4. Bálint Prépostváry (1547–1597), captain of the field armies.

... Autograph signed official letter in Latin to Archduke Ernest of Habsburg, commander-in-chief.
A document of exceptional historical interest. The frontier warrior, who had been granted the title of baron two years earlier, requests the archduke’s support before the ruler. The captaincy of one of the kingdom’s most important frontier fortresses, Eger, had recently become vacant following the resignation of Zsigmond Rákóczi (later Prince of Transylvania). Prépostváry argues at length that he is both worthy and capable of defending and strengthening the fortress in continued service to the king. His request was supported by Archduke Ernest, while Ferdinand zu Hardegg, captain-general of Upper Hungary, also considered him the most suitable candidate for the office. Barely a month and a half after the date of the letter, he received the ruler’s approval. He resigned from the position on 1 July 1594 and therefore did not have to witness the siege of 1596 and the loss of the fortress to the Ottomans for many decades thereafter.
Prépostváry was an important figure in Hungarian military history and held several significant offices. Among these, the captaincies of Kassa and Szatmár, as well as the captain-generalcy of Eger, were perhaps the most prominent. He is also associated with the rebuilding of the fortress of Kálló. He fought alongside King Stephen Báthory of Poland during campaigns on Polish territory, and during the Long Turkish War he participated in the recapture of several important frontier fortresses from the Ottomans. Towards the end of his life the ruler appointed him a member of the Aulic War Council.
2 written pages. Paper document with paper-protected wax seal.
 
Starting price: 500 000 Ft