Stephen I of Hungary
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{{Infobox Saint
|name=Saint Stephen of Hungary
|birth_date= 967/969/975
|death_date= [[August 15]] [[1038]]
|feast_day=[[August 16]]; [[August 20]] (in Hungary); [[September 2]] ([[Traditionalist Catholics|Traditional Roman Catholics]])
|venerated_in=[[Roman Catholic Church]]
|image=StefanIHongarije.jpeg
|imagesize=255px
|caption=''Saint Stephen''
|birth_place=[[Esztergom]], [[Kingdom of Hungary]]
|death_place=[[Székesfehérvár]], [[Kingdom of Hungary]]
|titles=King and Confessor
|canonized_date=[[August 20]], [[1083]]
|canonized_place=[[Esztergom]], [[Hungary]]
|canonized_by=[[Pope Gregory VII]]
|attributes=[[King]]; [[Confessor#Confessor of the Faith|Confessor]]; crown; sceptre; globe
|patronage=
|major_shrine=[[Saint Stephen's Basilica]] in [[Budapest]], Hungary
|suppressed_date=
|issues=
}}
'''Saint Stephen I''' ([[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]: ''I. (Szent) István'', [[Slovak language|Slovak]]: ''(Svätý) Štefan I.'') (967/969/975, [[Esztergom]], [[Hungary]] – [[15 August]] [[1038]], [[Esztergom]], [[Hungary]]), [[Grand Prince of the Magyars]] (997-1000/1001) and the first [[King of Hungary]] (1000/1001-1038). Stephen was born under the pagan [[Turkic]] name ''"Vajk"'', but was baptised as ''"Stephen"'' in his childhood. Following the death of his father, [[Géza of Hungary|Géza]], Stephen became the Grand Prince of the [[Magyars]]ain, but he could only strengthen his rule when he defeated his relative, [[Koppány]]. Shortly afterwards, he claimed and received a crown from the pope and he became the first King of Hungary. Stephen extended his rule in the [[Pannonian Basin|Carpathian Basin]] with force by defeating several local chieftains. He maintained peace with the [[Holy Roman Empire]] during the first three decades of his reign, and later he could withdraw the attacks of [[Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor]]. Stephen established ten dioceses in his kingdom and he issued severe decrees against pagan customs and in favor of the [[Christianity|Christian faith]] in order to strengthen Christianity among his subjects. He organised several [[Administrative divisions of the Kingdom of Hungary|counties]] (''vármegye'') in Hungary and his decrees could ensure the internal peace in his kingdom. Based on his acts, he is generally considered as the founder of [[Hungary]]. Following the death of his son, [[Saint Emeric of Hungary|Emeric]], Stephen wanted to ensure the maintenance of the Christianity in his kingdom and therefore he named his sister's son, the [[Venice|Venetian]] [[Peter Urseolo]] as his heir instead of his cousin, [[Vazul]] whom he suspected following pagan customs and ordered him blinded. Stephen was canonised, together with his son and Bishop [[Gerardo Sagredo|Gerard of Csanád]], on [[August 20]], [[1083]] and he become one of the most popular saints in Hungary.
==Early years==
Saint Stephen was born ''"Vajk"''<ref>He was referred as ''Waic'' by [[Thietmar of Merseburg]]. "Vajk" is probably a [[turkic]] name meaning ''"rich"'' or ''"hero"'', but it may have originated from the Hungarian word for butter ''("vaj")'', as well.</ref> in the town of [[Esztergom]]. His father was [[Géza of Hungary|Géza]], Grand Prince of the Magyars; his mother was [[Sarolt]], the daughter of [[Gyula]] of [[Transylvania]].<ref>Some Polish sources claim his mother was the Polish princess Adelajda from the dynasty of the [[Piasts]], the second wife of Géza, after Sarolt's death, but this version is generally rejected by historians.</ref> According to his legends, Vajk was baptized by Saint [[Adalbert of Prague]].<ref>"Legenda maior Sancti Regis Stephani" ("The major legend of King Saint Stephen")</ref> He was given the baptismal name Stephen (István) in honour of the original early Christian [[Saint Stephen]].<ref>The name "Stephen" derives from the Greek στεφανος, "stephanos," meaning "crowned."</ref>
When Stephen reached adolescence, Great Prince Géza convened an assembly where they decided that Stephen would follow his father as the monarch of the [[Magyars]].<ref>''Legenda maior Sancti Regis Stephani'' ''(The major legend of King Saint Stephen)''</ref> Nevertheless, this decision contradicted the Magyar tribal custom that gave preference to the eldest member of the ruling family to the deceased ruler's son.
