustissimo verbi incarnati mysterio'' was published in Vienna in 1745.
He remained a Catholic priest after the
Suppression of the Society of Jesus
The suppression of the Society of Jesus was the removal of all members of the Jesuits from most of Western Europe and their respective colonies beginning in 1759 along with the abolition of the order by the Holy See in 1773; the papacy acceded ...
.
Count Antal György (Anton Georg) Apponyi (1751–1817)
Antal György (or György Antal), grandson of Lázár and son of György László (Georg Ladislaus) Apponyi (1736–1782), was a major cultural figure who founded the
Apponyi Library.
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn ( ; ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...
dedicated him six quartets in 1793 (No. 54 to 59, Op. 71 & 74), since known as "Apponyi Quartets".
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
is also believed to have composed several pieces for him. In 1795, Antal György Apponyi invited
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...
to try his hand at a string quartet, an attempt that only materialized a few years later with the
Opus 18 quartets published in 1801. From 1784 he rebuilt the castle in the domain his father had purchased in
Hőgyész
Hőgyész ( or ) is a village in Tolna County, Hungary. It is the birthplace of the Slovak Impressionist painter Jozef Teodor Mousson and has a large castle of the Apponyi family.
The Hőgyész domain in Tolna County was acquired in 1722 by Count ...
, and spent much of his later life there.
Éberhárd Line
György (Georg) Apponyi (1780–1849), eldest son of Antal György, established himself in Eberhárd (now
Malinovo), a castle near Pressburg (Pozsony, today's
Bratislava
Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...
) which had been purchased by his grandfather György and which his descendants kept until the
dismemberment of the Kingdom of Hungary. Members of this branch are still alive today.
Count György (Georg) Apponyi (1808–1899)
György, son of György and grandson of Antal György, was a prominent conservative politician. He was Hungarian chancellor (1846–48) and
Speaker of the Hungarian
House of Magnates
The House of Magnates (; ; ; ) was the upper chamber of the Diet of Hungary. This chamber was operational from 1867 to 1918 and subsequently from 1927 to 1945.
The house was, like the current House of Lords in the United Kingdom, composed of ...
in 1861.
Count Albert Apponyi (1846–1933)
Albert, son of
György, was a major Hungarian statesman of the conservative
Party of Independence and '48
The Party of Independence and '48 (; F48P), also known mostly by its shortened form Independence Party (), was one of the two major political parties in the Kingdom of Hungary within Austria-Hungary, along with the Liberal Party and then the Natio ...
. He is remembered both for his notorious 1907 legislation on the
Magyarization
Magyarization ( , also Hungarianization; ), after "Magyar"—the Hungarian autonym—was an assimilation or acculturation process by which non-Hungarian nationals living in the Kingdom of Hungary, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, adop ...
of public education in the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...
, known as Apponyi Law or ''Lex Apponyi'', and for his brilliant (though unsuccessful) defense of Hungarian positions in the negotiations that led to the Treaty of Trianon in 1920. He
received the
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece (, ) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in 1430 in Brugge by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, to celebrate his marriage to Isabella of Portugal, Duchess of Burgundy, Isabella of Portugal. T ...
in 1921. He was also well respected by all of the major leaders of the time, such as
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...
who considered him a very dear friend, along with stayed at his estate when he came to visit
Budapest
Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...
in 1910. Upon his death he was also granted the title of
prince regent
A prince regent or princess regent is a prince or princess who, due to their position in the line of succession, rules a monarchy as regent in the stead of a monarch, e.g., as a result of the sovereign's incapacity (minority or illness) or ab ...
a title which although not
hereditary
Heredity, also called inheritance or biological inheritance, is the passing on of traits from parents to their offspring; either through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction, the offspring cells or organisms acquire the genetic inform ...
in nature can still be used for state matters and when referring to
Albert Apponyi
Albert György Gyula Mária Apponyi, Count of Nagyappony (; 29 May 18467 February 1933) was a Hungarian aristocrat and politician. He was a board member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Chairman of from 1921 to 1933, and a List of Knights ...
.
Albert Apponyi.jpg, Albert Apponyi
Albert György Gyula Mária Apponyi, Count of Nagyappony (; 29 May 18467 February 1933) was a Hungarian aristocrat and politician. He was a board member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Chairman of from 1921 to 1933, and a List of Knights ...
