Diet of Hungary
Encyclopedia
The Diet of Hungary was a legislative institution in the medieval kingdom of Hungary
from the 15th century, and in its successor states, Royal Hungary
and the Habsburg kingdom of Hungary throughout the Early Modern period
. It convened at regular intervals with interruptions during the period of 1527 to 1918, and again until 1946.
The articles of the 1790 diet set out that the diet should meet at least once every 3 years, but, since the diet was called by the Habsburg monarchy
, this promise was not kept on several occasions thereafter. As a result of the Austro-Hungarian Compromise, it was reconstituted in 1867.
The Latin term Natio Hungarica ("Hungarian nation") was used to designate the political elite which had participation in the diet, consisting of the nobility, the Catholic clergy, and a few enfranchised burghers.
with the Golden Bull of 1222
, which reaffirmed the rights of the smaller nobles of the old and new classes of royal servants (servientes regis) against both the crown and the magnates and to defend those of the whole nation against the crown by restricting the powers of the latter in certain fields and legalizing refusal to obey its unlawful/unconstitutional commands (the "ius resistendi").
The lesser nobles also began to present Andrew with grievances, a practice that evolved into the institution of the Hungarian Diet.
An institutionalized Hungarian Diet emerged during the 14th to 15th century. Under Charles I of Hungary
, and still under Matthias Corvinus, the Diet was essentially convened by the king to announce his decisions, and had no significant power of its own.
In 1492 the Diet limited the serfs' freedom of movement and expanded their obligations while a large portion of peasants became prospering because of cattle-export to the West. Rural discontent boiled over in 1514 when well-armed peasants preparing for a crusade against Turks rose up under György Dózsa
. Shocked by the peasant revolt, the Diet of 1514 passed laws that condemned the serfs to eternal bondage and increased their work obligations.
When Vladislaus II
died in 1516, his ten-year-old son Louis II
(1516–26) became king, but a royal council appointed by the Diet ruled the country.
a diet was called at Pest that was dismissed by decree of Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria
in October; the next year an Hungarian assembly met at the Protestant Great Church of Debrecen
, which declared the new Emperor Franz Joseph deposed and elected Lajos Kossuth
regent-president. The revolution was finally suppressed by Austrian troops under General Julius Jacob von Haynau
and the assembly dissolved.
The Habsburgs again approached toward the Hungarian estates after the desastrous defeat at the 1859 Battle of Solferino
and the loss of Lombardy
. In 1860 Emperor Franz Joseph issued the October Diploma
, which provided a national Reichsrat
assembly formed by delegates deputed by the Landtag
e diets of the Austrian crown lands, followed by the February Patent
of 1861, promising the implementation of a bicameral legislature. The Hungarian magnate
s however rejected to be governed from Vienna and insisted on an own parliamentary assembly with comprehensive autonomy in Hungarian affairs. The negotiations failed, predominantly due to the tough stance of Austrian Minister-President Anton von Schmerling.
Finally in the course of the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, the emperor appointed Gyula Andrássy
Hungarian minister-president and the re-established national assembly convened on 27 February.
The legislative power was vested in this parliament, consisting of two houses: an upper house
titled the Főrendiház (f ő, House of Magnates), and a lower house
titled the Képviselőház (', House of Representatives). From 1902 on parliament assembles in the Hungarian Parliament Building
on the Danube
in Budapest
.
s of United States territories). The House had no fixed membership size, as anyone who met the qualifications could sit in it. The official list:
See also List of Speakers of the House of Magnates of Hungary
The House of Representatives (Képviselőház ) consisted of members elected, under the Electoral Law of 1874, by a complicated franchise based upon property, taxation, profession or official position, and ancestral privileges. The House consisted of 453 members, of which 413 are deputies elected in Hungary and 43 delegates of Croatia-Slavonia sent by the parliament of that Kingdom. Their terms were for five years and were remunerated.
The Encyclopedia Britannica Eleventh Edition considered the franchise "probably the most illiberal in Europe". The working classes were wholly unrepresented in the parliament, only 6% of them, and 13% of the small trading class, possessing the franchise, which was only enjoyed by 6% of the entire population.
