House of Ernuszt Ernušt |
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Country |
Kingdom of Hungary Kingdom of Croatia in personal union with Hungary |
Estates | Međimurje, Đurđevac, Koprivnica, Virje, Molve etc. |
Titles | Bans (viceroys) of Croatia, bans of Slavonia, royal chamberlains, bishops, ispáns, župans (counts) etc. |
Founded | 1460s |
Founder | John I |
Final ruler | Caspar |
Dissolution | 1540 |
Ethnicity | Jewish |
The House of Ernuszt (English: Ernusht; Croatian: Ernušt) was a Hungarian noble family, descending from a rich Jewish family who came to medieval Hungary from Vienna, converted to Catholicism and also reached its peak in the Kingdom of Croatia during the reign of King Matthias Corvinus and his successors. Notable members of the family were bans of Croatia and Slavonia, king's chamberlains, bishops, ispáns, župans (counts) and other state officials.
At the beginning of the reign of King Matthias Corvinus (1458-1490), Ernuszts were wholesalers and bankers in Buda. John I Ernuszt, nicknamed „Hampó", became king's regular banker and increased his wealth by lucrative and profitable business with the sovereign. For his banking services he earned many titles and estates as well, either buying the land from the king or receiving it as mortgage for money lent to him. On 20 November 1473 he was appointed Ban of Slavonia, receiving at the same time Međimurje County, the northernmost part of the territory, with its seat Čakovec. Therefore, he appeared in historical documents as John Ernuszt de Csáktornya (Hungarian: csáktornyai Ernuszt János; Croatian: Ivan Ernušt Čakovečki).