(1846–1933)
1911 Apponyi FaneuilHall BostonEveningTranscript March2.png, Publicity for a conference given by Albert Apponyi in Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, 1911
Bust_of_Count_Albert_Apponyi._-_J%C3%A1szber%C3%A9ny.JPG, Monument to Albert Apponyi in Jászberény
Jászberény is a city and market centre in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county in Hungary.
Location
Jászberény is located in central Hungary, on the Zagyva River, a tributary of the Tisza River. It is about from Budapest.
History
The oldes ...
, Hungary
Apponyi Albert&Gyoergy memorial Budapest.jpg, Memorial plaque on the former house of Albert Apponyi and his son György in Castle Quarter of Budapest, Hungary
Countess Klotild (Clotilde) Apponyi (1867–1942)
Clotilde, née
von Mensdorff-Pouilly and wife of Albert, was a prominent advocate of
women's rights
Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...
and
women's suffrage
Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. In Sweden, conditional women's suffra ...
, and a delegate for Hungary to the
League of Nations
The League of Nations (LN or LoN; , SdN) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace ...
in 1935–1937.
Appony Line
Antal György Apponyi's second son Antal and his descendants kept custody of the ancestral family property in Oponice, where they lived until 1935. A branch of this family line held the Hőgyész domain until 1939.
Count Antal (Anton) Apponyi (1782–1852)

Antal was a diplomat for the Habsburg monarchy in
Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...
(
Grand Duchy of Baden
The Grand Duchy of Baden () was a German polity on the east bank of the Rhine. It originally existed as a sovereign state from 1806 to 1871 and later as part of the German Empire until 1918.
The duchy's 12th-century origins were as a Margravia ...
),
Florence
Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025.
Florence ...
(
Grand Duchy of Tuscany
The Grand Duchy of Tuscany (; ) was an Italian monarchy located in Central Italy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1860, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In the 19th century the population ...
) from 1816 to 1819, and
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
(
Papal States
The Papal States ( ; ; ), officially the State of the Church, were a conglomeration of territories on the Italian peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope from 756 to 1870. They were among the major states of Italy from the 8th c ...
) from 1820 to 1826.
In 1826 he became Ambassador in Paris, a position he held until 1848. He received the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1836. He died in the
Apponyi castle on 17 October 1852.
Countess Teresa Apponyi (1790–1874)
Maria Teresa, née Nogarolla in
Munich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
of an old family originally from
Verona
Verona ( ; ; or ) is a city on the Adige, River Adige in Veneto, Italy, with 255,131 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region, and is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and in Northeast Italy, nor ...
, married Antal Apponyi in 1808. She impressed diplomats at the
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...
and gained the nickname ''la divine Thérèse''.
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period who wrote primarily for Piano solo, solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown ...
dedicated her his
Nocturne Op. 27 No. 1 and
Op. 27 No. 2.
Count Lajos (Ludwig) Apponyi (1849–1909)
Lajos, grandson of Antal and son of Gyula Apponyi (1816–1857), was appointed
Marshal of the Court in Hungary (''Hofmarschall in Ungarn'') by
Emperor Franz Joseph
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I ( ; ; 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 1848 until his death in 1916. In the early part of his reig ...
in December 1895, a newly created position that entailed guardianship of the royal palaces of
Budapest
Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...
and
Gödöllő
Gödöllő, officially the City of Gödöllő, is a city in Pest County, Budapest metropolitan area, Hungary, about northeast from the outskirts of Budapest. Its population is 34,396 according to the 2010 census and is growing rapidly. It can b ...
. Among other functions, he represented the monarchy at the ceremonial reburial of
King Béla III and
Queen Agnes of Antioch in
Matthias Church
The Church of the Assumption of the Buda Castle (), more commonly known as the Matthias Church () and more rarely as the Coronation Church of Buda, is a Catholic church in Holy Trinity Square, Budapest, Hungary, in front of the Fisherman's Bastion ...
on 21 October 1898. He was a member of the Budapest Park Club and of the Budapest Applied Art Society.
Countess Margit (Marguerite) Apponyi (1848–1931)
Marguerite, née
von Seherr-Thoss (
de) from an ancient noble family in
Silesia
Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...
