Iban von Bernstein
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Iban von Bernstein | |
|---|---|
| Count of Borostyánkő | |
| Ispán of Vas | |
| Reign | 1324–1327 |
| Predecessor | Andrew Kőszegi |
| Successor | Alexander Köcski |
| Native name | Kőszegi "Farkas" János |
| Born | 1300s |
| Died | after 1382 |
| Noble family | House of Kőszegi cadet branch: House of Bernstein |
| Spouse(s) | 1, unknown 2, Agnes von Wallsee 3, Elsbeth von Puchheim |
| Issue | (1) Heinrich (2) Johann (2) Ulrich (2) Peter (2) Anna |
| Father | Ivan Kőszegi |
Iban Graf von Bernstein (born John Kőszegi, also known as John the Wolf; Hungarian: Kőszegi "Farkas" János; 1300s – after 1382) was a Hungarian-born Austrian nobleman in the 14th century. He was a member of the powerful Kőszegi family, of which he became head in 1324. He launched plundering raids against both the Kingdom of Hungary and the Duchy of Austria. After his defeat and downfall in Hungary in 1327, he settled down in Styria and pledged allegiance to the House of Habsburg. Gradually integrating into the Austrian nobility, he became forefather of the Bernstein (or Pernstein) family.
John the Wolf was born into the illustrious Kőszegi family as the son of the powerful oligarch Ivan Kőszegi. He was born in the 1300s, not long before the death of his elderly father (April 1308), as he first appeared in contemporary records only in 1325, and Ivan's province in Western Transdanubia was inherited by John's nephews Nicholas III, then Andrew, who were definitely older than their uncle. In September 1326, the cathedral chapter of Győr referred to him as a "young noble".[1] John had an elder brother, Gregory (father of Nicholas III and Andrew), who died years before his birth.[2] He also had a sister, who married a certain Dominic.[3] In addition, John had a stepbrother from his father's extramarital affair, Nicholas (born 1282), who entered ecclesiastical career and elevated into the dignity of Bishop of Győr.[4]
Revolt in Hungary
Both Nicholas III and Andrew died without heirs, in 1314 and 1324, respectively. Von Bernstein inherited Andrew's lands, becoming head of the Kőszegi family's Ivan branch, who once governed their dominion independently of the monarch, consisting of Győr, Moson, Sopron, Vas and Zala counties and other lands, but the family was able to retain only Vas County after Andrew's failed rebellion in 1317. It is presumable that John became hereditary ispán of Vas County too after Andrew's death in 1324.[5] John was first mentioned by a contemporary record in June 1325, when Herbord Reszneki complained that his familiaris Demetrius Balai, the castellan of Nempti[6] invaded and pillaged his lands in Resznek days ago upon John's order. Herbord was wounded, while his brother was killed during the attack. Charles I of Hungary ordered the chapter of Vasvár in July to investigate the act of domination, but John's instigator role has not been proved. In August 1325, John issued a charter in Sárvár that he had donated the estates of Hidegség and Fertőhomok to the Blessed Virgin church of Felsőkethely (present-day Neumarkt im Tauchental, a borough of Stadtschlaining in Austria), in accordance with his nephew's will.[7]
Due to certain intrigues,[which?] it was revealed that John's stepbrother Bishop Nicholas Kőszegi was born when his father Ivan Kőszegi was still married. Consequently, the bishop requested Pope John XXII to exempt him from this requirement in the first half of 1325. The pope granted this exemption on 30 July. In the next year, there were reports of looting and seizures of his diocese's certain lands and estates, as well as the neighboring Diocese of Passau. Upon Kőszegi's request, Pope John placed the Diocese of Győr under the protection of the Holy See in January 1327. The pope also appointed Henry, Bishop of Veszprém as Nicholas Kőszegi's defender ("conservator") in June in order to restore benefice of the diocese. According to historian Ádám Vajk, John Kőszegi was behind the attacks against the Diocese of Győr. Accordingly, he transuded private information to the Holy See about the bishop's parentage, in order to turn him out of office, and occupied Szombathely and other bishopric estates in Vas County. Plausibly, he turned against Nicholas in connection with the open rebellion of the Kőszegis in 1327, to which the bishop refused to join.[8]
John Kőszegi entered alliance with the Babonići and rose up in open rebellion against Charles I in 1327. However royal generals Mikcs Ákos and Alexander Köcski defeated them within months. During the military campaign, Köcski seized Sárvár, Németújvár (present-day Güssing, Austria) and two other forts in Kőszeg with surrounding villages and lands from John.[9] Köcski was made ispán of Vas County and castellan of Sárvár, ending John's hereditary positions. The Kőszegis' dominion had disintegrated in Transdanubia, John lost all of his power and influence in the region. Charles provided Köcski broad power in the redistribution of lands to the loyal local nobility and he had the mandatory of royal grace to the Kőszegis' former familiares, of whom many left John's allegiance.[1]
After his downfall, John was able to retain only Borostyánkő (Bernstein) and, possibly, Nempti.[6] Bernstein became his residence and the centre of his lands thereafter. He issued his charter there in March 1333, where he was styled as "Johannes dictus Farcas" (i.e. "John the Wolf") for the first time. In the document, he returned the estate of Pózva (today a borough in Zalaegerszeg) to the sons of Kalmer Geregye, which was demolished by Ivan Kőszegi decades earlier.[1] The Babonići and the Kőszegis, including John, made an alliance with the Dukes of Austria against Charles I in January 1336. When Charles signed a truce with his enemies on 13 December after a brief war, he called the members of the two families as the "traitors of the Holy Crown". The document put John's name in the second place among the traitors, following his cousin Peter the "Duke", but before the Babonići.[10]
