The Inhabitants of Szigliget Castle

In the year 1570, the Turks built a castle opposite the hated Bálint Magyar's fortress. It posed a grave threat to both Fonyód and Szigliget. Bálint Magyar did everything in his power to forestall the danger. He went in person to His Majesty in Wiener Neustadt and requested assistance. György Bocskay writes on this occasion to Batthyány: "Bálint Magyar is here now. He is pressing his case, that either his castle be demolished or the Turkish one, which they have just built opposite — but if they want to demolish it, they must come with such force as to face the Pasha of Buda himself. As far as I can tell, however, nothing will come of this for now — they will just put some provisions and some foot soldiers in it."
And indeed, the matter turned out just as Bocskay had written. On orders from above, János Bornemissza, the captain of Pápa, sent foot soldiers to Magyar's aid. However, Bálint Magyar spoke very poorly of these men. When János Bornemissza learned of this, he turned to General Salm, writing to him: "The letter that was written by Bálint Magyar, in which he described the foot soldiers as cobblers, furriers, tailors, and blacksmiths — please send that letter to me, Your Excellency."
The fact that the Turks had built a castle opposite Magyar's fortress clearly indicated the intention of the neighbouring Turks: nothing less than to encircle Bálint Magyar and capture his castle. His eyes and ears therefore had to be constantly alert to avoid disaster. To make matters worse, he was by this time frequently ill. But even so, he refused to let himself be shamed in his old age. He held the castles entrusted to him. In the autumn of 1571, the Turks began to gather on all sides, and it seemed likely that they would take Szigliget. Bálint Magyar was lying gravely ill in the castle at the time. He therefore sought help — not from the court, but from his good friends, and above all from Boldizsár Batthyány. He dictated his letter to his wife, Brigitta Lengyel. He urgently begged Batthyány to send men to his aid, as Szigliget was in danger.
The explanation for this appeal for help is straightforward. After Tamás Nádasdy's death, Bálint Magyar had forged a friendship with Boldizsár Batthyány. This powerful lord and outstanding military commander certainly knew the old Bálint Magyar well. And if he consistently showed him goodwill, it is clear that he knew how to appreciate Magyar's merits. We do not know what Batthyány replied to the letter of Lady Brigitta Lengyel, but what is certain is that he sent soldiers to Bálint Magyar's aid.
As soon as Magyar had recovered from his illness, he wrote to Batthyány on several occasions. The tone of these letters clearly shows that Bálint Magyar was held in great esteem in the Batthyány household. Perhaps the last letter Bálint Magyar ever wrote was also addressed to Boldizsár Batthyány. He wrote it on 9 January 1573 from Hídvég. In it he recommends a young nobleman to Batthyány as a familiaris: "To Your Lordship," he writes, "I commend a young man by the name of Mihály Esegváry. I beg Your Lordship, as my trusted master, to take him into your household for my sake, and to teach and instruct him. And for as long as the young man cannot yet repay Your Lordship himself, I shall repay Your Lordship on his behalf."
Poor Bálint Magyar could render Batthyány little further service. Not long after writing the letter mentioned above, he died. On 12 May 1573, János Párnás reported to Ferenc Nádasdy that he had already written some days earlier of the death of Lord Bálint Magyar. His chief horse had, as ordered, been sent up to Keresztúr.
This brief report too proclaims that with Bálint Magyar, a great warrior departed from this world. For according to sixteenth-century custom, it was only the greatest heroes whose chief horse and armour were acquired for the court.
Bálint Magyar defended Szigliget and Fonyód Castle for more than three decades. He held them with honour to the very end. Yet two years after his death, the Turks had already taken Fonyód, slaughtering the garrison found within.

József Paál
heritage conservation engineer