Archívum - A Heves Megyei Levéltár közleményei 13. (Eger, 1994)

TANULMÁNYOK - Sugár István: Az egri vár tüzérsége 1548-1564 között • 103

Wollen wir die Zahl der Artilleristen mit der Zahl der in den Inventaren festgestellten Kánonén mit groíter SchuBweite vergleichen, so náhern sich die 2 Angaben beachtenswert einander. Aufgrund der Erfahrungen der vorjahrigen türkischen Angriffe hatte die Burg von Eger 1553 zwei Mai so viele Artilleristen, auf 4 Geschütze mit grofler SchuBweite, als grofíe "bombarda", kamen 8 Artilleristen. István Sugár Artillery in Eger castle between 1548 and 1564 Although artillerymen were the most important and indispensable of the Hungárián bordér castles in the laté middle ages, a somewhat inadequate amount of information was published about the artillerymen of the Eger castle in connection with the great Turkish seige of 1552. However, they were inaccurate in parts. In somé publications as many as three gunners were reckoned to be among the defenders, but they had left the castle before the Turkish attack. In 1552 they were seven artillerymen „bombardarius" with the castles operational force. As well as this, one gunner arrived in Eger with artillery troops, and another gunner was mentioned as an assistant artilleryman „coadjutor". Altogether 35 artillery men and 2 „coadjutor" arrived in Eger from the 20th July 1548, when the Habsburg ruler took over the castle from Péter Perényi to 20th March 1564, when the economic system of the castle was changed and a chief vvas set to take charge of the castle in accordance of decrees made by the court of chambers. Alsó, 5 cannon gunpowder makers, a locksmith, a joiner, a wheelwright and a wagon maker were ranked among the artillery. Most of the artillerymen came from the Germán empire and the Austrian provinces. But, somé of them were Bohemian, Czech or Slovak and from Northern Hungary an. Usually artillerymen were only in service for a short time, sometimes for only a few months, but four gunners rose above the others. They were in the garrison of Eger for 5, 7, and 9 and as much as 11 years. In 1552 there was a gunner from Laibach, who was mentioned as a chief artilleryman „Magister primus" by contempary documents and accounts. In 1557 the Germán or Austrian Veit Peininger was set to head the artillery of the castle, and at the same was the superintendent of the magaziné. A dry-mill was running in the castle to grind the gunpowder during the turkish seige of 1552, which was blown up during the battle. Making up for the loss, the millers assembled two dry-mills, which were probably smaller than the previous one. Later a water-mill operated by a stream rumiing under the castle was used for grinding. By order of the court of Vienna the castle made preparations for permanent gunpowder grinding in the summer of 1555. 115