Századok – 2006

TANULMÁNYOK - Kurucz György: Adósság; hitel; törlesztés. Festetics György pénzügyi helyzete 1782 és 1818 között 539

FESTETICS GYÖRGY PÉNZÜGYI HELYZETE 1782 ÉS 1818 KÖZÖTT 565 S Árvák: • Penzionális alapok: О Főnemesek. 0 Köznemesek: • Pogárok, honoráciorok: И Római kat. egyházi: S Protestáns egyházi: OÖz\«gyek, nők: И Alapítványok: • Kórházi alapok: и Úrbéresek, katonák: Hitelezői csoportok aránya Festetics György passzíváinak megoszlásában, 1818 DEBT, CREDIT, REPAY. THE FINANCIAL SITUATION OF GYÖRGY FESTETICS BETWEEN 1782 AND 1818 by György Kurucz (Summary) Count György Festetics (1755-1819), the son of one of Queen Maria Theresa's Hungarian councillors was bound to have a smooth career in the Imperial Royal Administration. He was a highly educated enlightened aristocrat with extremely good connections, but he rather decided to join the army and make his own way in life irrespective of his family's standing in contemporary court and social hierarchy. On Emperor Joseph II's death, he got involved in the Hungarian nobility's movement aimed at the restoration of estate constitutionalism to prevent the reigning Habsburg dynasty from reviving absolutistic ruling methods. However, the shrewd new monarch, Leopold II, managed to neutralize the nobility's ambitions, and Festetics was subsequently court martialled and dismissed from the army. He retired to his debt ridden family estates having to face liquidity problems and an imminent financial collapse, which did not happen in the end on account of his astute financial manoeuvres and the booming market for Hungarian agricultural products during the long period of wars with France. This study analyses Festetics's efforts to convert the structure of his liabilities after taking over the family debts following his father's death and in the new situation arising from his dismissal from the arm}-. Figures show that Festetics's debts were mounting, including his rising debt servicing liabilities, at one point trebling the inherited 1.1 million florin family debts. However, Festetics succeeded in consolidating his finances through reforms implemented in his estate management as well as by taking on new loans in order to invest in new estates and increase his net incomes. It seems clear that he would have failed to do so if the upper layers of the Catholic clergy, the aristocracy and well off burghers had not had the extra capital to invest. At the end of his life he was no longer dependent on big loans to maintain his liquidity. His creditors were pleased to invest their money with him gradually becoming well known for his support for arts and for founding schools as well as for his helping the orphans of non noble origin in his estates.