Zichy
Encyclopedia
Zichy the name of a noble Magyar family, conspicuous in Hungarian history
from the latter part of the 13th century onwards.
History of Hungary
Hungary is a country in central Europe. Its history under this name dates to the early Middle Ages, when the Pannonian Basin was colonized by the Magyars, a semi-nomadic people from what is now central-northern Russia...
from the latter part of the 13th century onwards.
Brief history of the Zichy
The first authentic ancestor of the Zichy bore the name of Zayk, and this was the surname of the family until it came into possession of Zich in the 14th century. They first came into great prominence in the 16th century, being given countly rank in 1679 in the person of the imperial general Stefan Zichy (d. 1693). His descendants divided, first into two branches: those of Zichy-Palota and Zichy-Karlburg. The Palota line, divided again into three: that of Nagy-Lang, that of Adony and Szent-Miklos, and that of Palota, which died out in the male line in 1874. The line of Zichy-Karlburg (since 1811 Zichy-Ferraris) split into four branches: that of Vedrod, that of Vezsony, and those of Daruvar and Csics, now extinct.Prominent Members of Zichy ancestry
- Count Károly Zichy (1753–1826) was Austrian war minister in 1809 and minister of the interior in 1813-1814; his son,
- Count Ferdinánd (1783–1862) was the Austrian field-marshal condemned to ten years' imprisonment for surrendering VeniceVeniceVenice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
to the insurgents in 1848 (he was pardoned in 1851).
- Count Ferdinánd (1783–1862) was the Austrian field-marshal condemned to ten years' imprisonment for surrendering Venice
- Count Ödön [Edmund] Zichy (1809–1848), administrator of the county of Veszprém, was hanged on the 30th of September 1848 by order of a Hungarian court-martial, presided over by Görgey, for acting as Jellasich's emissaryEmissaryEmissary may refer to:* Ambassador* Apostle* Diplomat* The Subspace Emissary, the single-player Adventure Mode in the video game Super Smash Bros...
to the imperial general Roth. - Count Ferenc Zichy (1811–1900) was secretary of state for commerce in the Széchenyi ministry of 1848, but retired on the outbreak of the revolution, joined the imperial side, and acted as imperial commissaryCommissaryA commissary is someone delegated by a superior to execute a duty or an office; in a formal, legal context, one who has received power from a legitimate superior authority to pass judgment in a certain cause or to take information concerning it.-Word history:...
; from 1874 to 1880 he was Austrian ambassador at ConstantinopleConstantinopleConstantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
and representative of Austria-Hungary at the 1876-77 Constantinople ConferenceConstantinople ConferenceThe 1876–1877 Constantinople Conference of the Great Powers was held in Constantinople from 23 December 1876 until 20 January 1877...
. - Count Ödön [Edmund] Zichy (1811–1894) was remarkable for his great activity in promoting art and industry in Austria-Hungary; he founded the Oriental Museum in Vienna. He was after Count Johann Nepumuk (Hans) WilczekCount Johann Nepomuk WilczekCount Johann Nepomuk Wilczek was an Austro-Hungarian sponsor of Polar expeditions and artists....
the second highest sponsor for the Austro-Hungarian North Pole ExpeditionAustro-Hungarian North Pole ExpeditionThe Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition was an expedition that ran from 1872–74 and discovered Franz-Josef Land. According to Julius von Payer, one of the leaders, the journey was to find the north-eastern passage. It actually explored the area northwest of Novaya Zemlya. According to the...
to Franz Josef LandFranz Josef LandFranz Josef Land, Franz Joseph Land, or Francis Joseph's Land is an archipelago located in the far north of Russia. It is found in the Arctic Ocean north of Novaya Zemlya and east of Svalbard, and is administered by Arkhangelsk Oblast. Franz Josef Land consists of 191 ice-covered islands with a...
. His son,- Count Jenő [Eugen] Zichy (born 1837), inherited his father's notable collections, and followed him in his economic activities; he three times visited the Caucasus and Central Asia to investigate the original seat of the Magyars, publishing as the result Voyages au Caucase (2 vols., Budapest, 1897) and Dritte asiatische Forschungsreise (6 vols., in Magyar and German; Budapest and Leipzig, 1900–1905).
- Count Ferdinánd Zichy (born 1829), vice-president of the Hungarian stadtholdership under the Mailath regime, was condemned in 1863 under the press laws to the loss of his titles and to imprisonment. In 1867 he was elected to the Hungarian parliament, at first joining the party of Deák, and subsequently becoming one of the founders and leaders of the Catholic People's PartyCatholic People's PartyThe Catholic People's Party was a Catholic Christian democratic Dutch political party. During its entire existence, the party was in government. The party is one of the precursors of the Christian Democratic Appeal.- 1945-1965 :The KVP was founded on 22 December, 1945...
(see History of HungaryHistory of HungaryHungary is a country in central Europe. Its history under this name dates to the early Middle Ages, when the Pannonian Basin was colonized by the Magyars, a semi-nomadic people from what is now central-northern Russia...
). His second son,- Count Aladár Zichy (born 1864), also a member of the Catholic People's PartyCatholic People's PartyThe Catholic People's Party was a Catholic Christian democratic Dutch political party. During its entire existence, the party was in government. The party is one of the precursors of the Christian Democratic Appeal.- 1945-1965 :The KVP was founded on 22 December, 1945...
, was made minister of the royal household in the Wekerle cabinet of 1906.
- Count Aladár Zichy (born 1864), also a member of the Catholic People's Party
- Count János Zichy (born 1868), also from 1896 to 1906 a member of the Catholic People's Party in the Lower House, and after 1506 attached to Andrássy's Constitutional Party, was of importance as the confidant of the heir to the throne, the Archduke Francis Ferdinand.
- Count Géza Zichy (born 1849), nephew of the Count Ferenc mentioned above, studied under LisztLisztLiszt is a Hungarian surname. Notable persons with that surname include:* Franz Liszt , Hungarian composer and pianist* Adam Liszt , father of Franz Liszt* Anna Liszt , mother of Franz Liszt...
and became a professional pianist; in 1891 he became intendant of the Hungarian national opera-house, a member of the Hungarian Upper House and head of the Conservatoire at Budapest. - Count Mihály Zichy (born 1829), one of the most conspicuous Hungarian painters, was appointed court painter at St. Petersburg in 1847 and accompanied the Russian emperors on their various journeys. The National Gallery at Budapest possesses some of his paintings, notably that of "Queen Elizabeth before the coffin of Francis Drake"; but he is best known for his illustrations of the works of the great Magyar writers (Petőfi, Arany, etc.).
- Tamás Zichy (born 1974), son of an Austro-Hungarian magnateMagnateMagnate, from the Late Latin magnas, a great man, itself from Latin magnus 'great', designates a noble or other man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or other qualities...
, is reported from Forbes-Magazine to be the richest heir in AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. - Baron Ivan RubidoRubidoThe Rubido family of Madrid originated in Castile. They were ennobled in the 12th century.The Croatian branch of that family came to Croatia in the first half of the 19th century....
Zichy de Zich et Zagorje (born 17 June 1874, died Graz 16 May 1964) Royal Hungarian Minister to the Court of St.James 1926.