, married Lajos Apponyi in 1871. She was an active manager of the Appony estate and of the family's literary legacy. She ensured the publications of the memoirs of Rezső Apponyi (of the Jablánc line) and of her son Henrik Apponyi. She also had the decades-long correspondence of her mother-in-law Szofia (née Sztáray, wife of Gyula) with
Charles de Montalembert
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was ...
edited by
François Buloz and published in the ''
Revue des deux Mondes'' in 1913. She devoted herself to philanthropy, together with her husband, especially with the hospital and school in Oponice.
Count Henrik Apponyi (1885–1935)
Henrik started a diplomatic career, in Berlin (1912–1913) and Istanbul (1913–1914), but that was cut short by
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and the end of the
Habsburg monarchy
The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...
. He relocated to Oponice in 1918 and dedicated his life to adventurous traveling, particularly in Sudan (1924) and India and Tibet (1930). His travel notes were published in London in 1937 under the title ''My big-game hunting diary from India and the Himalayas'', with a foreword by the
Viscount Halifax whom Henrik had met while in India. The book came out after the deaths of both his mother Marguerite, who had promoted the publication project, and that of Henrik himself. He died in
Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
in unclear circumstances.
Geraldine Apponyi (1915–2002)
Geraldine was a granddaughter of Lajos and daughter of Gyula Apponyi (1873–1924) and his American wife Gladys Virginia Steuart (1891–1947). She married
King Zog I of Albania in
Tirana
Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in Albania, largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest ov ...
, in a grand ceremony on 27 April 1938. She reigned as
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king, and usually shares her spouse's social Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and status. She holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles and may be crowned and anointed, but hi ...
for less than a year, then spent most of her long life in exile.
Lengyel line
The two brothers Rezső and Gyula Apponyi inherited
Lengyel Castle in 1863 from their uncle József Apponyi (1788–1863), third son of Antal György. Rezső took over Lengyel while Gyula stayed in Appony (Oponice). Members of this branch lived in Lengyel until 1930.
Count Rezső (Rudolf) Apponyi (1812–1876)
Rudolf, son of Antal, was a diplomat, initially in Paris and
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
where he married in 1843, with
Emperor Nicholas I
Nicholas I, group=pron (Russian language, Russian: Николай I Павлович; – ) was Emperor of Russia, List of rulers of Partitioned Poland#Kings of the Kingdom of Poland, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 18 ...
and
Empress Alexandra Feodorovna both attending.
He later served in Karlsruhe (1847–1849),
Turin
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
(1849–1853), Munich (1853–1856),
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
(1856–1871, from 1860 as Ambassador), and
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
(Ambassador, 1871–1876). He received the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1865. In 1866 he contracted the sublease of the Habsburg Embassy in London on
Belgrave Square
Belgrave Square is a large 19th-century garden square in London. It is the centrepiece of Belgravia, and its architecture resembles the original scheme of property contractor Thomas Cubitt who engaged George Basevi for all of the terraces for ...
, where the
Embassy of Austria remains to this day.
Rudolf Apponyi de Nagy-Appony.jpg, Rudolf Apponyi
Apponyi Rudolf Graf.jpg, Rudolf with his wife Anna von Benckendorff
Rudolf Apponyi .jpg, Rudolf in ceremonial attire, 1860s
Rudolph Apponyi Vanity Fair 14 January 1871.jpg, Caricature of Rudolf Apponyi in the British ''Vanity Fair'', 1871
Count Sándor (Alexander) Apponyi (1844–1925)
Sándor, son of Rezső, started as a diplomat. He left that service in 1876 to devote himself to bibliophilia. He received the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1907.
Other members of the Apponyi family
Jablánc line
The brothers Pál and János Apponyi (not descendants of Lázár, thus not counts) together inherited the castle in Jablánc (German ''Jablonitz'' or ''Apfelsdorf'', formerly also ''Jabloncza'' or ''Jablonicz'' in Hungarian, now
Jablonica
Jablonica is a village and municipality in Senica District in the Trnava Region of western Slovakia.
History
In historical records the village was first mentioned in 1262.
Geography
The municipality lies at an altitude of 211 metres and covers ...
in Slovakia) in 1772. In 1784 it was reconstructed and went to Pál, while János stayed in Appony (Oponice). After Pál's death it went to his son József (Joseph) Apponyi (1784–1853), who was made a Count by
Emperor Francis I in April 1808. Members of this branch stayed in Jablánc until the aftermath of World War I, after which it changed hands .
