Warsaw Consulate Commemorates 450th Anniversary of Stephen Báthory’s Election as King

On the occasion of the 450th anniversary of the election of Transylvanian Prince Stephen Báthory as King of Poland, the Consulate General of Hungary in Krakow invited guests to a historical event at Wawel Royal Castle. On this occasion, we remember the most important Hungarian figure in Polish history.

The Consulate General presented a Hungarian-Polish art performance combined with a Renaissance concert in the prestigious royal castle, performing pieces in Hungarian, Polish, and Latin.

Stephen Báthory was born on September 27, 1533, in Șimleu Silvaniei (Szilágysomlyó), the son of Stephen VIII Báthory, Voivode of Transylvania, and Catherine Telegdi. He spent his childhood as a page to Paul Várdai, Archbishop of Esztergom, and later at the Viennese court of Ferdinand I. He completed his studies in Padua.

Portrait of Stephen Báthory in coronation robes (ca. 1583). Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Báthory, who was educated in the humanities, blessed with political acumen and great wealth, was barely 23 years old when he welcomed Queen Isabella (the widow of John Zápolya) and her son, the elected King John Sigismund, on their return to Transylvania.

He was given the most important military position in Transylvania, became captain-general of Oradea (Nagyvárad), and twice served as ambassador to the emperor. The second time, he was thrown into prison for two years and was not released until 1567. After his release, he retired to his estates and no longer played a political role.

He was not prepared to renounce his Catholic faith.

In 1570, Johann Sigismund finally renounced the Hungarian royal title in the Treaty of Speyer, but was allowed to keep Transylvania for himself and his descendants. However, he died without offspring the following year, and according to the treaty, Transylvania would have fallen under the rule of the Habsburg King Maximilian.

Maximilian nominated Caspar Bekes for the throne, but the estates, insisting on their right to freely elect their prince, preferred to elect Báthory, who not only swore allegiance to the Turks but also assured Maximilian of his loyalty. Nevertheless, he appointed Bekes as Prince of Transylvania.

Báthory defeated the pretender to the throne loyal to the court at the Battle of Kerelőszentpál (Sânpaul) on July 8, 1575, and had his supporters executed. As prince, he reorganized economic life by reviewing previous donations, promoting trade and mining, and introducing a new pricing system.

He strengthened the military defense line and ordered the fortification of Oradea. To promote education, he brought the Jesuits to the country and founded the Jesuit Academy of Kolozsvár (Cluj) in 1581. At his court, he surrounded himself with intellectuals who had studied at Italian universities, and he wrote letters of excellent style himself.

The Polish estates, traditionally hostile to Hungary and the Habsburgs, called the increasingly influential Báthory to the throne in 1576.

(The Jagiellonian dynasty died out in the male line in 1572, with Sigismund Augustus, and Maximilian also wanted to gain the Polish throne).

Báthory immediately rushed to Krakow and fulfilled all the conditions for the coronation, including moving to Poland and marrying the purportedly unattractive, elderly Anna, sister of the last Polish king from the Jagiellonian dynasty.

He did not renounce the throne of Transylvania, but first appointed his brother Christoph Báthory, and after his death, his minor son Sigismund as voivode (governor), while a council of state managed affairs at that time. In the most important matters, he decided himself on the Transylvanian chancellery based in Krakow.

Báthory clearly recognized the trap Hungary had fallen into and attempted to continue Georg Martinuzzi’s policy of maneuvering between the Habsburgs and the Turks. As King of Poland, he succeeded in maintaining this policy, and managed to keep the quarreling estates in check, leading three successful campaigns against the Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible, and reconquering Livonia.

In a time of religious unrest, he showed remarkable tolerance, and although he himself was a devout Catholic, he respected the beliefs of others. As he said:

I am king of peoples, not of conscience, whose master is God.”

His dream was a confederation between Poland, Hungary, and Transylvania (he had intended his brother Christopher for the Hungarian throne and the Polish chancellor Jan Zamoyski for the leadership of Transylvania), which would have served to repel both the Habsburgs and the Turks.

However, he did not have time to realize this plan, as he died unexpectedly on December 12, 1586, in Grodno, Poland (today Hrodna, Belarus). At the time, many believed he had been poisoned, but medical examinations have shown that he had been plagued by illness since his youth and died of natural causes.

As he had no descendants, he was succeeded on the Polish throne by his wife’s nephew, Sigismund III. In Transylvania, he was succeeded by Sigismund Báthory. After his death, he was buried in a double coffin, one made of oak and one of tin, in the crypt of Wawel Cathedral in Krakow.

His reign was a golden age for both countries. The Poles still revere him as one of their greatest kings, and a popular saying goes:

Either he should never have been born, or if he had been born, he should have lived forever.”

Fact

The date for the Sejm (parliament) to elect a king was set for the end of November 1575. Any nobleman could appear in person at the preparatory meeting and the election of the king, but in practice, the elected representatives of the nobility from the voivodeships and provinces gathered in Warsaw. The election took place in the field between Warsaw and Wola. As usual, the site was surrounded by ditches and ramparts. The nobles came from three directions: through the eastern gate, the envoys from Greater Poland; through the southern gate, the envoys from Lesser Poland; and through the western gate, the envoys from Lithuania. The event opened with a mass in St. John’s Church in Warsaw. The election of the king was conducted by the deputies under the leadership of the marshal or president of parliament, who was elected on the first day and was then responsible for ensuring the legality and regularity of the election. His duties also included verifying the mandates and chairing the meetings.

Renowned Historian, Prof. Andrzej Nowak, on the Future of Polish-Hungarian Relations