Peter Kőszegi

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Peter Kőszegi
Bishop of Veszprém
Héder Péter veszprémi püspök főpapi pecsétje, 1275–1289.jpg
Seal of Peter Kőszegi
Installed1275
Term ended1289
PredecessorPaul Balog
Successor
Personal details
DiedMay 1289
NationalityHungarian
DenominationRoman Catholic
ParentsHenry I Kőszegi

Peter Kőszegi (Hungarian: Kőszegi Péter; killed May 1289) was a Hungarian prelate in the 13th century, who served as Bishop of Veszprém from 1275 until his death. He was also unrecognized Archbishop-elect of Esztergom between 1277 and 1278. As a member of the powerful Kőszegi family, he subordinated his diocese to his family's political interests in order to extend their influence over Western Hungary.

Background[]

Peter was born in the second half of the 1240s into the influential and wealthy Kőszegi family, as one of the four sons of the powerful lord Henry I Kőszegi.[1] His three brothers – Nicholas I, Ivan and the much younger Henry II – were elevated into high dignities during the age of the late Árpáds.[2]

When the minor Ladislaus IV of Hungary ascended the Hungarian throne in 1272, the kingdom fell into anarchy and many groupings of barons fought against each other for supreme power. Peter's father Henry was one of the key figures in that period, who entered alliance with the Gutkeleds and the Geregyes, forming one of the two main baronial groups, while the other one was dominated by the Csák and Monoszló clans. Henry was killed in the in late September 1274; thereafter his enemy Peter Csák gathered an army and marched into Western Hungary against the Kőszegis' domain in the autumn of 1274, but he couldn't break they power once and for all.[3]

Episcopal career[]

Peter first appeared in contemporary records in May 1275, when he was elected Bishop of Veszprém.[4] Prior to that, his family had no interests in Veszprém County, but the Ugod branch of the Csák kindred possessed landholdings and castles in the region. Peter's election occurred under political pressure, when the Kőszegis regained their influence in the royal council by mid-1275. Under such circumstances, the town of Veszprém and the surrounding lands became a buffer zone between the two rivaling families, the Kőszegis and the Csáks.[5] In early 1276, Peter Csák and his allies launched a massive military campaign against the Kőszegi and Gutkeled dominions. Their troops plundered and devastated the territory of the Diocese of Veszprém. During the attack, 68 canons, priests and clergymen were killed, several others were tortured and robbed, while all the treasures of the Veszprém cathedral chapter, including the library and archives of its school were looted and burnt. The canonical university was never rebuilt after Peter Csák's campaign. According to contemporary records, this was "the worst barbaric and most destructive attack" in Hungary since the Mongol invasion.[6] Despite that, Peter Kőszegi retained his position. His election was confirmed by the pope in mid-1276.[4] He was also styled traditionally as chancellor of the Queen Elizabeth of Sicily in 1277, and later from 1284 to 1285.[7]

Following the death of Archbishop-elect Benedict, some canons of the cathedral chapter of Esztergom elected Peter Kőszegi as his successor on 13 March 1277. Beyond his brothers and their allies, neither Ladislaus IV nor the other baronial groups acknowledged the process, while Nicholas Kán also contested the election, referring to his status of archbishop-elect from the previous years.[8] In order to solve the situation, Pope John XXI summoned both prelates to Rome, but they refused to attend. Soon, Pope John died on 20 May 1277, and Pope Nicholas III succeeded him after a six-month vacancy.[8] The new pope summoned both Nicholas Kán and Peter Kőszegi to the Roman Curia on 27 January 1278. Peter Kőszegi refused to travel personally, but sent his protege Paul Balog in order to receive papal support for his case. On 1 June 1278, Pope Nicholas declared the see of Esztergom vacant and ordered a new election. Thereafter, Pope Nicholas III appointed Lodomer as the new Archbishop of Esztergom on 13 June 1279, ending a seven-year period of vacancy.[9]

The ruins of the fort of Szigliget

On 21 May 1280, Peter Kőszegi excommunicated Nicholas Pok and his three brothers, who had participated in Peter Csák's looting raids against the Diocese of Veszprém. In the upcoming years, the Pok brothers continued to plunder the Transdanubian estates of the bishopric, for instance they attacked and ravaged the church property in Tapolca, Csököly and Görgeteg around 1278.[10] In retaliation, besides the punishment of excommunication, Peter Kőszegi's troops raided the family monastery of the Pok clan in the namesake village near Győr. He ordered to transfer its treasury, relics and jewelry to St. Michael's Cathedral of Veszprém.[11] In 1285, he personally led his episcopal army in the siege of the castle of Szigliget, also owned by the Pok kindred. There, he confiscated the seized religious relics and values, including chasubles, books and gems for his diocese. Some historians connect and merge the two events, and consider the treasury of the Pok monastery were transferred to Szigliget Castle sometime after the Mongol invasion.[12]