The parliament was summoned annually by the king at Budapest. While official language was Hungarian
, but the delegates of Croatia-Slavonia
were allowed to use Croatian language
in the proceedings. The Hungarian parliament had power to legislate on all matters concerning Hungary, but for Croatia-Slavonia only on matters which concern these provinces in common with Hungary. The executive power was vested in a cabinet responsible to it, consisting of ten ministers, including: the president of the council, the minister for Croatia-Slavonia, a minister ad latum, and the ministers of the interior, of national defence, of education and public worship, of finance, of agriculture, of industry and commerce, and of justice.
now, as opposed to the historical royal diet.
Kingdom of Hungary in the Middle Ages
The Kingdom of Hungary was formed from the previous Principality of Hungarywith the coronation of Stephen I in AD 1000. This was a result of the conversion of Géza of Hungary to the Western Church in the 970s....
from the 15th century, and in its successor states, Royal Hungary
Royal Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary between 1538 and 1867 was part of the lands of the Habsburg Monarchy, while outside the Holy Roman Empire.After Battle of Mohács, the country was ruled by two crowned kings . They divided the kingdom in 1538...
and the Habsburg kingdom of Hungary throughout the Early Modern period
Early modern period
In history, the early modern period of modern history follows the late Middle Ages. Although the chronological limits of the period are open to debate, the timeframe spans the period after the late portion of the Middle Ages through the beginning of the Age of Revolutions...
. It convened at regular intervals with interruptions during the period of 1527 to 1918, and again until 1946.
The articles of the 1790 diet set out that the diet should meet at least once every 3 years, but, since the diet was called by the Habsburg monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
, this promise was not kept on several occasions thereafter. As a result of the Austro-Hungarian Compromise, it was reconstituted in 1867.
The Latin term Natio Hungarica ("Hungarian nation") was used to designate the political elite which had participation in the diet, consisting of the nobility, the Catholic clergy, and a few enfranchised burghers.
Development
The Hungarian Diet originates under Andrew II of HungaryAndrew II of Hungary
Andrew II the Jerosolimitan was King of Hungary and Croatia . He was the younger son of King Béla III of Hungary, who invested him with the government of the Principality of Halych...
with the Golden Bull of 1222
Golden Bull of 1222
The Golden Bull of 1222 was a golden bull, or edict, issued by King Andrew II of Hungary. The law established the rights of the Hungarian nobility, including the right to disobey the King when he acted contrary to law . The nobles and the church were freed from all taxes and could not be forced to...
, which reaffirmed the rights of the smaller nobles of the old and new classes of royal servants (servientes regis) against both the crown and the magnates and to defend those of the whole nation against the crown by restricting the powers of the latter in certain fields and legalizing refusal to obey its unlawful/unconstitutional commands (the "ius resistendi").
The lesser nobles also began to present Andrew with grievances, a practice that evolved into the institution of the Hungarian Diet.
An institutionalized Hungarian Diet emerged during the 14th to 15th century. Under Charles I of Hungary
Charles I of Hungary
Charles I , also known as Charles Robert , was the first King of Hungary and Croatia of the House of Anjou. He was also descended from the old Hungarian Árpád dynasty. His claim to the throne of Hungary was contested by several pretenders...
, and still under Matthias Corvinus, the Diet was essentially convened by the king to announce his decisions, and had no significant power of its own.
In 1492 the Diet limited the serfs' freedom of movement and expanded their obligations while a large portion of peasants became prospering because of cattle-export to the West. Rural discontent boiled over in 1514 when well-armed peasants preparing for a crusade against Turks rose up under György Dózsa
György Dózsa
György Dózsa was a Székely Hungarian man-at-arms from Transylvania, Kingdom of Hungary who led a peasants' revolt against the kingdom's landed nobility...
. Shocked by the peasant revolt, the Diet of 1514 passed laws that condemned the serfs to eternal bondage and increased their work obligations.
