Szapáry

Coat of arms of the Szapáry family

The House of Szapáry (Hungarian: Szapáry de Muraszombath, Széchysziget et Szapár) is the name of an old and important Hungarian noble family, which derived its name from the village of Szapár.

History

The family can trace back their noble lienage back to the first half of the 16th century, in particular from a local nobleman György Szapáry de Szapár (1527-1592). In 1690 they were awarded with the title of Baron by Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor.[1] Members of this family were upgraded to the title of Imperial Count (Hungarian: grof), granted to them on 28 December 1722 by Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor and many of them played a prominent military, political, diplomatic and philanthropic role in the history of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.[2]

Notable family members

Szapáry castle in Sorokpolány, Hungary

• Etelka Szapáry (1798–1876), Hungarian noblewoman
• László Szapáry (1831–1883), Austro-Hungarian general who played a leading role in the occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878
• Gyula Szapáry (1832–1905), Prime Minister of Hungary from 1890 to 1892
• Frigyes Szapáry (1869–1935), Ambassador of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to the Russian Empire at the outbreak of World War I, who played a key role during the July Crisis of 1914. He is the grandfather of Princess Michael of Kent.
• Margit Szapáry (1871–1943), German salonnière
• György Szapáry (born 1938), Hungarian–Belgian economist and diplomat
• Yvonne Szapáry (born 1944), married to Prince Karl of Hesse

Related people

• Princess Michael of Kent – on her maternal grandfather's side.[3]

References

1. http://w.genealogy.euweb.cz/hung/szapary1.html#J
2. "Counts Szapari". Geneall. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
3. "Maria Anna, countess Szapary de Muraszombath Szechysziget e Szapar, * 1911 | Geneall.net". GeneAll. Retrieved 18 July 2014.