Hungary

by

Elod Nemerkenyi

• LAST REVIEWED: 15 December 2010
• LAST MODIFIED: 15 December 2010
• DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780195396584-0056

Introduction

The traditional chronological scope of the medieval kingdom of Hungary ranges from the beginning of the reign of King Saint Stephen of Hungary in 1000 to the battle of Mohács in 1526. In addition to reference works, general overviews of the history of Hungary, and overviews of the history of medieval Hungary, the following fields are covered: military history, economic history and material culture, urban history, legal history (as well as the study of the Holy Crown of Hungary), social history, cultural history, and art history (including exhibition catalogues). Following the overviews of sources and Byzantine relations, a chronological sequence follows (starting with the Árpád dynasty and highlighting major rulers). The Dózsa peasant war and the Mohács battle mark the end of the period.

General Overviews

General overviews of the history of medieval Hungary include Hóman 1940–1943, Engel 1990, Engel 2001, and Zsoldos 2004. Late medieval history is covered by Engel, et al. 1998. Fügedi 1986, and Nagy and Sebok 1999 contain numerous studies on medieval Hungary. On the whole, Klaniczay 2002 offers a panorama of medieval Hungary in a central European setting from the viewpoint of hagiography.

• Engel, Pál Beilleszkedés Európába, a kezdetektol 1440-ig. Magyarok Európában 1. Budapest: Háttér, 1990.

  Although not easily inferred from its title, a general overview of the history of medieval Hungary—mainly from the perspective of political and diplomatic history.

• Engel, Pál The Realm of St Stephen: A History of Medieval Hungary 895–1526. London: Tauris, 2001.

  A critically acclaimed recent overview of the history of medieval Hungary.

• Engel, Pál, Gyula Kristó, and András Kubinyi. Magyarország története 1301–1526. Budapest: Osiris, 1998.

  Overview of the history of medieval Hungary from the 14th century.

• Fügedi, Erik. Kings, Bishops, Nobles, and Burghers in Medieval Hungary. Variorum Reprints CS229. London: Variorum, 1986.

  A collection of studies dedicated to a wide range of aspects of the history of medieval Hungary—with special reference to social history but covering much more.

• Hóman, Bálint. Geschichte des ungarischen Mittelalters. 2 vols. Translated by Hildegard von Roosz and Max Pfotenhauer. Berlin: de Gruyter, 1940–1943.

  A classic overview of the history of medieval Hungary.

• Klaniczay, Gábor. Holy Rulers and Blessed Princesses: Dynastic Cults in Medieval Central Europe. Past and Present Publications. Cambridge, UK, and New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002.

  A detailed monograph on central European hagiography but covering much more—with special reference to medieval Hungary.

• Nagy, Balázs, and Marcell Sebok, eds.... The Man of Many Devices, Who Wandered Full Many Ways.. . : Festschrift in Honor of János M. Bak. Budapest: Central European University, 1999.

  A collection of studies dedicated to a wide range of aspects of the history of medieval Hungary and beyond. Most of these studies provide critical evaluation of previous scholarship.

• Zsoldos, Attila. The Legacy of Saint Stephen. Translated by Judit Barna. Budapest: Lucidus, 2004.

  A general overview of the history of medieval Hungary—primarily from the perspective of political and social history.