József's son Rezső (more often referred to as Rudolf, sometimes Rudolf II to distinguish him from his relative of the Lengyel line; 1802–1853) served as a junior diplomat (
attaché
In diplomacy, an attaché () is a person who is assigned ("to be attached") to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency. Although a loanword from French, in English the word is not modified ac ...
) in Paris from 1826 to 1850, hired by the Habsburg monarchy's ambassador his distant uncle Antal. Long after his death, his notes from this period, which had been kept in the family library, were edited in Paris by
Ernest Daudet
Louis-Marie Ernest Daudet (; 31 May 1837 – 21 August 1921) was a French journalist, novelist and historian. Prolific in several genres, Daudet began his career writing for magazines and provincial newspapers all over France. His younger brothe ...
at the instigation of Count Lajos Apponyi's wife Marguerite, and published by
Plon in four volumes between 1913 and 1926 as ''Journal du Comte Rodolphe Apponyi''.
Silvio Apponyi (1949–)
Silvio Apponyi is an Australian sculptor, born 1949 in a refugee camp near Munich. His father Albert Friedrich Apponyi, who descended from an illegitimate line of the family, was allowed to use the family name after emigrating to Australia.
Apponyi properties
Over the years the Apponyis built or acquired numerous properties in the Kingdom of Hungary and in Vienna. At the peak they had around 30 properties to their name over the empire. Several of these still stand.
Appony (today Oponice, Slovakia)
The Apponyi fortress on a hill above the village probably already existed in the time of
Great Moravia
Great Moravia (; , ''Meghálī Moravía''; ; ; , ), or simply Moravia, was the first major state that was predominantly West Slavic to emerge in the area of Central Europe, possibly including territories which are today part of the Czech Repub ...
and was acquired by the Apponyis in 1392. In 1645 it was badly damaged by fire and was finally destroyed by the Habsburg army in 1708 after it had been used by
Kuruc
Kuruc (, plural ''kurucok''), also spelled kurutz, refers to a group of armed anti- Habsburg insurgents in the Kingdom of Hungary between 1671 and 1711.
Over time, the term kuruc has come to designate Hungarians who advocate strict national inde ...
rebels during
Rákóczi's War of Independence
Rákóczi's War of Independence (1703–1711) was the first significant attempt to topple the rule of the Habsburgs over Royal Hungary, Hungary. The war was conducted by a group of noblemen, wealthy and high-ranking progressives and was led by F ...
.
The manor in the village was built in stages from the 16th century onwards and was used as one of the family's many residences from the mid-17th century to 1935. It underwent extensive renovation in 2007–2011 and has since operated as a luxury hotel, branded Chateau-Appony, with the library wing of 1846 again hosting the Apponyi Library.
Appony - Castle.jpg, Ruined Apponyi castle in Oponice, Slovakia
Oponice (23).jpg, Apponyi Manor (during restoration in 2009)
Historical library of the Apponyi genus located in Oponice.jpg, Restored Apponyi Library in Apponyi Manor
Nyitra vármegye, Nagyappony, Apponyi Lajos gróf kastélyának hátsó nézete, 1895-1899 között Fortepan 83209.jpg, 1900 postcard of Apponyi Manor
Éberhárd (today Malinovo, Slovakia)

The old castle at ''Ybrehart'' (today
Malinovo) was acquired by Count György Apponyi, son of Lázár, in June 1763.
It was reconstructed into its current form sometime after 1817 by Count György Apponyi (1780–1849), eldest son of Antal György. It then went to his son György Apponyi who died in the castle in 1899. Albert Apponyi lost property of the castle following the Treaty of Trianon.
It became an agricultural school in 1923, a function it still serves despite an obvious need for repair.
Jablánc (today Jablonica, Slovakia)
The manor in
Jabloncza, inherited by the family in 1772, was remodeled by József Apponyi around the time of his elevation as Count in 1808, possibly to better reflect his new higher status. It was again remodeled in the late 19th century by Count Antal Apponyi (1852–1920), who inherited it from József's son Rezső Apponyi.
After World War I it changed hands several times and eventually went into disrepair. In 2017 it was purchased by a non-profit group that intends to renovate it and convert into a hotel and cultural facility.
Hőgyész (Hungary)
The
Hőgyész
Hőgyész ( or ) is a village in Tolna County, Hungary. It is the birthplace of the Slovak Impressionist painter Jozef Teodor Mousson and has a large castle of the Apponyi family.
