Petercsák Tivadar - Berecz Mátyás (szerk.): Magyarország védelme - Európa védelme - Studia Agriensia 24. (Eger, 2006)

MAGYARORSZÁG VÉDELME -EURÓPA VÉDELME BALASSI BÁLINT ÉS BOCSKAI ISTVÁN KORÁBAN - G. ETÉNYI NÓRA: Magyar végvári katonák a tizenötéves háború nürnbergi újsághíreiben

Nóra G. Etényi

HUNGARIAN BORDER CASTLE SOLDIERS IN NUREMBERG REPORTAGE ON THE FIFTEEN YEARS WAR

News of the war against the Turks in Hungary was already being reported within the German Empire in all kinds of illustrated handbills, pamphlets and newsheets as early as the 16th century. Of those southern German towns commercially affected by the war having high-quality printing presses, it was Nuremberg and Augsburg in particular that saw the appearance of printed material referring to Hungary. The Nuremberg accounting books, and the patents issued by the town leadership, prove that Christian solidarity manifested itself in people’s everyday lives. In the publication of anti-Turkish prayers, the prohibition of celebrations and the ringing of bells as a reminder of the not-so distant events, one sees a town leadership, and a town, not only following events closely, but treating the war against the Turks as a serious threat to the “Universitas Christianat”. The Nuremberg publications show that authenticated information was being circulated as early as the Turkish attack on Szigetvár in 1566. The Nuremberg town chronicles and pasquilli prove it wasn’t just propaganda issued from above that was following the events of the long Turkish war between 1593 and 1606, but reportage satisfying what was a widespread interest in the conflict. It was particularly the six-monthly market publications, which also addressed diplomatic and political questions, that proved popular. A handwritten Nuremberg pasquillus from 1595 shows that of the Hungarian nobles who played an active role in the war against the Turks, it was not just the famous military leaders such as Miklós Pálffy and Ferenc Nádasdy who were picked out for special mention, but István Illésházy, who was responsible for provisions. The Nuremberg town chronicles also prove that what occurred on the battlefields of Hungary entered the collective consciousness in the long term. One such town chronicle included some prints by the famous Nuremberg engraver Johann Siebmacher which had previously appeared on handbills and in one particular work by Hieronymous Ortelius published in 1602. Those active in Nuremberg’s cultural life, as well as the middle classes, were to share the political and economic elite’s interest in publications that were to shape opinions and affect people’s outlooks for a long time to come.

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