When Vladislaus II
Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary
Vladislaus II, also known as Ladislaus Jagiellon ; was King of Bohemia from 1471 and King of Hungary from 1490 until his death in 1516...
died in 1516, his ten-year-old son Louis II
Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia
Louis II was King of Hungary, Bohemia and Croatia from 1516 to 1526.- Early life :Louis was the son of Ladislaus II Jagiellon and his third wife, Anne de Foix....
(1516–26) became king, but a royal council appointed by the Diet ruled the country.
Royal Hungary (1527–1699)
| Start date | End date | Location | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1527 | 1528 | Buda | |
| 1532 | 1532 | Buda | |
| 1536 | 1536 | Várad | |
| 1537 | 1537 | Pressburg (Pozsony, now Bratislava Bratislava Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava... ) |
|
| 1542 | 1543 | Besztercebánya | |
| 1545 | 1545 | Nagyszombat | |
| 1547 | 1547 | Nagyszombat | |
| 1548 | 1548 | Pressburg | |
| 1550 | 1550 | Pressburg | |
| 1552 | 1552 | Pressburg | |
| 1553 | 1553 | Sopron | |
| 1554 | 1554 | Pressburg | |
| 1555 | 1555 | Pressburg | |
| 1556 | 1556 | Pressburg | |
| 1557 | 1557 | Pressburg | |
| 1559 | 1559 | Pressburg | |
| 1563 | 1563 | Pressburg | |
| 1566 | 1566 | Pressburg | |
| 1567 | 1567 | Pressburg | |
| 1569 | 1569 | Pressburg | |
| 1572 | 1572 | Pressburg | |
| 1574 | 1574 | Pressburg | |
| 1575 | 1575 | Pressburg | |
| 1578 | 1578 | Pressburg | |
| 1581 | 1581 | Pressburg | |
| 1583 | 1583 | Pressburg | |
| 1587 | 1587 | Pressburg | |
| 1593 | 1593 | Pressburg | |
| 1596 | 1596 | Pressburg | |
| 1597 | 1597 | Pressburg | |
| 1598 | 1598 | Pressburg | |
| 1599 | 1599 | Pressburg | |
| 1600 | 1600 | Pressburg | |
| 1601 | 1601 | Pressburg | |
| 1602 | 1602 | Pressburg | |
| 1603 | 1603 | Pressburg | |
| 1604 | 1604 | Pressburg | |
| 1608 | 1608 | Pressburg | |
| 1609 | 1609 | Pressburg | |
| 1613 | 1613 | Pressburg | |
| 1618 | 1618 | Pressburg | |
| 1622 | 1622 | Sopron | |
| 1625 | 1625 | Sopron | |
| 1630 | 1630 | Pressburg | |
| 1635 | 1635 | Sopron | |
| 1637 | 1638 | Pressburg | |
| 1647 | 1647 | Pressburg | |
| 1649 | 1649 | Pressburg | |
| 1655 | 1655 | Pressburg | |
| 1659 | 1659 | Pressburg | |
| 1662 | 1662 | Pressburg | |
| 1681 | 1681 | Sopron | |
| 1687 | 1687 | Pressburg |
Habsburg Monarchy (1700–1867)
| Start date | End date | Location | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1708 | 1715 | Pressburg | Continuously interrupted |
| 1722 | 1723 | Pressburg | |
| 1728 | 1729 | Pressburg | |
| 1741 | 1742 | Pressburg | |
| 1751 | 1751 | Pressburg | |
| 1764 | 1765 | Pressburg | |
| 1790 | 1791 | Pressburg | First phase not held in Pressburg |
| 1792 | 1792 | ||
| 1796 | 1796 | In 1796, the diet was convened again to be informed that "attacked by the impious and iniquitous French nation, the king felt the necessity of consulting his faithful states of Hungary, remembering that, under Maria Theresa, Hungary had saved the monarchy." The diet voted to supply a contingent of 50,000 men, and undertook to provision the Austrian army, amounting to 340,000 soldiers. The diet was dissolved after only nineteen sittings. | |
| 1802 | 1802 | The diet of 1802 discussed demands on Hungary with regard to the French Revolutionary Wars French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states... . |
|
| 1805 | 1805 | The diet of 1805 resembled that of 1802. | |
| 1807 | 1807 | The diet of 1807 was more remarkable. To the usual demands was added the royal proposition that an army should be raised, and ready to march at the first signal. | |
| 1811 | 1812 | ||
| 1825 | 1827 | Pressburg | |
| 1830 | Pressburg | Crowned Archduke Ferdinand Ferdinand I of Austria Ferdinand I was Emperor of Austria, President of the German Confederation, King of Hungary and Bohemia , as well as associated dominions from the death of his father, Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, until his abdication after the Revolutions of 1848.He married Maria Anna of Savoy, the sixth child... as King of Hungary King of Hungary The King of Hungary was the head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 1918.The style of title "Apostolic King" was confirmed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 and used afterwards by all the Kings of Hungary, so after this date the kings are referred to as "Apostolic King of... |
|
| 1832 | 1836 | ||
| 1839 | 1840 | ||
| 1843 | 1844 | ||
| 1847 | 1847/8 |
Re-establishment 1867
In the course of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848Hungarian Revolution of 1848
The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was one of many of the European Revolutions of 1848 and closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas...