The Hőgyész domain in Tolna County was acquired in 1722 by Count ...
domain in
Tolna County
Tolna (, ; ) is an administrative county (Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary), comitatus or vármegye) in present-day Hungary as it was in the former Kingdom of Hungary. It lies in central Hungary, on the west bank of the river Danube. It shares borde ...
was acquired in 1722 by
Count Claude Florimond de Mercy
Count Claudius Florimund de Mercy (1666 – 29 June 1734) was an Imperial field marshal, born at Longwy in Lorraine, now in France. His grandfather was the Bavarian field marshal Franz Freiherr von Mercy.
Mercy entered the Austrian ar ...
, and purchased by György Apponyi (son of Lázár) in 1772. It was rebuilt in the late 18th century by György's son, Count Antal György Apponyi, who spent much of the rest of his life there.
The castle later went to Antal George's grandson Károly Apponyi (1805–1890), his son Géza (1853–1927) and the latter's son Károly (1878–1959) who sold it to the Hungarian state in 1939. During and after World War II it became a center for displaced people and military hospital, and later a school. It was privatized in 1999 and renovated into a luxury hotel, but was embroiled in the troubles of controversial financier
Ghaith Pharaon which led to its closing in the 2010s.
Lengyel (Hungary)
The
Swabian village of
Lengyel ("Polish" in Hungarian) in
Tolna County
Tolna (, ; ) is an administrative county (Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary), comitatus or vármegye) in present-day Hungary as it was in the former Kingdom of Hungary. It lies in central Hungary, on the west bank of the river Danube. It shares borde ...
was purchased by Count Antal György Apponyi in 1799. The castle was built by Antal György's third son József in 1824–1829 and extensively remodeled from 1878 by
Sándor Apponyi. It suffered fire damage in 1905. After Sándor's passing away, his widow Countess Alexandra
Esterházy
The House of Esterházy, also spelled Eszterházy (), is a Hungarian nobility, Hungarian noble family with origins in the Middle Ages. From the 17th century, the Esterházys were the greatest landowner magnates of the Kingdom of Hungary, durin ...
donated the castle in 1926 to the
Hungarian National Museum
The Hungarian National Museum (, ) was founded in 1802 and is the national museum for the history, art, and archaeology of Hungary, including areas not within Hungary's modern borders, such as Transylvania; it is separate to the collection of int ...
but kept the privilege of living there until her death in 1930. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
it was used by Hungary's
National Cartography Office, then became a Russian
military hospital
A military hospital is a hospital owned or operated by a military. They are often reserved for the use of military personnel and their dependents, but in some countries are made available to civilians as well. They may or may not be located on a m ...
from January to March 1945, and later that year an internment camp for
displaced Germans. It has been an agricultural school since 1946.
Urban properties
The Apponyis inhabited various properties in the capitals cities of Vienna, Pressburg (Pozsony, today's Bratislava) and Budapest, many of which were rented. The
Apponyi Palace in Bratislava, built by Count György Apponyi (1736–1782), was sold in 1865 to the municipality of Pressburg. The
Palais Apponyi in Vienna was built in 1880 for Marguerite and Lajos Apponyi. Albert Apponyi lived in an old house on Castle Hill in Budapest, now Táncsics Mihály utca 17, where a plaque honors his memory and that of his son György.
Other
* The medieval castle in Cseklész (, near
Bernolákovo
Bernolákovo (, former Slovak names: ''Čeklís'', ''Čeklýs'') is a village and municipality in western Slovakia in Senec District in the Bratislava Region.
Names and etymology
The Slovak name for the village, ''Lǫžnica'', originates from th ...
, Slovakia) was held by the family before they switched it for the Appony domain in 1392.
It has been ruined since the 16th century.
* A branch of the Apponyi family inherited the castle in the village of Korlátkő (now
Cerová, Slovakia), following the extinction of the Korlathkeőy family in 1546. That "Korlátkő line" of the family ended with the 1637 death of Baron Balázs Apponyi without male heirs.
* Some time after 1580 Balázs Apponyi built a castle in Lészkó (now Lieskové in
Cerová, Slovakia), as the old Korlátkő castle was no longer suitable for the lifestyle of his time. His widow Borbála remained there after his death, but the Apponyi family subsequently no longer owned it.