Stephen married [[Giselle of Bavaria]], the daughter of [[Henry II, Duke of Bavaria|Henry II ''the Wrangler'']] and [[Gisela of Burgundy]] in or after 995.<ref>[[Hermann of Reichenau]]: ''Chronicon de sex ætatibus mundi (Chronicle of the six ages of the world)''</ref> By this marriage, he became the brother-in-law of the future [[Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor]]. [[Giselle of Bavaria|Giselle]] arrived to her husband's court accompanied by German knights.<ref>''[[Chronicon Pictum]]''</ref>
==Ruling prince of the Magyars==
In 997, his father died and a succession struggle ensued.<ref>''Legenda maior Sancti Regis Stephani'' ''(The major legend of King Saint Stephen)''</ref> Stephen claimed to rule the Magyars as the deceased monarch's son, while his relative [[Koppány]], a powerful pagan chieftain in [[Somogy county|Somogy]], claimed the traditional right of seniority.<ref>''[[Chronicon Pictum]]''</ref> Eventually, the two met in battle near [[Veszprém]] and Stephen was victorious, primarily thanks to his German retinue lead by the brothers [[Pázmány]] and [[Hont]]<ref>Some authors call them [[Poznan family|Poznan]] and [[Hunt family|Hunt]] claiming that Poznan was a Slovakian landholder in the Nitra region, but the sources seem to strengthen the idea that the brothers arrived to Hungary in the company of [[Giselle of Bavaria|Giselle]].</ref>. The nearly contemporary deed of foundation of the Abbey of [[Pannonhalma]] clearly described the battle as a struggle between the Germans and the Magyars. Thus, Stephen strengthened his power in Transdanubia, but several parts of Hungary still did not accept his rule.
According to Hungarian tradition [[Pope Silvester II]], with the consent of [[Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor]], sent a [[Crown of St. Stephen|magnificent jeweled gold crown]] to Stephen along with an apostolic cross and a letter of blessing officially recognizing Stephen as the Christian king of Hungary. The date of this coronation is variously given as Christmas Day, 1000 or [[1 January]] [[1001]].
==First king of Hungary==
[[Image:St. Stephen, Esztergom.jpg|thumb|right|180px|King Stephen's statue in his hometown, [[Esztergom]]]]
After (or just before) his coronation Stephen I founded several dioceses, ie, the dioceses of [[Archdiocese of Veszprém|Veszprém]], [[Diocese of Győr|Győr]], [[Archdiocese of Kalocsa-Kecskemét|Kalocsa]], [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Vác|Vác]], [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Oradea|Bihar]]. He also established the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest|Archdiocese of Esztergom]], thus he set up an ecclesiastical organisation independent of the German archbishops. He also began to organise a territory-based administration by founding several counties ''(comitatus, megye)'' in his kingdom.
Stephen discouraged pagan customs and strengthened Christianity with various laws. In his first decree, issued in the beginning of his rule, he ordered that each ten villages are obliged to build a church. He invited foreign priests to Hungary to evangelize his kingdom; Saint [[Astricus]] served as his advisor, and Stephen also had Saint [[Gerard Sagredo]] as the tutor for his son [[Emeric of Hungary (saint)|Imre]].
Around 1003, he invaded and occupied [[Transylvania]], a territory ruled by his maternal uncle, [[Gyula]], a semi-independent chieftain; and after his victory, he organised the [[Roman Catholic Archidiocese of Alba Iulia|Diocese of Transylvania]]. In the next few years he also occupied the lands of the [[Black Magyars]] in the Southern part of Transdanubia, and organised there the [[Diocese of Pécs]]. Shortly afterwards, he probably made an agreement with [[Samuel Aba]], the chieftain of the [[Kabar]] tribes settled in the [[Mátra]] region, who married Stephen's sister; in his brother-in-law's domains, Stephen founded the [[Archidiocese of Eger|Diocese of Eger]].
