Sigismund Ernuszt

Sigismund Ernuszt
Bishop of Pécs
Coat-of-arms of Sigismund Ernuszt
Province	Esztergom
Diocese	Pécs
Appointed	1473
Term ended	1505
Predecessor	Janus Pannonius
Successor	George Szatmári
Personal details
Born	c. 1445
Died	summer 1505
Buried	Pécs
Nationality	Hungarian
Denomination	Roman Catholic

Sigismund Ernuszt (Hungarian: csáktornyai Ernuszt Zsigmond; c. 1445 – summer 1505) was Bishop of Pécs in the Kingdom of Hungary from 1473 to 1505. He was also Ban of Croatia, Dalmatia and Slavonia from 1494 to 1498. He was the son of John Ernuszt, a converted Jew, who started his career as a custom's duty collector during the reign of Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary. Sigismund studied at the universities of Vienna and Ferrara in the early 1470s. When the king made him bishop of Pécs, the Holy See confirmed him as the administrator of the diocese, but he was most probably never ordained bishop. Matthias Corvinus also tasked him with the administration of the newly conquered Archduchy of Austria in 1486.

After Matthias's death, he was the only bishop to support the bid of Matthias's illegitimate son, John Corvinus, for the throne. After the united armies of Corvinus's supporters were defeated, he swore fealty to Vladislaus II Jagiellon. The new king made him royal treasurer in 1494, but he was dismissed after being accused of embezzlement at the Diet of Hungary in 1496. Pécs Cathedral and the castle at Pécs were renovated during his tenure. His three retainers strangled him to seize his wealth.

Sigismund was the elder son of John Ernuszt (also known as John Hampó) and his wife, Catherine. He was born around 1445. His father was a Jew from Vienna who moved to Buda. He converted to Roman Catholicism by 1457. Ten years later, Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary, made him royal treasurer.