Sophia Báthory

Sophia Báthory de Somlyó (* 1629 ; † June 14, 1680 on the Plankenburg near Munkatsch ) was the wife of Georg II. Rákóczi , the prince of Transylvania .

resume

Sophia was born as the second daughter of Andreas Báthory (* 1597; † 1637) - the last male heir of the family - and his wife, the Polish noblewoman Anna Zakreszka (* ~ 1600; † 1658), in Schomlenmarkt (ung. Somlyó). She was the niece of the Prince of Transylvania Gabriel Báthory and one of her great uncles Stephan Báthory was King of Poland . Sophia grew up in Poland and little is known about her childhood.

On February 3, 1643, Sophia married Georg II. Rákóczi, who she presumably met in Schomlenmarkt, in Weißenburg (Alba Iulia) in Transylvania . At the express request of her in-laws ( Georg I. Rákóczi and Susanna Lorántffy ), the staunch Catholic , she was forced to convert to the Evangelical Reformed faith ( Calvinism ) . She only found out about this shortly before their wedding. The wedding ceremony was performed by the Evangelical Reformed Bishop of Transylvania István Gelej Katona (* 1589, † 1649). There was already an incident during this ceremony. When the bishop asked whether she would like to 'take the present Georg II Rákoczi', Sophie did not answer for the time being. Only when her mother, Anna Zakreszka was persuaded, did Sophie say I do. In her heart, however, she remained loyal and connected to Catholicism throughout her life. Her relationship with her in-laws, who were not only convinced Protestants, but also actively promoted Protestantism in Transylvania, was correspondingly bad.

From the marriage with George II, only the son Franz I. Rákoczi emerged, who was dominated by his mother throughout his life.

After the death of her husband on June 7, 1660, Sophia left Transylvania and withdrew to her estates in Hungary . She publicly renounced her Protestant faith and rejoined the Catholic Church with her fifteen-year-old son. Sophia developed into a declared enemy of the Protestants (whether she did this in revenge on her hated mother-in-law is not known), persecuted Protestant families and sent Evangelical preachers into exile. For this purpose she kept five Jesuits at her court who were supposed to promote the persecution of the Protestants. In public she stood on the side of Emperor Leopold I.

She canceled the promised subsidies and support for the Reformed College of Sárospatak, a favorite project and affair of the heart of her mother-in-law Susanna Lorántffy. From 1662, participation in Catholic masses and ceremonies in Sárospatak was made compulsory again. On April 13, 1668, a Jesuit college was inaugurated here on her initiative.

Under the influence of his wife Helene Zrínyi , Sophia's son Franz I. Rákóczi participated in the failed magnate conspiracy against the House of Habsburg in 1666 ( "Wesselényi'sche Magnate Conspiracy" ). Hungarian aristocrats were dissatisfied with the peace agreement between Emperor Leopold I and the Ottoman Sultan after the victorious battle of Mogersdorf (Hungarian Szentgotthárdi csata) on August 1, 1664, as large parts of Hungary and Croatia had been left to the Turks despite their defeat . The conspiracy failed and its leaders were executed. Franz I, who ultimately also belonged to these leaders, was spared this terrible fate. His mother Sophia was able to save his life thanks to her good contacts with the Jesuits. As can be seen from an agreement with Emperor Leopold I of February 21, 1671, she paid a fabulous ransom of 400,000 (!) Gold florins to the imperial family. Franz I had to promise his mother not to politicize anymore; he then retired to his castle Zborov (Hungarian Zboró, also called "Makovica") in what is now eastern Slovakia , where he died in 1676.

After the death of her only son, the already poor relationship with her daughter-in-law Ilona Zrinyi continued to deteriorate. When Sophia learned that Ilona was planning a second marriage with the evangelical Count Emmerich Thököly , she tried to prevent this with all means and intrigues. Sophia tried to postpone the imperial approval to marry (which was then required in such cases). In the end, she succeeded because Ilona Zrinyi was only allowed to marry Thököly after Sophia's death.

In old age, Sophia withdrew to her Plankenburg near Munkatsch, where she was completely under the influence of the Jesuit priest Imre Kiss (also Kis ) and his constant companion, a seedy nun from Poland named "Hedwiga". Through Kiss' influence, Sophia bequeathed large parts of the family fortune to the Jesuit order in her will. Through Sophia's work, the Rákóczis, who until then were staunch Protestants, became Catholic in later generations.

Sophia died on June 14, 1680 at the Plankenburg and was buried in the Jesuit church in Kosice .

Literary processing

The subject has been dealt with truthfully several times in Hungarian literature.

