Katalin Bánffy
Encyclopedia
Katalin Bánffy (ˈkɒtɒlin ˈbaːmfi) was a 16th century Hungarian noblewoman, the wife of general and politician Ferenc Batthyány.
, was the wife of Ban
Ferenc Batthyányi. Her husband spent much of his time away from home at war, or in assembly, and so there was a great exchange of letters between the two. Against the custom of the times, these letters were written mostly in Hungarian
. Katalin Bánffy also corresponded in Latin
and German
with King of Hungary
Maximilian II
, the widowed Queen Mary, and Catherine de Medici. She was thought to be the wittiest and most refined Hungarian women by her contemporaries. Orsolya Kanizsai was her personal friend.
As her marriage remained childless, Katalin took it on herself to raise the children of other families in the courts of Güssing
and Rechnitz
. Noble families asked her to take their children under her wing at court. If a girl was preparing for marriage, Katalin planned the wedding feast. She also hand a hand in all the various household work of the court: sewing, embroidering, weaving, and wreath-making. At the request of her husband she also learned how to cast cannonballs.
The gardens of Katalin and her husband were known throughout Europe; they sent fruit to the Low Countries, to the Archbishop of Esztergom, to the Hungarian royal court and to other courts as well. She was a success at fish- and poultry-breeding. She also enjoyed hunting, and was well-versed in medical practices of the era. After the Battle of Mohács
, she sheltered many persecuted families.
Her last known letter was written in January 1563. In September of the same year she was present at the coronation of King Maximilian, but she was missing from the wedding of Miklós Zrínyi
the following year; presumably she died at this time.
Today her letters are preserved in archives in Körmend
, in the National Archives of Hungary, the Austrian State Archives, the Archives of Brussels, and the personal archives of the Erdődy
family.
Between 1936 and 1951 the girls' secondary school
in Szolnok
, Hungary was named after her, and the schools' endowment is still named for her today.
Life
Katalin Bánffy, a member of the noble Bánffy family of LendavaLendava
Lendava is a town and a municipality in Slovenia in the region of Prekmurje. It is close to the border crossing with Hungary at Dolga vas-Rédics, and Hungarian is one of the official languages of the municipality, along with Slovene...
, was the wife of Ban
Ban (title)
Ban was a title used in several states in central and south-eastern Europe between the 7th century and the 20th century.-Etymology:The word ban has entered the English language probably as a borrowing from South Slavic ban, meaning "lord, master; ruler". The Slavic word is probably borrowed from...
Ferenc Batthyányi. Her husband spent much of his time away from home at war, or in assembly, and so there was a great exchange of letters between the two. Against the custom of the times, these letters were written mostly in Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
. Katalin Bánffy also corresponded in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
with King of Hungary
King of Hungary
The King of Hungary was the head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 1918.The style of title "Apostolic King" was confirmed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 and used afterwards by all the Kings of Hungary, so after this date the kings are referred to as "Apostolic King of...
Maximilian II
Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian II was king of Bohemia and king of the Romans from 1562, king of Hungary and Croatia from 1563, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation from 1564 until his death...
, the widowed Queen Mary, and Catherine de Medici. She was thought to be the wittiest and most refined Hungarian women by her contemporaries. Orsolya Kanizsai was her personal friend.
As her marriage remained childless, Katalin took it on herself to raise the children of other families in the courts of Güssing
Güssing
Güssing is a town in Burgenland, Austria. It is located at , with a population of 3,811 , and is the administrative center of the Güssing district.The Güssing Castle, built in 1157, is the oldest castle in Burgenland and a regional landmark....
and Rechnitz
Rechnitz
Rechnitz is a municipality in Burgenland in the Oberwart district in Austria with a population of 3,133.- Geography :The municipality is located in southern Burgenland, on the border with Hungary, near Bozsok and Szombathely...
. Noble families asked her to take their children under her wing at court. If a girl was preparing for marriage, Katalin planned the wedding feast. She also hand a hand in all the various household work of the court: sewing, embroidering, weaving, and wreath-making. At the request of her husband she also learned how to cast cannonballs.
The gardens of Katalin and her husband were known throughout Europe; they sent fruit to the Low Countries, to the Archbishop of Esztergom, to the Hungarian royal court and to other courts as well. She was a success at fish- and poultry-breeding. She also enjoyed hunting, and was well-versed in medical practices of the era. After the Battle of Mohács
Battle of Mohács
The Battle of Mohács was fought on August 29, 1526 near Mohács, Hungary. In the battle, forces of the Kingdom of Hungary led by King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia were defeated by forces of the Ottoman Empire led by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent....
, she sheltered many persecuted families.
Her last known letter was written in January 1563. In September of the same year she was present at the coronation of King Maximilian, but she was missing from the wedding of Miklós Zrínyi
Nikola Šubic Zrinski
Nikola Šubić Zrinski , was a Croatian nobleman and general in service of Habsburg Monarchy, ban of Croatia from 1542 to 1556, and member of the Zrinski noble family...
the following year; presumably she died at this time.
Today her letters are preserved in archives in Körmend
Körmend
-Places of interest:The town is especially well known for its castle which used to belong to the Batthyany family, one of the most important aristocrat families of Hungary. Blessed Ladislaus Batthyány-Strattmann , a famous ophthalmologist who was beatified by the Catholic Church, lived in the...
, in the National Archives of Hungary, the Austrian State Archives, the Archives of Brussels, and the personal archives of the Erdődy
Erdody
Erdődy is the name of a Hungarian noble family in the Kingdom of Hungary . The Habsburg Monarchy granted them the title Graf / Gräfin....
family.
Between 1936 and 1951 the girls' secondary school
Varga Katalin Secondary School
The Varga Katalin Secondary School is a secondary school in Szolnok, Hungary established in 1930, which was named after Katalin Bánffy between 1936 and 1951. It is located in the former Obermayer-Hubay apartment house, which is one of the oldest buildings in the town...
in Szolnok
Szolnok
Szolnok is the county seat of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county in central Hungary. Its location on the banks of the Tisza river, at the heart of the Great Hungarian Plain, has made it an important cultural and economic crossroads for centuries....
, Hungary was named after her, and the schools' endowment is still named for her today.