Two Half-Orphan Aristocratic Girls in Early Modern Hungary
Two Half-Orphan Aristocratic Girls in Early Modern Hungary

Summary/Abstract: The study examines 17th century life narratives of a mother-in-law and adaughter-in-law. The fate of the two aristocratic underage girls caught between thecrossfire of their mother and grandmother fighting over their guardianship hangedin balance. The family quarrel was suddenly interrupted by some unexpected events,such as a king’s decree and the Diet’s newly issued law article. The emerging familyquarrel over the custody of the children expanded over several geographical regionsinvolving The Great Hungarian Plain, Upper Hungary and Transdanubia. A contractbearing the seal of the palatine complicated even more the situation. Two documentspertaining to the Archive of Princely Esterházy and the National Archives ofHungary are also analyzed and presented. The study aims to bring light to thecontroversy involving the custody of the Thurzó–Nyáry grandchildren, which startedas a private family matter, escalated and got handled by none other than the kinghimself Ferdinand II.

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