The writer Szentmihályné Szabó Mária (* 1888, † 1982) wrote a trilogy about it:

Lórántffy Zsuzsanna (1938)
Örök társak (1938)
Zrínyi Ilona (1939)

Zsófia Dénes (* 1885; † 1987) wrote the biographical novel Zrínyi Ilona (1959) and the Hungarian writer László Passuth (* 1900; † 1979) paid tribute to this period in his book Sasnak körme közöt (1956).

literature

Anton Klipp: The Rákóczi. In: Carpathian Year Book 2014. Stuttgart 2013, ISBN 978-80-89264-85-8 , p. 63 ff.

Web links

Individual evidence

↑ Sophie had an older sister named Hedwig, who is said to have been a nun in the Order of St. Benedict . Little is known about their life.
↑ Sophia is said to have been married to László Haller in her first marriage and to Count József Teleki in her second marriage. However, this information is not mentioned in all sources. It also seems to be very questionable whether Sophia, when she married George II at the age of fourteen, could already have been widowed twice ... (There were no divorces at that time).
↑ According to other historical sources, she should not have given her "yes-word" at all.
↑ From this ransom, Emperor Leopold I had a church built for the Jesuits in Kaschau between 1671 and 1684 . The remains of Sophia Báthory and her son Franz I. Rákóczi were later buried in the crypt of this church. In 1773 Pope Clement XIV . (1705–1774) with the bull Dominus ac Redemtor on the Society of Jesus . The Church was taken over by the Premonstratensians . In the 19th century the crypt was opened forcibly and the graves looted. Efforts have been made since 2012 to put the crypt back in order; It is also intended to identify the bones of Sophia Báthory and her son Franz I by means of a DNA analysis and then to reburied them. (quoted from Anton Klipp: Die Rákóczi; see literature)
↑ Imre Kiss (* 1631 in Tyrnau ; † 1683 in Vienna ) was a Catholic priest who joined the Jesuit order in 1648. From 1662 he was the educator of Franz I. Rákóczi and confessor of Sophia. He became known because immediately after the death of Sophia on the Plankenburg he broke into the treasury and stole the jewelry there.
↑ According to some historical sources, Hedwig (Hedwiga) is said to have been Sophia's older sister. According to unsecured sources, she was originally married (Lupstovkio?). After her husband's death, she entered a monastery of the Order of St. Benedict in Poland and is said to have lived with her sister Sophia on the Plankenburg. It could not be clearly established whether she was also involved in the jewel theft.

personal data
SURNAME	Báthory, Sophia
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Báthory de Somlyó, Sophia (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Wife of George II Rákóczi, Prince of Transylvania
DATE OF BIRTH	1629
DATE OF DEATH	June 14, 1680
Place of death	Plankenburg near Munkatsch

[1] Sophie had an older sister named Hedwig, who is said to have been a nun in the Order of St. Benedict . Little is known about their life.

[2] Sophia is said to have been married to László Haller in her first marriage and to Count József Teleki in her second marriage. However, this information is not mentioned in all sources. It also seems to be very questionable whether Sophia, when she married George II at the age of fourteen, could already have been widowed twice ... (There were no divorces at that time).

[3] According to other historical sources, she should not have given her "yes-word" at all.

[4] From this ransom, Emperor Leopold I had a church built for the Jesuits in Kaschau between 1671 and 1684 . The remains of Sophia Báthory and her son Franz I. Rákóczi were later buried in the crypt of this church. In 1773 Pope Clement XIV . (1705–1774) with the bull Dominus ac Redemtor on the Society of Jesus . The Church was taken over by the Premonstratensians . In the 19th century the crypt was opened forcibly and the graves looted. Efforts have been made since 2012 to put the crypt back in order; It is also intended to identify the bones of Sophia Báthory and her son Franz I by means of a DNA analysis and then to reburied them. (quoted from Anton Klipp: Die Rákóczi; see literature)

[5] Imre Kiss (* 1631 in Tyrnau ; † 1683 in Vienna ) was a Catholic priest who joined the Jesuit order in 1648. From 1662 he was the educator of Franz I. Rákóczi and confessor of Sophia. He became known because immediately after the death of Sophia on the Plankenburg he broke into the treasury and stole the jewelry there.

[6] According to some historical sources, Hedwig (Hedwiga) is said to have been Sophia's older sister. According to unsecured sources, she was originally married (Lupstovkio?). After her husband's death, she entered a monastery of the Order of St. Benedict in Poland and is said to have lived with her sister Sophia on the Plankenburg. It could not be clearly established whether she was also involved in the jewel theft.