Finally, Stephen occupied the domains of [[Ahtum|Ajtony]], a semi-pagan chieftain, who had been ruling over the territories of the later [[Banat]], where he set up the [[Diocese of Szeged-Csanád|Diocese of Csanád]].
==External politics==
[[Image:IstvanKiraly sculpture miskolc.jpg|185px|thumb|A statue of the king in [[Miskolc]]]]
In his external politics Stephen I allied himself with his brother-in-law, the Emperor [[Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry II]] against Prince [[Boleslaw I of Poland]], who had extended his rule over the territories between the [[Morava]] and [[Váh|Vág]] Rivers. He sent troops to the Emperor's army, and in the [[Peace of Bautzen]], in 1018, the Polish prince had to hand over the occupied territories to Stephen.
Shortly afterwards, Stephen sent troops to help [[Boleslaw I of Poland|Boleslaw I]] in his campaign against the [[Kievan Rus']]. In 1018, Stephen lead his armies against [[Second Bulgarian Empire|Bulgaria]], in alliance with the [[Byzantine Emperor]] [[Basil II]], and collected several relics during his campaign.
After the death of [[Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry II]] (July 3, 1024), Stephen broke with the German alliance, because the new Holy Roman Emperor, [[Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor|Conrad II]] claimed the supremacy over the [[kingdom of Hungary]], while Stephen demanded the [[duchy of Bavaria]] for his son [[Emeric of Hungary (saint)|Emeric]] who was the nearest relative of the deceased Emperor [[Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry II]] (who himself had been the last male descendant of the old dukes of Bavaria). In 1027, Stephen had Bishop [[Werner of Strasbourg]], the envoy sent by [[Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor|Conrad II]] to the [[Byzantine Empire]], arrested at the frontier. In 1030, the Emperor lead his armies against [[Hungary]], but Stephen's troops enforced their retreat. Stephen and the Emperor [[Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor|Conrad II]] concluded peace in 1031, and the territories between the [[Leitha]] ([[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]:''(Lajta)'') and [[Fischa]] Rivers were ceded to Hungary.
==His last years==
Stephen intended to retire to a life of holy contemplation and hand the kingdom over to his son [[Emeric of Hungary (saint)|Emeric]], but [[Emeric of Hungary (saint)|Emeric]] was wounded in a hunting accident and died in 1031. In Stephen's words of mourning: <blockquote>By God's secret decision death took him, so that wickedness would not change his soul and false imaginations would not deceive his mind – as the [[Book of Wisdom]] teaches about early death.</blockquote>
Stephen mourned for a very long time over the loss of his son, which took a great toll on his health. He eventually recovered, but never regained his original vitality. Having no children left, he could not find anyone among his remaining relatives who was able to rule the country competently and willing to maintain the [[Christian]] faith of the nation. He did not want to entrust his kingdom to his cousin, Duke Vazul whom he suspected to be following pagan customs. The disregarded duke took part in conspiracy aimed at the murder of Stephen I, but the assassination attempt failed and Vazul had his eyes gouged out and molten lead poured in his ears.
King Stephen died on the Feast of the [[Assumption of Mary|Assumption]] (August 15) in the year 1038 at [[Székesfehérvár]], where he was then buried.
==His legacy==
The Hungarian [[Crown of St. Stephen|Sacred Crown]] is closely devoted to King Stephen. According to Hartwick's legend [[Pope Silvester II]] sent a [[Crown of St. Stephen|crown]] to Stephen, however, it is not true as the legend cannot be recognised as authentic source, and also, there are no evidence found in [[Vatican City]]. The date of his coronation is unknown, it is variously given as Christmas Day, 1000 or [[1 January]] [[1001]]. During this coronation, he dedicated the crown to the [[Holy Virgin]], thereby sealing a contract between God and the crown (which is therefore considered a "holy" crown). This contract is also the base for the [[Doctrine of the Holy Crown]], and the base of [[Apostolic]] [[Kingdom of Hungary]].
