Elizabeth Bathory was born on 17th August 1560 at Nyirbator, Hungary to George and Anna Bathory. Elizabeth was a bright child and she was born into a privileged family. She had all the opportunities to pursue a fine education. She learned languages especially Latin, Greek, and German. She was also very interested in science and Mathematics.
The Marriage of Elizabeth Bathory
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Elizabeth’s marriage was a dreamy affair and it was almost fairytale perfect. She was married to her longtime fiancée Ferenc Nadasdy on 8th May 1575 at Varano.
Their marriage was held in a cozy palace and the guest list featured many important guests. Elizabeth then moved to the Nadasdy castle and started her new life.
Elizabeth Bathory Castle
Ferenc spent most of his time in Vienna because he was still pursuing his education. However, he gifted his new bride the Cjeste castle and the surrounding estate which comprised of 17 villages.
After completing his education Ferenc was established as the chief commander of the Hungarian troops. This also led him to spend too much of his time away from his wife and children.
Duties and Responsibilities
During his absence, Elizabeth was responsible for the welfare of her estate. She provided for the peasants and even looked after their medical needs. She was an efficient manager and the people of her estates were never left complaining.
During 1593 the Long War was upon Hungary. This was the blackest of all times. Ferenc had to be away on wars and could not come back home for long stretches of times.
The estate of Nadasdy was situated on the border of Royal Hungary and Ottoman occupied Hungary. There were also villages in the estate that fell in the way of Vienna. These villages were put in extreme danger and more often than not there were reports of plundering and pilferage.
Elizabeth Bathory Facts
Elizabeth was a grown and learned woman who was a strong authority and skilled manager of her estates. In her husband’s absence, it befell upon her to look after all sorts of matters that seemed to arise in the estate. She helped impoverished people and people who were disadvantaged by the war.
She also got involved with women especially who were assaulted and the men who were the casualties of this war. After her husband’s death, Elizabeth was heartbroken.
During this time various controversies began to emerge against her and there were false accusations, of kidnapping and murdering the daughters of peasants and the lesser gentry, on her. She was captured and put under house arrest without any proper trials or evidence. She died four years later in the walled-in prison of her house.
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