a diet was called at Pest that was dismissed by decree of Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria
Ferdinand I of Austria
Ferdinand I was Emperor of Austria, President of the German Confederation, King of Hungary and Bohemia , as well as associated dominions from the death of his father, Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, until his abdication after the Revolutions of 1848.He married Maria Anna of Savoy, the sixth child...
in October; the next year an Hungarian assembly met at the Protestant Great Church of Debrecen
Protestant Great Church of Debrecen
The Protestant Great Church or Great Reformed Church is probably the most best known building in the city of Debrecen. It stands in the city centre, between Kossuth square and Calvin square. It is the symbol of the Protestant Church in Hungary, and it is because of this church that Debrecen is...
, which declared the new Emperor Franz Joseph deposed and elected Lajos Kossuth
Lajos Kossuth
Lajos Kossuth de Udvard et Kossuthfalva was a Hungarian lawyer, journalist, politician and Regent-President of Hungary in 1849. He was widely honored during his lifetime, including in the United Kingdom and the United States, as a freedom fighter and bellwether of democracy in Europe.-Family:Lajos...
regent-president. The revolution was finally suppressed by Austrian troops under General Julius Jacob von Haynau
Julius Jacob von Haynau
Julius Jacob von Haynau was an Austrian general.The illegitimate son of the landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, William I and Rebecca Richter, a Jewish woman, he entered the Austrian army as an infantry officer in 1801 and saw much service in the Napoleonic wars...
and the assembly dissolved.
The Habsburgs again approached toward the Hungarian estates after the desastrous defeat at the 1859 Battle of Solferino
Battle of Solferino
The Battle of Solferino, , was fought on June 24, 1859 and resulted in the victory of the allied French Army under Napoleon III and Sardinian Army under Victor Emmanuel II against the Austrian Army under Emperor Franz Joseph I; it was the last major battle in world...
and the loss of Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
. In 1860 Emperor Franz Joseph issued the October Diploma
October Diploma
The October Diploma was a constitution adopted by Habsburg Emperor Franz Joseph on October 20, 1860. The Diploma attempted to increase the power of the conservative nobles by giving them more power over their own lands through a program of aristocratic federalism...
, which provided a national Reichsrat
Reichsrat (Austria)
The Imperial Council of Austria from 1867 to 1918 was the parliament of the Cisleithanian part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was a bicameral legislature, consisting of the Herrenhaus and the Abgeordnetenhaus...
assembly formed by delegates deputed by the Landtag
Landtag
A Landtag is a representative assembly or parliament in German-speaking countries with some legislative authority.- Name :...
e diets of the Austrian crown lands, followed by the February Patent
February Patent
The February Patent was a document that was adopted in 1861 as a constitution of the Austrian Empire.-Historical background:In the Austrian Empire, the early 1860’s were a period of significant constitutional reforms. The revolutions and unfortunate wars of the late 1840’s-1850’s had created a...
of 1861, promising the implementation of a bicameral legislature. The Hungarian magnate
Magnate
Magnate, from the Late Latin magnas, a great man, itself from Latin magnus 'great', designates a noble or other man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or other qualities...
s however rejected to be governed from Vienna and insisted on an own parliamentary assembly with comprehensive autonomy in Hungarian affairs. The negotiations failed, predominantly due to the tough stance of Austrian Minister-President Anton von Schmerling.