During his episcopate, Peter Kőszegi subordinated his diocese and its resources to his family's political interests in order to extend their influence over Western Hungary. During the royal campaign against Ivan Kőszegi at the turn of 1283 and 1284, Peter provided help to his brother and sent his episcopal banderium. Nicholas, Henry, and – despite his clerical position – Bishop Peter stormed into Southern Transdanubia and jointly invaded and besieged the episcopal town of Pécs in March 1284.[13] When Albert I, Duke of Austria led a military campaign against Ivan Kőszegi, who constantly pillaged the Austrian and Styrian lands from his province, his army intended to besiege Borostyánkő (present-day Bernstein, Austria) in 1285, but Ivan asked for help from his three brothers, including Peter, who recruited an army of 1,000 people. The brothers jointly routed Albert's army.[13] To increase his wealth and dominance, Peter also unlawfully usurped the tithe from the monastery of nuns located in the valley of Veszprém.[11] Duke Albert launched a massive royal campaign ("Güssing Feud"; German: Güssinger Fehde) with his 15,000-size army against the Kőszegis and their familiares' castles and forts in the spring of 1289. Ivan Kőszegi again sought assistance from his brothers, because the Austrians captured at least 30 fortresses and settlements along the western borders within weeks. Peter Kőszegi tried to gather a relief army to recapture Rohonc (Rechnitz).[14] Therefore, he convened an assembly of his familiares in his diocese in May 1289. However the Transdanubian lords were hesitant to participate in a private war against Duke Albert, rejecting the bishop's personal and family interests. During the emerging dispute, an offended noble stabbed and killed Peter Kőszegi with his sword.[15]

References[]

  1. ^ Engel: Genealógia (Genus Héder 4. Kőszegi [and Rohonci] branch)
  2. ^ Zsoldos 2011, pp. 308, 315–316, 336.
  3. ^ Szűcs 2002, pp. 397–398.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Zsoldos 2011, p. 101.
  5. ^ Gutheil 2008, p. 229.
  6. ^ Szűcs 2002, p. 399.
  7. ^ Zsoldos 2011, p. 116.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Beke 2003, p. 123.
  9. ^ Gutheil 2008, p. 240.
  10. ^ Gutheil 2008, p. 238.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Varga 2009, p. 457.
  12. ^ Gutheil 2008, p. 239.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b Szűcs 2002, p. 434.
  14. ^ Gutheil 2008, p. 241.
  15. ^ Varga 2009, p. 458.

Sources[]

  • Beke, Margit (2003). "Kán nembeli II. Miklós [Nicholas II from the kindred Kán]". In Beke, Margit (ed.). Esztergomi érsekek 1001–2003 [Archbishops of Esztergom 1001–2003] (in Hungarian). Szent István Társulat. pp. 121–125. ISBN 963-361-472-4.
  • Gutheil, Jenő (2008). Az Árpád-kori Veszprém [Veszprém During the Age of Árpáds] (in Hungarian). Lichtneckert, András. ISBN 978-963-06-5550-7.
  • Szűcs, Jenő (2002). Az utolsó Árpádok [The Last Árpáds] (in Hungarian). Osiris Kiadó. ISBN 963-389-271-6.
  • Varga, Béla (2009). Veszprém város lexikona [A Lexicon of the City of Veszprém] (in Hungarian). ISBN 978-963-06-7941-1.
  • Zsoldos, Attila (2011). Magyarország világi archontológiája, 1000–1301 [Secular Archontology of Hungary, 1000–1301] (in Hungarian). História, MTA Történettudományi Intézete. ISBN 978-963-9627-38-3.
Peter
Born:  ?  Died: May 1289
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Paul Balog 		Bishop of Veszprém
1275–1289 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Benedict
(elected) 		Archbishop of Esztergom
(elected, contested by Nicholas Kán)
1277–1278 		Succeeded by
Lodomer
Political offices
Preceded by
 Chancellor of the Queen
1277 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
 Chancellor of the Queen
1284–1285 		Succeeded by
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