St. Ladislaus

Ladislaus I
Saint Ladislaus (Chronica Hungarorum)
King of Hungary Contested by Solomon until 1081
Reign	1077–1095
Predecessor	Géza I
Successor	Coloman
King of Croatia Contested by Petar Svačić
Reign	1091–1095
Predecessor	Stephen II
Successor	Petar Svačić
Born	c. 1040 Kingdom of Poland
Died	29 July 1095 (aged 54–55)
Burial	Somogyvár Abbey, Hungary or Cathedral-Basilica of Oradea, Romania
Spouse	Unnamed first wife (?) Adelaide of Rheinfelden
Issue	Unnamed daughter, wife of Iaroslav Sviatopolchich of Volhinia Empress Irene of Byzantium
Dynasty	Árpád dynasty
Father	Béla I of Hungary
Mother	Richeza or Adelaide of Poland

St. Ladislaus
Reliquary of St Ladislaus in the Cathedral-Basilica of Győr, Hungary
King and Confessor
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Canonized	27 June 1192 (dubious) by Pope Celestine III (dubious)
Major shrine	Cathedral-Basilica of Oradea, Romania and Cathedral-Basilica of Győr, Hungary
Feast	27 June
Attributes	Holy Crown of St. Stephen I Long sword Two angels Banner
Patronage	Patron Saint of Hungary Patron Saint of the Székelys Protector against pestilence

Ladislaus I or Ladislas I, also Saint Ladislaus or Saint Ladislas (Hungarian: I or Szent László; Croatian: Ladislav I.; Slovak: Svätý Ladislav I; Polish: Władysław I Święty; c. 1040 – 29 July 1095) was King of Hungary from 1077 and King of Croatia from 1091. He was the second son of King Béla I of Hungary. After Béla's death in 1063, Ladislaus and his elder brother, Géza, acknowledged their cousin, Solomon as the lawful king in exchange for receiving their father's former duchy, which included one-third of the kingdom. Géza and Ladislaus cooperated with Solomon for the next decade. Ladislaus's most popular legend, which narrates his fight with a "Cuman" (a Turkic nomad marauder) who abducted a Hungarian girl, is connected to this period. Géza's and Ladislaus's relationship with Solomon deteriorated in the early 1070s, and they rebelled against him. Géza was proclaimed king in 1074, but Solomon maintained control of the western regions of his kingdom. During Géza's reign, Ladislaus was his brother's most influential adviser.

Géza died in 1077, and his supporters made Ladislaus king. Solomon resisted Ladislaus with the assistance of King Henry IV of Germany. Ladislaus supported Henry IV's opponents during the Investiture Controversy. In 1081, Solomon abdicated and acknowledged Ladislaus's reign, but he conspired to regain the royal crown and Ladislaus imprisoned him. Ladislaus canonized the first Hungarian saints (including his distant relatives, King Stephen I and Duke Emeric) in 1085. He set Solomon free during the canonization ceremony.