Finally in the course of the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, the emperor appointed Gyula Andrássy
Gyula Andrássy
Gyula Count Andrássy de Csíkszentkirály et Krasznahorka was a Hungarian statesman, who served as Prime Minister of Hungary and subsequently as Foreign Minister of Austria-Hungary...
Hungarian minister-president and the re-established national assembly convened on 27 February.
The legislative power was vested in this parliament, consisting of two houses: an upper house
Upper house
An upper house, often called a senate, is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house; a legislature composed of only one house is described as unicameral.- Possible specific characteristics :...
titled the Főrendiház (f ő, House of Magnates), and a lower house
Lower house
A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power...
titled the Képviselőház (', House of Representatives). From 1902 on parliament assembles in the Hungarian Parliament Building
Hungarian Parliament Building
The Hungarian Parliament Building is the seat of the National Assembly of Hungary, one of Europe's oldest legislative buildings, a notable landmark of Hungary and a popular tourist destination of Budapest. It lies in Lajos Kossuth Square, on the bank of the Danube, in Budapest...
on the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
.
House of Magnates
The House of Magnates (Főrendiház) was, like the current British House of Lords, composed of hereditaries, ecclesiastics, and, unlike the House of Lords, deputized representatives from autonomous regions (Similar to Resident CommissionerResident Commissioner
Resident Commissioner is the title of several, quite different types of Commissioner in overseas possession or protectorate of the British Crown or of the United States.-British English:...
s of United States territories). The House had no fixed membership size, as anyone who met the qualifications could sit in it. The official list:
- Princes of the royal house who have attained their majority (16 in 1904)
- Hereditary peers who paid at least 3000 florins a year land tax (237 in 1904) (at its 1896 exchange rate, £1 was worth 12 florins, so this comes to £250)
- High dignitaries of the Roman CatholicRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and Eastern Orthodox churchEastern Orthodox ChurchThe Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
es (42 in 1904) - Representatives of the Protestant confessions (13 in 1904)
- Life peers appointed by the Crown, not exceeding 50 in number, and life peers elected by the house itself (73 altogether in 1904)
- Various state dignitaries and high judges (19 in 1904)
- Three delegates of Croatia-Slavonia
See also List of Speakers of the House of Magnates of Hungary
House of Representatives
The Encyclopedia Britannica Eleventh Edition considered the franchise "probably the most illiberal in Europe". The working classes were wholly unrepresented in the parliament, only 6% of them, and 13% of the small trading class, possessing the franchise, which was only enjoyed by 6% of the entire population.
The parliament was summoned annually by the king at Budapest. While official language was Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
, but the delegates of Croatia-Slavonia
Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia
The Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia or Croatia Slavonia was an autonomous kingdom within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was part of the Hungarian Kingdom within the dual Austro-Hungarian state, being within the Lands of the Crown of St. Stephen or Transleithania...
were allowed to use Croatian language
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
in the proceedings. The Hungarian parliament had power to legislate on all matters concerning Hungary, but for Croatia-Slavonia only on matters which concern these provinces in common with Hungary. The executive power was vested in a cabinet responsible to it, consisting of ten ministers, including: the president of the council, the minister for Croatia-Slavonia, a minister ad latum, and the ministers of the interior, of national defence, of education and public worship, of finance, of agriculture, of industry and commerce, and of justice.
Post-1989
The democratic character of the Hungarian parliament was reestablished with the fall of the iron curtain and the end of communist dictatorship. Today's parliament is still called Országgyűlés just like in royal times, but in order to differentiate between the two phases is referred to as National Assembly of HungaryNational Assembly of Hungary
The National Assembly or Diet is the parliament of Hungary. The unicameral body consists of 386 members elected to 4-year terms. Election of members is based on a complex system involving both area and list election; parties must win at least 5% of the popular vote in order to enter list members...
now, as opposed to the historical royal diet.