Henry I Kőszegi

Henry (I) Kőszegi from the kindred Héder (Hungarian: Héder nembeli (I) Kőszegi Henrik, German: Heinrich II. von Güns; died 26/29 September 1274), commonly known as Henry the Great, was a Hungarian influential lord in the second half of the 13th century, founder and first member of the powerful Kőszegi family. Henry was one of the most notable earlier "oligarchs", who ruled de facto independently their dominion during the era of feudal anarchy.

In his early career, Henry was the most loyal sidekick for King Béla IV, who drifted into a civil war with his son and heir Duke Stephen. Following the death of Béla IV in 1270, Henry went into exile to Bohemia. Stephen V died suddenly in 1272 thus Henry was able to return to Hungary. He became a central figure in the internal conflicts between the rival baronial groups. He brutally massacred Béla of Macsó in November 1272 and later also kidnapped the six-year-old Duke Andrew in July 1274. Henry was killed in the Battle of Föveny in September 1274.^[1] 19th-century historiography incorrectly referred to him as Henry of Németújvár (Güssing).

References

Sources