Sigismund I. Rákóczi

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Sigismund I. Rákóczi

Sigismund I. Rákóczi (* ~ 1544 (according to other information 1554/55) in Felsővadász , Kingdom of Hungary ; † December 5, 1608 ibid.) Was Prince of Transylvania .

Life

The family originally came from Semplin County . The son of Johann Sigismund I (ung. I. János Zsigmond ) was the first family member to "achieve higher esteem". At the beginning of his career he was the head team of the Semplin county. He embarked on a military career; as early as 1587 he was appointed castle captain of the castle Erlau (ung. Eger ). After several victorious battles against the Turks in the 1580s, he was defeated by Emperor Rudolf II . raised to the rank of baron . As early as 1598 he was in command of the Hungarian troops - the Christian army under the overall command of General Giorgio Basta in the battle against the Turks .

In addition to his military career, like his father, he was involved in viticulture and wine trading, with which he made a huge fortune. Since he granted the Spiš Chamber larger loans, he received the rule of Szerencs , one of the most important wine-growing domains of the Tokay region , as a pledge from the imperial family . This, and the advantageous marriage with Judith Bekényi Alaghy 1587 - to her dowry counted among other things, the rule of Mukachevo (ung. Munkács ) - he was one of the richest tycoons in Upper Hungary .

In August 1601 he bought the castle and the Makovica (now Zborov ) manor in Sáros County for 80,000 guilders . For generations this rule was chosen as the main family seat of the Rákóczis.

After Prince Stephan Bocskay's death on February 11, 1607, Sigismund was elected Prince of Transylvania by the Transylvanian state parliament and the estates . His choice was confirmed by an "athname" from the Turkish sultan. At the end of 1607 the Heyducken demanded the return of the privileges granted to them by Prince Bocskay . This request was rejected by Sigismund I. After the Viennese court also took a position against Sigismund, he renounced the throne of Transylvania in favor of Gabriel Báthory on March 5, 1608 and retired into private life.

Sigismund I was a patron of the sciences and the arts. He was also a supporter of the Reformed Church and promoted the first Hungarian Bible translator Gáspár Károlyi (~ 1529–1591): This enabled the publication of the first Hungarian translation of the Bible, which was printed in the northern Hungarian town of Vizsoly in 1590.

He died on December 5, 1608 on his family estate Felsővadász and was buried on January 21, 1609 in the crypt of the Evangelical Reformed Church in Szerencs.

progeny

Sigismund I was married four times.

1st marriage: partner unknown

2. Marriage to Judith Békenyi Alaghi:

  • Elisabeth († 1604) ∞ Bálint Hommonai Drugeth

3. Marriage to Anna Gerendi

4. Marriage to Barbara (ung. Borbála ) Telegdy

  • no children are known from this marriage.

literature

  • Zoltán Hangay: Erdély választott fejedelme Rákóczi Zsigmond ( German  "Sigismund Rákóczi, the elected Prince of Transylvania" ), Debrecen 1987, ISBN 963-326-363-8 (Hungarian)
  • Anton Klipp: Die Rákóczi in Carpathian Yearbook 2014, ISBN 978-80-89264-85-8 , pp. 63 to 80

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Document of the Turkish sultan, with which the election of the prince of Transylvania is confirmed and legally recognized.
  2. ↑ The biographical information was taken from the book by Zoltán Hangay. Also with Anton Klipp: The Rákóczi in Carpathian Yearbook 2014
  3. ↑ quote at Zoltán Hangay: Erdély választott fejedelme Rákóczi Zsigmond ( German  "Sigismund Rákóczi, elected prince of Transylvania" ), Debrecen 1987, p 221
predecessor Office successor
Stephan Bocskay Prince of Transylvania
1607 - 1608 		Gabriel Báthory
personal data
SURNAME Rákóczi, Sigismund I.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Prince of Transylvania
DATE OF BIRTH around 1544
PLACE OF BIRTH Felsővadász , Kingdom of Hungary
DATE OF DEATH December 5, 1608
Place of death Felsővadász , Kingdom of Hungary