[ It is now a Catholic charity home.
* Balázs Apponyi also owned a castle in Pereszlény (now Preseľany, Slovakia), now destroyed.][
* The now-destroyed castle in Bánov (Czech Republic), despite being in ]Moravia
Moravia ( ; ) is a historical region in the eastern Czech Republic, roughly encompassing its territory within the Danube River's drainage basin. It is one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.
The medieval and early ...
and not in the Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...
, was acquired by Balázs Apponyi in 1630 and stayed in the family's property until 1658.
* The Appony line of the family owned the village castle in Kovarce () (today in Slovakia) from 1876 to 1926.
* A roadside mansion in Bátaapáti in Tolna County
Tolna (, ; ) is an administrative county (Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary), comitatus or vármegye) in present-day Hungary as it was in the former Kingdom of Hungary. It lies in central Hungary, on the west bank of the river Danube. It shares borde ...
(Hungary), was built by the Apponyis in the 1840s and renovated in 2005–2006.
* A manor in Medina
Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...
(Tolna County), built in 1840 and purchased by the Apponyis in 1850, has been renovated as a hotel branded ''Apponyi Kiskastély'' (Little Castle of Apponyi).
* A manor in Pálfa (Tolna County) was built in 1924–1928 by Géza Apponyi (1853–1927) and his son Károly (1878–1959), who died there. Géza was the son of Károly Apponyi, eldest son of Count Antal Apponyi's eldest son György (of the Malinovo line). The domain of Pálfa was apparently acquired by the family in 1772 together with Hőgyész. The building now serves as a home for disabled people.
* There are many, many other properties that the Apponyi family supposedly owned during their time within the Kingdom but also all over Europe
Aponiho palác 3.jpg, Apponyi Palace, Bratislava
Palais Apponyi.JPG, Palais Apponyi, Vienna
Zrucaniny a veza.jpg, Site of Cseklész castle
Korlátka 02.jpg, Ruins of Korlátka castle
Bánov, tři kříže.jpg, Site of Bánov castle
Apponyi kúria.JPG, Apponyi mansion, Bátaapáti
Medina - Palace.jpg, Apponyi manor, Medina
Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...
Bibliophilia
The Apponyi Library (''Bibliotheca Apponiana'') was created around 1774 by Count Anton György Apponyi in Vienna, who took advantage for its build-up of the abolition of the monasteries by Joseph II. In 1827 it was moved to Pressburg
Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...
in a dedicated building on Kozia Street, and on to Appony in 1846. It was partly dispersed in stages from the late 19th century to the eve of World War II, and what was left in Apponyi Castle deteriorated during the Communist era
A communist era is a sustained period of national government by a single party following the philosophy of Marxism–Leninism. Many countries have experienced such a period of communist rule.
Current communist states China
The Chinese Communist ...
. It was restored in the early 21st century and reopened in 2011 as part of the Slovak National Library.
Count Sándor Apponyi's extensive collection of books and incunables
An incunable or incunabulum (: incunables or incunabula, respectively) is a book, pamphlet, or broadside that was printed in the earliest stages of printing in Europe, up to the year 1500. The specific date is essentially arbitrary, but the ...
was kept at Lengyel Castle. This included a collection of Hungary-related prints or ''Hungarica'', and a separate collection of items he called ''rariora et curiosa'', mostly in French, Latin and Italian. Part of the latter collection was specifically dedicated to the history of Verona and the local Nogarol family from which his grandmother (Antal's wife Teresa) stemmed, including the late medieval humanist Isotta Nogarola
Isotta Nogarola (1418–1466) was an Italian writer and intellectual who is said to be the first major female Renaissance humanism, humanist and one of the most important humanists of the Italian Renaissance. She inspired generations of artists an ...
.[ Sándor donated the whole collection to Hungary's ]National Széchényi Library
The National Széchényi Library (, ) (OSZK) is a library in Budapest, Hungary, located in Buda Castle. It is one of two Hungarian national libraries, the other being University of Debrecen Library.
History
The library was founded in 1802 by th ...
in 1926. A special law adopted in 1926 by the Hungarian National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
to acknowledge the donation of the collection mentions several other comparable donations, but adds that "Among all these generous, valuable donations, that of Count ándorApponyi is by far the most important."
See also
* Oponice ()
*
References
{{Authority control
Hungarian-language surnames