Századok – 2009

TANULMÁNYOK - Soós István: Esterházy Pál nádor és a Neoacquistica Commissio IV/801

PALATINE PÁL ESTERHÁZY AND THE NEOACQUISTICA COMMISSIO by István Soós (Summary) During the 1680s and 1690s the court of Vienna disposed of the territories reconquered from the Ottomans by the right of arms (jure armorum). It meant that the lands laying on the reconquered territory could only be returned to their original lords, secular and ecclesiastical, in case the latter were able to prove their property roghts. For the examination of these rights the so-called Neoacquistica Commissio was set up in 1690 within the Court Chamber. The first part of the study describes the activity of the Commissio, which functioned until 31 August 1703, and analyses its working procedure. The activity of the Commissio was in many regards contrary to the interests of palatine Pál Esterházy (1681-1713), both as the highest lay office-holder of the realm and the most respected mediator between the court of Vienna and the Hungarian orders, and as the wealthiest magnate of Hungary. The second part of the study examines the struggle that the palatine upheld with the Commissio in the defence of the lands of the nobility who turned to him for help, of the so-called palatinal lands, and of his own family estates (in southern and middle Transdanubia as well as in North-eastern Hungary). In this conflict which went on for years the palatine certainly suffered a defeat at the hands of the omnipotent Commissio: he proved unable to preserve the majority of his own palatinal donations and part at least of his family lands, nor was he strong enough to offer effective help to the Hungarian nobility.