Stephen intended to retire to a life of holy contemplation and hand the kingdom over to his son [[Emeric of Hungary (saint)|Imre]], but Imre was wounded in a hunting accident and died in 1031. In Stephen's words of mourning: <blockquote>By God's secret decision death took him, so that wickedness would not change his soul and false imaginations would not deceive his mind – as the [[Book of Wisdom]] teaches about early death.</blockquote>
Stephen mourned for a very long time over the loss of his son, which took a great toll on his health. He eventually recovered, but never regained his original vitality. Having no children left, he could not find anyone among his remaining relatives who was able to rule the country competently and willing to maintain the [[Christian]] faith of the nation. Unable to choose an heir, King Stephen died on the Feast of the [[Assumption of Mary|Assumption]] in 1038 at [[Székesfehérvár]], where he was buried. His nobles and his subjects were said to have mourned for three straight years afterwards.{{Fact|date=August 2007}}
Following Stephen's death, his nephew [[Peter Urseolo]] (his appointed heir) and brother-in-law [[Samuel Aba]] contended for the crown. Nine years of instability followed until Stephen's cousin [[Andrew I of Hungary|Andrew I]] was crowned King of Hungary, re-establishing the Árpád dynasty in 1047. Hungarian historiography saw Peter and Samuel as members of the Árpád dynasty, and both are counted among the Árpád kings.
[[Image:Sztjobb.jpg|185px|right|thumb|The Holy Right, the king's right hand]]
Shortly after Stephen's death, healing miracles were said to have occurred at his tomb. Stephen was [[canonized]] by [[Pope Gregory VII]] as Saint Stephen of Hungary in 1083, along with his son, [[Imre of Hungary|Saint Imre]] and [[Bishop Gerhard]] (''Hungarian: Szent Gellért''). Thus Saint Stephen became the first of the canonized [[Confessor#Confessor of the Faith|Confessor]] [[King]]s, a new prototype of saints.
[[Roman Catholics]] venerate him as the patron saint of Hungary, kings, the death of children, masons, stonecutters, and bricklayers. St Stephen's [[feast day]] was not included in the [[Tridentine Calendar]], owing to the fact that it would have taken place on the same day as the [[Assumption of Mary|Feast of the Assumption]], [[August 15]]. It was added to the [[Roman Catholic calendar of saints|Roman Calendar]] in the year 1631 as a [[commemoration]] on the day of the feast of [[Bernard of Clairvaux|Saint Bernard of Clairvaux]] on [[August 20]]. In 1687 it was moved to [[September 2]], where it would stay for 282 years until the revision of the [[Roman Catholic calendar of saints]] in 1969. [[August 16]], which had been the feast of [[Joachim|Saint Joachim]], was moved and the date became free for other celebrations to be added. The feast of Saint Stephen of Hungary was moved to that date, the day immediately after his death.<ref>"Calendarium Romanum" (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1969), pp. 100, 137</ref>
[[Traditionalist Catholics|Traditional Roman Catholics]] continue to celebrate the [[feast day]] of ''"St Stephen, King and Confessor"'' on [[September 2]] either as a [[General Roman Calendar as in 1954|Semi-Double]], [[General Roman Calendar of Pope Pius XII|Simple]] or a
[[General Roman Calendar of 1962|III Class feast]].
However, in Hungary the feast is observed on [[August 20]], the day on which his sacred relics were [[translation (relics)|translated]] to the city of Buda. This day is a [[Public holidays in Hungary|public holiday in Hungary]].
The king's right hand, known as ''"The Holy Right,"'' is kept as a relic. His body was mummified after his death{{Fact|date=February 2007}}, but the tomb was opened and his hand was separated some years later. Except for this, only some bone fragments remained (which are kept in churches throughout Hungary). Catholics honor the first king of their country on annual processions, where the ''"Holy Right"'' is exhibited.
The canonization of Saint Stephen was recognized by the [[Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople]] in 2000.
The [[Crown of St. Stephen|Holy Crown]], popularly attributed to St. Stephen, was removed from the country in 1945 for safekeeping, and entrusted to the [[United States]] government. It was kept in a [[United States Bullion Depository|vault at Fort Knox]] until 1978, when it was returned to the nation by order of U.S. President [[Jimmy Carter]]. It has been enshrined in the Hungarian Parliament building in Budapest since 2000.
==Quote==
[[Image:Istvan-ChroniconPictum.jpg|thumb|left|170px|A miniature of the king from the [[Chronicon Pictum]], 1360.]]
