Batthyány

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Batthyány is the name of an old distinguished Hungarian Magnate family.

The Batthyány family can trace its roots to the founding of Hungary in 896 AD by Árpád. Árpád had 7 chieftains, one by the name of Őrs. Later the name became Kővágó-Őrs. In 1398 Miklós Kővágó-Őrs married Katalin Battyány. King Zsigmond (Sigismund) gave Miklós the region around the town of Battyán (now called Szabadbattyán) and he took the name Batthyány (lit. "from Battyán). The family were first mentioned in documents in 1398 and had their ancestral seat in Güssing in the Austrian region Burgenland since 1522.

In 1570, Boldizsár Batthyány transformed the seat of the family, Güssing, into the center of Protestantism in the region. His descendant Ádám Batthyány (1610-1659), however, was Catholic and founded a Franciscan monastery in Güssing. Lajos Batthyány became the first Prime Minister of Hungary during the revolution of 1848 and was executed in Pest in 1849. After 1945 the Batthyány family's property was largely expropriated in Hungary and other countries under Communist-rule, although they retained their property in Austria.

[edit] Family members

Boldizsár Batthyány (1543-1590), baron, well-educated humanist, became Protestant in 1570
Ádám Batthyány (1610-1659), count, Founder of the Franciscan monastery in Güssing
Károly József Batthyány (1698-1772), Austrian Field Marshal and later educator of Joseph II
József Batthyány (1727-1799), bishop
Ignác Batthyány (1741-1798), bishop
Franciska Countess Batthyány (1802-1861), born Széchenyi
Lajos Batthyány (1807-1849), executed, first Hungarian Prime Minister
Gusztáv, 5th Prince Batthyány-Strattmann (1803-1883), English sportsman, Thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder
László, 7th Prince Batthyány-Strattmann (1870-1931), oculist, beatified in 2003
Comtesse Margit Batthyány (1914-1959), lived in France and was the owner of a major Thoroughbred horseracing stable