A perpetual count (, )Nemes 1989, p. 81. was a head or an ispán of a county in the Kingdom of Hungary (“Lord Lieutenant”) whose office was either hereditary or attached to the dignity of a prelate or of a great officer of the realm. The earliest examples of a perpetual ispánate are from the 12th century, but the institution flourished between the 15th and 18th centuries. Although all administrative functions of the office were abolished in 1870, the title itself was preserved until the general abolition of noble titles in Hungary in 1946.
List of perpetual ispánates
Ex officio ispánates
County Perpetual count Period Notes Source Baranya Bishop of Pécs ?–1777 Bács Archbishop of Kalocsa ?–1776 Bihar Bishop of Várad 1466–1776 Esztergom Archbishop of Esztergom 1270–13001301–1881 granted to archbishop Philip Türje by King Stephen VKing Andrew III temporarily deprived the archbishop from the ispánatecastellans of the archbishops' castle at Esztergom sometimes styled themselves ispán Fallenbüchl 1994, p. 9.Zsoldos 2011, p. 149.Engel 1996, p. 126. Fehér Voivode of Transylvania Győr Bishop of Győr 1453–1783 Engel 1996, p. 132. Heves Bishop (from 1804 Archbishop) of Eger 1498–1840 Nyitra Bishop of Nyitra ?–1777 Engel 1996, p. 159. Outer Szolnok Bishop (from 1804 Archbishop) of Eger 1569–1840 Pest Palatine ?–1848 Engel 1996, p. 163. Pilis Castellan of the Visegrád Castle ?–? Palatine 1569–1848 Požega/Pozsega Bishop of Bosznia 1753–1770 renounced of the title Fallenbüchl 1994, pp. 11., 130. Veszprém Bishop of Veszprém 1313–13231392–1773 although King Charles I awarded the bishops with the ispánate, he seems to have failed to confirm this grant in 1323the bishops perpetually held the office from 1392 Engel 1996, p. 231.
Hereditary ispánates
County Family Period Notes Source Abaúj Perényi 1570–15981643–1699 Fallenbüchl 1994, pp. 10., 99. Csáky 1702–1764 Árva Thurzó 1585–1626 also perpetual ispáns of Szepes County Fallenbüchl 1994, pp. 10., 61. Thököly 1666–1668 Bereg Schönborn 1740– last grant of a perpetual ispánate Fallenbüchl 1994, pp. 10., 66. Dobor Berislavići 1514– a Bosnian hereditary title Bojanovski, Ivo (1981) Dobor in Usora (Northern Bosnia) (Results of 1969-1973 archaeological digs). Naše Starine XIV XV, p.11 (noble titles listed in footnote 51 on p.27) Beszterce Hunyadi 1452–1458 earliest example of a hereditary title in Hungary proper Engel 2001, p. 293. Beszterce Szilágyi 1458–? Hont Koháry 1711–1826 Fallenbüchl 1994, pp. 10., 82. Komárom Nádasdy 1751– last grant of a perpetual ispánate Fallenbüchl 1994, pp. 10., 83. Liptó Illésházy 1582–1838 also perpetual ispáns of Trencsén County Fallenbüchl 1994, pp. 10., 84. Požega/Pozsega Keglevich 1707–1749 Fallenbüchl 1994, pp. 11., 129-130. Pozsony Pálffy 1651– always a member of the family was appointed ispán from 1580 Fallenbüchl 1994, pp. 10., 92-93. Sáros Rákóczi 1666–1711 always a member of the family was appointed ispán from 1622 Fallenbüchl 1994, pp. 10., 93-94. Sopron Esterházy 1686– always a member of the family was appointed ispán from 1626 Fallenbüchl 1994, pp. 10., 96. Szepes Szapolyai 1464–1528 Engel 2001, p. 311.Fallenbüchl 1994, p. 99. Thurzó 1531–1635 also perpetual ispáns of Árva County Fallenbüchl 1994, pp. 9-10., 99. Csáky and later also Csáky-Pallavicini branch 1638– Fallenbüchl 1994, pp. 9., 99. Teočak Újlaki 1464–? in Bosnia Engel 2001, p. 312. Trencsén Illésházy 1600–1838 also perpetual ispáns of Liptó County Fallenbüchl 1994, pp. 10., 103. Turóc Révay 1712–1875 always a member of the family was appointed ispán from 1532 Fallenbüchl 1994, pp. 9., 104. Valkó Draskovich 1693–1695 the county was dissolved in 1695 Fallenbüchl 1994, pp. 11., 132. Varaždin/Varasd Erdődy 1570–c. 1582 Fallenbüchl 1994, p. 132. Erdődy 1687– always a member of the family was appointed ispán from 1607 Vas Batthyány 1728– Fallenbüchl 1994, pp. 10., 107-108. Zala Althann 1721–1824 Fallenbüchl 1994, pp. 10., 111.
See also County (Kingdom of Hungary) Ispán
Footnotes
References
Engel, Pál (1996). Magyarország világi archontológiája, 1301–1457, I. ("Secular Archontology of Hungary, 1301–1457, Volume I"). História, MTA Történettudományi Intézete. Budapest. . Engel, Pál (2001). The Realm of St Stephen: A History of Medieval Hungary, 895-1526. I.B. Tauris Publishers. . Fallenbüchl, Zoltán (1994). Magyarország főispánjai, 1526–1848 ("Lord-Lieutenants of Counties in Hungary, 1526–1848"). Argumentum Kiadó. . Nemes, Lajos (1989). Entry örökös főispán in: Bán, Péter; Magyar történelmi fogalomtár, I. kötet: L–Zs [=Thesaurus of Terms of Hungarian History, Volume I: L–Zs]. Gondolat. . Rady, Martyn (2000). Nobility, Land and Service in Medieval Hungary. Palgrave (in association with School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London). . Sedlar, Jean W. (1994). East Central Europe in the Middle Ages, 1000–1500. University of Washington Press. . Zsoldos, Attila (2011). Magyarország világi archontológiája, 1000–1301 ("Secular Archontology of Hungary, 1000–1301"). História, MTA Történettudományi Intézete. Budapest. .