:''My beloved son, delight of my heart, hope of your posterity, I pray, I command, that at every time and in everything, strengthened by your devotion to me, you may show favor not only to relations and kin, or to the most eminent, be they leaders or rich men or neighbors or fellow countrymen, but also to foreigners and to all who come to you. By fulfilling your duty in this way you will reach the highest state of happiness. Be merciful to all who are suffering violence, keeping always in your heart the example of the Lord who said, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice." Be patient with everyone, not only with the powerful, but also with the weak.
:''Finally be strong lest prosperity lift you up too much or adversity cast you down. Be humble in this life, that God may raise you up in the next. Be truly moderate and do not punish or condemn anyone immoderately. Be gentle so that you may never oppose justice. Be honorable so that you may never voluntarily bring disgrace upon anyone. Be chaste so that you may avoid all the foulness of lust like the pangs of death.''
:''All these virtues I have noted above make up the royal crown, and without them no one is fit to rule here on earth or attain to the heavenly kingdom.''
--Excerpt from Saint Stephen's admonitions to his son Imre.
[[Image:HUF 10000 1997 obverse.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Saint Stephen on current 10,000 [[Forint|Hungarian Forint]] banknote]]
[[Image:HUF 2000 2000 reverse.jpg|thumb|300px|right|[[Gyula Benczúr]]'s painting of Saint Stephen's baptism on the banknote commemorating the 1000th year of Hungarian statehood (2000)]]
==Artistic representation==
King Stephen of Hungary has been a popular theme in art, especially from the 19th century on, with its development of [[nationalism]]. Paintings such as ''The Baptism of Vajk'' (1875) by [[Gyula Benczúr]] and many statues representing the king all over Hungary testify to Stephen's importance in Hungarian national thought.
The best known representations of St. Stephen in music are [[Ludwig van Beethoven]]'s ''King Stephen Overture'', and the 1983 [[rock opera]] ''[[István, a király]]'' (Stephen, the King) by [[Levente Szörényi]] and [[János Bródy]]. Szörényi's ''Veled, Uram!'' (With You, Lord! - 2000) was a [[sequel]] to ''István, a király''.
==References==
{{reflist}}
==See also==
* [[Crown of Saint Stephen]]
==External links==
{{Commons|Stephen I of Hungary}}
* [http://www.cryingvoice.com/Christianity/HunIstvan.html Stephen I, the First Christian Hungarian King] (CryingVoice.com)
* [http://english.mnb.hu/Engine.aspx?page=mnben_notes&ContentID=3325 His picture on the Hungarian 10,000 forint banknote]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/889207.stm a BBC report on Saint Stephen's day celebrations in Hungary]
* {{CathEncy|wstitle=St. Stephen (2)}}
{{start box}}
{{succession box|title=[[Grand Prince of the Magyars]]|before=[[Géza of Hungary|Géza]]|after=became king|years=997 – 1000}}
{{succession box|title=[[King of Hungary]]|before=himself as ruling prince|after=[[Peter Urseolo of Hungary|Peter Urseolo]]|years=1000 – 1038}}
{{end box}}
[[Category:975 births]]
[[Category:1038 deaths]]
[[Category:House of Árpád]]
[[Category:Hungarian monarchs]]
[[Category:Hungarian saints]]
[[bs:Stjepan I Sveti]]
[[cs:Štěpán I. Uherský]]
[[de:Stephan I. (Ungarn)]]
[[et:István Püha]]
[[es:Esteban I de Hungría]]
[[eo:Stefano la 1-a (Hungario)]]
[[fr:Étienne Ier de Hongrie]]
[[hr:Stjepan I. Sveti]]
[[it:Santo Stefano d'Ungheria]]
[[he:אישטוון הראשון, מלך הונגריה]]
[[ka:იშტვან I (უნგრეთი)]]
[[hu:I. István]]
[[nl:Stefanus I van Hongarije]]
[[ja:イシュトヴァーン1世]]
[[no:Stefan I av Ungarn]]
[[pl:Stefan I Święty]]
[[pt:Estêvão I da Hungria]]
[[ro:Ştefan I al Ungariei]]
[[ru:Иштван I Святой]]
[[sk:Štefan I. (Uhorsko)]]
[[sr:Свети Стефан Мађарски]]
[[sh:Sveti Stefan Mađarski]]
[[fi:Tapani I (Unkari)]]
[[sv:Stefan I av Ungern]]
[[vi:Stephen I của Hungary]]
[[uk:Стефан I Святий]]
[[zh:伊什特万一世]]