István Werboczy
Encyclopedia
István Werbőczy or Stephen Werbőcz (also spelled Verbőczy; c. 1465 – 1541) was a Hungarian
jurist and statesman who first became known as a scholar and theologian of such eminence that he was appointed to accompany the emperor Charles V
to Worms
, to take up the cudgels against Martin Luther
.
He began his political career as the deputy of the county of Ugocsa
to the diet
of 1498, where his eloquence and scholarship had a great effect in procuring the extension of the privileges of the gentry and the exclusion of all foreign competitors for the Hungarian throne in future elections. He was the spokesman and leader of the gentry against the magnates and prelates at the diets of 1500, 1501 and 1505. At the last diet he insisted, in his petition to the king, that the law should be binding upon all the gentry alike, and firmly established in the minds of the people the principle of a national monarchy.
The most striking proof of his popularity at this time is the fact that the diet voted him two denarii
per hearth for his services in 1505, a circumstance unexampled in Hungarian history. In 1517 Verboczy was appointed the guardian of the infant Louis II
, and was sent on a foreign mission to solicit the aid of Christendom
against the Turks
. On his return he found the strife of parties fiercer than ever and the whole country in a state of anarchy.
At the diet of Hatvan
, on the 25th of June 1525, he delivered a reconciliatory oration which so affected the assembly that it elected him palatine. During the brief time he held that office, he unselfishly and courageously endeavoured to serve both king and people by humbling the pride of the magnates who were primarily responsible for the dilapidation of the realm. But he was deposed at the following diet, and retired from public life until the election of János Szapolyai, who realized his theory of a national king and from whom he accepted the chancellorship. He now devoted himself entirely to the study of jurisprudence
, and the result of his labors was the famous Opus tripartitum juris consuetudinarii inclyti regni hungariae (short form: Tripartitum), which was the de facto law-book of Hungary until 1848.
The full Latin text (with English translation) of Werboczy's Tripartitum (as printed by Singrenius in 1517) is now published as The customary law of the renowned Kingdom of Hungary: a work in three parts, the "Tripartitum" = Tripartitum opus iuris consuetudinarii inclyti regni Hungariæ; edited and translated by János M. Bak, Péter Banyó, and Martyn Rady
; with an introductory study by László Péter
; Schlacks and CEU Press, Idyllwild, CA, and Budapest, 2005.
Please note that the Márkus edition of the Tripartitum (1897 and subsequent reprints) is defective as it records the 'customary' as opposed to 'historical' version of the text -- that is, it includes later errors and additions that had by use acquired a customary and therefore legally full character.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
jurist and statesman who first became known as a scholar and theologian of such eminence that he was appointed to accompany the emperor Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
to Worms
Worms, Germany
Worms is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Rhine River. At the end of 2004, it had 85,829 inhabitants.Established by the Celts, who called it Borbetomagus, Worms today remains embattled with the cities Trier and Cologne over the title of "Oldest City in Germany." Worms is the only...
, to take up the cudgels against Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
.
He began his political career as the deputy of the county of Ugocsa
Ugocsa
Ugocsa is the name of a historic administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is presently in north-western Romania and western Ukraine...
to the diet
Diet (assembly)
In politics, a diet is a formal deliberative assembly. The term is mainly used historically for the Imperial Diet, the general assembly of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire, and for the legislative bodies of certain countries.-Etymology:...
of 1498, where his eloquence and scholarship had a great effect in procuring the extension of the privileges of the gentry and the exclusion of all foreign competitors for the Hungarian throne in future elections. He was the spokesman and leader of the gentry against the magnates and prelates at the diets of 1500, 1501 and 1505. At the last diet he insisted, in his petition to the king, that the law should be binding upon all the gentry alike, and firmly established in the minds of the people the principle of a national monarchy.
The most striking proof of his popularity at this time is the fact that the diet voted him two denarii
Denarius
In the Roman currency system, the denarius was a small silver coin first minted in 211 BC. It was the most common coin produced for circulation but was slowly debased until its replacement by the antoninianus...
per hearth for his services in 1505, a circumstance unexampled in Hungarian history. In 1517 Verboczy was appointed the guardian of the infant Louis II
Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia
Louis II was King of Hungary, Bohemia and Croatia from 1516 to 1526.- Early life :Louis was the son of Ladislaus II Jagiellon and his third wife, Anne de Foix....
, and was sent on a foreign mission to solicit the aid of Christendom
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
against the Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. On his return he found the strife of parties fiercer than ever and the whole country in a state of anarchy.
At the diet of Hatvan
Hatvan
Hatvan is a town in Heves county, Hungary. Hatvan is the Hungarian word for "sixty". Hatvan is located at around ....
, on the 25th of June 1525, he delivered a reconciliatory oration which so affected the assembly that it elected him palatine. During the brief time he held that office, he unselfishly and courageously endeavoured to serve both king and people by humbling the pride of the magnates who were primarily responsible for the dilapidation of the realm. But he was deposed at the following diet, and retired from public life until the election of János Szapolyai, who realized his theory of a national king and from whom he accepted the chancellorship. He now devoted himself entirely to the study of jurisprudence
Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists , hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions...
, and the result of his labors was the famous Opus tripartitum juris consuetudinarii inclyti regni hungariae (short form: Tripartitum), which was the de facto law-book of Hungary until 1848.
The full Latin text (with English translation) of Werboczy's Tripartitum (as printed by Singrenius in 1517) is now published as The customary law of the renowned Kingdom of Hungary: a work in three parts, the "Tripartitum" = Tripartitum opus iuris consuetudinarii inclyti regni Hungariæ; edited and translated by János M. Bak, Péter Banyó, and Martyn Rady
Martyn Rady
Martyn Rady is Professor of Central European History at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies , University College London. He was from 1995 to 2009 Warden of Hughes Parry Hall , an intercollegiate hall of the University of London...
; with an introductory study by László Péter
László Péter
László Péter, , was Emeritus Professor of Hungarian History at the University of London. He completed his first degree at the Eötvös Loránd University of Budapest after which he worked as an archivist and teacher. He left Hungary in 1956, subsequently completing a DPhil in Oxford under the...
; Schlacks and CEU Press, Idyllwild, CA, and Budapest, 2005.
Please note that the Márkus edition of the Tripartitum (1897 and subsequent reprints) is defective as it records the 'customary' as opposed to 'historical' version of the text -- that is, it includes later errors and additions that had by use acquired a customary and therefore legally full character.