{{Infobox noble , honorific_prefix =

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: ...

, name = Lajos Batthyány , honorific_suffix = de Németújvár , title = , image = Gróf Batthyány Lajos nádor.jpg , caption = Portrait by

Martin van Meytens Martin van Meytens (24 June 1695 – 23 March 1770) was a Sweden, Swedish-Austrian painter who painted members of the Royal Court of Austria such as Marie Antoinette, Maria Theresa, Maria Theresa of Austria, Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, the Em ...

(1744) , CoA = , more = no , succession = 101th Palatine of the Kingdom of Hungary , reign = 4 May 1751 – 26 October 1765 , reign-type = In office , predecessor = János V Pálffy , successor = Archduke Alexander Leopold , suc-type = , spouse = Teréz Kinsky , spouse-type = , issue-type = , issue = 4, including

József József () is a Hungarian masculine given name. It is the Hungarian name equivalent to Joseph. Notable people bearing this name include: * József Bihari (1901–1981), Hungarian actor * József Bihari (1908–1997), Hungarian linguist * ...

, issue-link = , issue-pipe = , residence = Bicske Castle , full name = , native_name = , styles = , other_titles = , noble family =

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 ...

, house-type = , father = Adam II. Batthyány , mother = Eleonore von Strattmann , birth_name = , birth_date = {{Birth date, 1696, 3, 17, df=y , birth_place = ''unknown'',

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 ...

, christening_date = , christening_place = , death_date = {{Death date and age, 1765, 10, 26, 1696, 3, 17, df=y , death_place =

Rechnitz Rechnitz (, , 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 Szombathely. The highest mount ...

Archduchy of Austria The Archduchy of Austria (; ) was a major Princes of the Holy Roman Empire, principality of the Holy Roman Empire and the nucleus of the Habsburg monarchy. With its capital at Vienna, the archduchy was centered at the Empire's southeastern periph ...

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

, burial_date = , burial_place = Güssing Castle, Güssing , occupation = , memorials = , website = , module = Lajos Ernő Batthyány ({{langx, de, Ludwig Ernst Batthyány; 17 March 1696 - 26 October 1765) was a Hungarian noble, Court Chancellor and

Palatine of Hungary The Palatine of Hungary ( or , , ) was the highest-ranking office in the Kingdom of Hungary from the beginning of the 11th century to 1848. Initially, Palatines were representatives of the monarchs, later (from 1723) the vice-regent (vi ...

Life

Lajos Batthyány was the eldest son of Adam II. Batthyány (1662-1703) and

Eleonore Batthyány-Strattmann Countess Eleonore Batthyány-Strattmann (29 May 1673 – 24 November 1741) was an Habsburg, Austria, Austrian courtier and noblewoman who played a prominent role in Habsburg monarchy, Habsburg court society. As the daughter of Theodor von Stratt ...

Károly József Batthyány Prince Károly József Batthyány-Strattmann (, , ; 28 April 1697, Rohonc – 15 April 1772, Vienna) was a Hungarian general and field marshal. He served as ban (viceroy) of Croatia from 1743 to 1756. Biography Born into an ancient House of ...

was his only brother. Like his father and brother, he first pursued a military career by joining the Habsburg Army. Initially known as a captain, Batthyány fought in 1716 at the Battle of Peterwardein and at the Siege of Temesvár under the command of Prince Eugene. He then switched to the civil service.{{cite web , title=Familiengeschichte , website=Batthyány-Strattmann , date=2020-03-16 , url=https://www.batthyany.at/familiengeschichte/ , language=de In 1737 he became the Hungarian Court Chancellor in Vienna. As such, he took part in the Diet in

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 1741 and supported Empress Maria Theresa in a memorable speech. He was Chief Cupbearer ({{Lang, de, Obermundschenk), privy councilor and from 1744 a Knight of the Golden Fleece (No 712). In 1751 he became the last

until his death. In 1756 he raised a regiment of hussars that fought in the Seven Years' War. He chose

Bicske Bicske (; or ) is a town in Fejér County, Hungary. It is around west of Budapest. Its administration has undergone many changes; it has been a settlement, a village, a market town, and a village constituting an administrative division. History ...

Castle as his administrative and head office and extensively remodeled it. In his final years, he fell out of favour on the question of the treatment of the

serfs Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery. It developed dur ...

by the Hungarian nobility. Frequent peasant riots and complaints of forced labour and harsh treatment on Batthyány's domains decided

Maria Theresa Maria Theresa (Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position suo jure, in her own right. She was the ...

to investigate the matter herself. The sovereign named Lajos Batthyány as one of “the most hardened oppressors”.{{cite book , last=Sisman , first=E.R. , title=Haydn and His World , publisher=Princeton University Press , series=The Bard Music Festival , year=2012 , isbn=978-1-4008-3182-1 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0Eiuw-hqax4C&pg=PA159, page=159 The investigation led to a number of reforms aimed at improving peasant conditions in Hungary most notably the land registry patent of 1767.{{cite book , last=Jarmy , first=I.T. , title=The Road to Reform and the Emancipation of the Serfs in Hungary, 1767-1867 , publisher=Michigan State University. Department of History , year=1967 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cQmObZnD08MC

Personal life

On 27 May 1717 he married in Vienna Countess Therese Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau (1700–1775), daughter of Wenceslaus Norbert, Count of Kinsky.
They had 5 sons and 4 daughters, including : *Maria Antonia (1720–1797), married her paternal uncle

, *Adam Wenzel (Ádám Vencel) (1722–1787), 2nd Prince of Batthyány-Strattmann, *

(1727–1799), Cardinal and

Prince-primate Prince-primate ( German: ''Fürstprimas'', Hungarian: ''hercegprímás'') is a rare princely title held by individual (prince-) archbishops of specific sees in a presiding capacity in an august assembly of mainly secular princes, notably the fo ...

of Hungary, *Theodor (Tódor) (1729–1812), industrial, *Philipp (1734–1795), military. Lajos Batthyány died in 1765 and was buried in the family crypt of Güssing Castle.{{cite web , title=Familiengruft , website=Batthyány-Strattmann , date=2020-03-17 , url=https://www.batthyany.at/die-batthyanysche-familiengruft-in-gussing/ , language=de

References

{{reflist

Sources

Biography (in German)

Güssing Castle Crypt
{{Authority control {{DEFAULTSORT:Batthyany, Lajos Hungarian nobility 1696 births 1765 deaths Palatines of Hungary Knights of the Golden Fleece of Austria Austro-Turkish War (1716–1718) People from the Habsburg monarchy