Ferenc Esterházy (1683–1754)
Count Ferenc Esterházy de Galántha (Croatian: Franjo Esterházy; 19 September 1683 – 22 November 1754) was a Hungarian noble and politician who served as Master of the Treasury from 1746 to 1754. He is considered the founder of the Cseklész branch.[1]
Early life
Esterházy was born into the noble House of Esterházy on 19 September 1683 at Pápa, Veszprém in the Kingdom of Hungary. He was the youngest son of Count Ferenc "Ferko" Esterházy de Galántha (1641–1683), who died a month after his birth, and Countess Katalin "Catharina" Thököly de Késmárk (1655–1701). Before his parent's marriage, his father was married to Countess Ilona Illeshazy.[2]
His father was the youngest son of Count Nikolaus Esterházy de Galántha (a son of Count Ferenc Esterházy and Zsófia Illésházy), who was Palatine of Hungary from 1625 to 1645, and, his second wife, Baroness Krisztina Nyáry de Bedegh.[3] His paternal uncle, Paul Esterházy, was created the 1st Fürst (Prince) Esterházy by the Holy Roman Emperor in 1712.[a] His maternal grandparents were Count István Thököly de Késmárk and Mária Gyulaffy de Ráthót.[5]
Career
Esterházy is considered the founder of the Cseklész branch of the Esterházy family, where he started construction of the Eszterházy Palace in Pápa, which was completed in 1784 by his son, Bishop Károly Esterházy.[6]
He was the Chief Bailiff (Obergespan) of Borsod County and, after its establishment, a member of the Royal Hungarian Governor's Council. From 1746 to 1754, Esterházy served as the Master of the Treasury.[7]
Personal life
Esterházy was married to Countess Maria Szidónia Pálffy ab Erdöd (1690–1743), a daughter of Count János V Pálffy ab Erdöd, the Ban of Croatia and Palatine of the Kingdom of Hungary, and, his first wife, Countess Teréz Czobor de Czoborszentmihály.[8] Together, they were the parents of:[9]
- Miklós "Nikolaus" Esterházy de Galántha (1711–1764), who served as the Austrian Envoy to Russia from 1753 to 1761; he married Princess Anna Lubomirska, a daughter of Prince Teodor Lubomirski, in 1744.[10]
- János Esterházy de Galántha (b. 1713), who died young.[11]
- Anna Terezia Esterházy de Galántha (1714–1757), who married Count Ádám III Batthyány de Németújvár in 1736.[11]
- Ferenc Esterházy de Galántha (1715–1785), who served as Ban of Croatia from 1783 to 1785; he married Antonia de la Potréau in 1756.[12]
- Mihály Esterházy de Galántha (1716–1741), who died unmarried.[11]
- Maria Antonia Esterházy de Galántha (1719–1771), who married Wenzel, 1st Prince Paar, in 1743.[13]
- József Esterházy de Galántha (1721–1776), who died unmarried.[11]
- Katalin Esterházy de Galántha (1723–1797), who married Baron Gottfried Ignaz Waldorf von Bogetin und Ossowa.[11]
- Károly Esterházy de Galántha (1725–1799), the Bishop of Eger and founder of the Eszterházy Károly College in Eger in 1774.[11]
- Mária Jozefa Esterházy de Galántha (1728–1795), who married Count Joseph Karl von Windisch-Grätz, a son Count Johann Friedrich Joseph von Windisch-Grätz, in 1749.[11]
- Mária Szidónia Esterházy de Galántha (1730–1806), who married Count Franz Xaver zu Königsegg-Aulendorf in 1750.[11]
- Eleonora Esterhazy de Galántha (1731–1760), who married Count Frans Govaert Claude van Aspremont-Lynden, a son of Count Karel Ernst Frans van Aspremont-Lynden, in 1753.[11]
- Philippine Esterházy de Galántha (1734–1811), who married Count Theodor Batthyany, a son of Count Lajos Batthyány and Countess Therese Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau, in 1756.[11]
- László Esterházy de Galántha (d. 1747)[11]
Esterházy died on 22 November 1754 at Schlossgarten, Sankt Margarethen im Burgenland in the Archduchy of Austria.[11]
References
Notes
- ^ To prevent the division of the Esterházy family's property, his uncle Paul I, Prince Esterházy, married his niece (Ferenc's first cousin), Countess Orsolya Esterházy of Galántha, the only child of Paul and Ferko's elder half-brother, István Esterházy, who died in 1641.[4]
Sources
- ^ Markó, László (2000). A magyar állam főméltóságai: Szent Istvántól napjainkig ; életrajzi lexikon. Budapest: Magyar Könyvklub. p. 309. ISBN 963-547-085-1.
- ^ Szent-Ivany, Gabor (1989). Count Janos Esterhazy: Life and Works of the Great Son of the Hungarian Highland : Lessons to be Drawn from the Events of a Stormy Period in European History, to Facilitate the Efforts for the Achievement of a Lasting and Peaceful Cooperation Among the Peoples of the Danubian Basin. Danubian Press. p. 92. ISBN 978-0-87934-034-6. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ Bain, Robert Nisbet (1911). . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 9 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 794.
- ^ Esterházy Betriebe GmbH. "I. Pál herceg (1635–1713)". Esterházy Betriebe GmbH. Archived from the original on 18 September 2009. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
- ^ Holzwarth, Franklin James (1892). Világtörténet (in Hungarian). Csanád-egyházmegyei könyvsajtó. p. 375. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ "Castles and Palaces | A Baroque palace from a medieval castle The Esterházys in Pápa". varakeskastelyok.hu. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ Fata, Márta (15 May 2024). Neusiedler im Land: Der Einwanderungsartikel des ungarischen Landtags von 1723 im Kontext seiner Zeit (in German). Frank & Timme GmbH. p. 164. ISBN 978-3-7329-1068-7. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ Esterházy (gróf), Antal (1940). Galánthai és fraknói gróf Esterházy Antal levelei feleségéhez gróf Nigrelli Mária Annához, 1701-1706 (in Hungarian). Sárkány Nyomda. pp. 153–154. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ Nagy, Iván Felsögyöri (1859). Magyarország családai czimerekkel es nemzekrendi tablakkal (in Hungarian). Ráth. p. 224. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ Levéltár, Magyar Országos (1964). Az Eszterházy család tatai és csákvári levéltára: Repertórium (in Hungarian). Művelődésügyi Minisztérium Levéltári Osztálya Levéltárak Országos Központja. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Iványi, Emma (1991). Esterházy Pál nádor közigazgatási tevékenysége: 1681-1713 (in Hungarian). Akadémiai Kiadó. pp. 413–430. ISBN 978-963-05-5716-0. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ Babel, Fanch (2 January 2025). François Claude André Le Roy de Lozembrune (1749-1801) - Aventures et mésaventures d'un littérateur français en pays allemands (in French). Editions L'Harmattan. p. 32. ISBN 978-2-336-50270-0. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ Alvensleben, Ludwig von (1846). Ahnen Tafeln: H. 1 (in German). J. D. Sauerländer. p. 58. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
External links
- Markó, László: A magyar állam főméltóságai Szent Istvántól napjainkig – Életrajzi Lexikon pp. 308–309. (The High Officers of the Hungarian State from Saint Stephen to the Present Days – A Biographical Encyclopedia) (2nd edition); Helikon Kiadó Kft., 2006, Budapest; ISBN 963-547-085-1.