Šubic
Encyclopedia
The Šubić were one of the twelve tribes which constituted Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...

n statehood in the Middle Ages; they held the county of Bribir (Varvaria) in inland Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....

.

Origins

Today Bribir is an archaeological site in inland Dalmatia. It is located on a flat hill about fifteen kilometres northwest of Skradin
Skradin
Skradin is a small town in the Šibenik-Knin county of Croatia it has a population about 3,986 . It is located near the Krka river and at the entrance to the Krka National Park, from Šibenik and from Split...

, near the old Zadar
Zadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...

 road which goes through Benkovac
Benkovac
Benkovac is a town and municipality in the interior of Zadar County, Croatia.- Geography :Benkovac is located where the plain of Ravni Kotari and the karstic plateau of Bukovica meet, 20 km from the town of Biograd na Moru and 30 km from Zadar. The Zagreb-Split motorway and Zadar-Knin...

. Under the steep rocks of its western side there is the source of the Bribirčica stream and from here the rich and fertile Bribir-Ostrovica field spreads out. The hill of Bribir, an ideal place to control the surrounding territory, was a perfect area to inhabit. The one who held it had control over all roads and approaches from the sea to the hinterland, making it an ideal settlement.

During the Roman period Bribir, known as Varvaria, had the status of municipium and was the centre of one of the fourteen Liburnian counties (Wilkes, 1969). The Byzantine emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus wrote in the 10th century about the Croats
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...

 settling in Dalmatia in the 7th century and described how they had organised their country into eleven counties (zupanias) one of which was Breberi, centred on site of the old Varvaria (Moravcsik & Jenkins, eds. 1967). A line of hills separated it from the territory of Knin
Knin
Knin is a historical town in the Šibenik-Knin county of Croatia, located near the source of the river Krka at , in the Dalmatian hinterland, on the railroad Zagreb–Split. Knin rose to prominence twice in history, as a one-time capital of both the Kingdom of Croatia and briefly of the...

 to the north and to the south it bordered on Skradin
Skradin
Skradin is a small town in the Šibenik-Knin county of Croatia it has a population about 3,986 . It is located near the Krka river and at the entrance to the Krka National Park, from Šibenik and from Split...

. It was held by a kindred that in coeval documents is referred to as nobiles, comites or principes Breberienses (Princes of Breber, "Knezovi Bribirski" in Croatian). These Breberienses belonged to the Šubić tribe, one of the twelve which composed Croatian statehood in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...

 and one of the six from which the Ban
Ban (title)
Ban was a title used in several states in central and south-eastern Europe between the 7th century and the 20th century.-Etymology:The word ban has entered the English language probably as a borrowing from South Slavic ban, meaning "lord, master; ruler". The Slavic word is probably borrowed from...

, or viceroy, was chosen (Kukuljevic-Sakcinski, 1874).

Original coat of arms

The original coat of arms of this clan of nobles is a wing argent on a shield gules. The crest is a sprig of barberry. Argent and gules were the colours of the Croatian kindreds that sided with the papal party such as the lords of Krk (before they took on the shield of the Roman Frangipani), the Gusic, the Morovic and the Hrvatinic, and still are those of Croatia.

The device could be derived from the winged shield standard of the royal chamberlain, a post held by Budez postelnic berberensis jupanus (1069). It is interesting to note how common wings are, especially as a crest, in later Croatian heraldry (Bojnicic, 1986). This could be accounted by the numerous familiares of the powerful Zrins who kept the Breber device in their coat of arms.

Timeline

In recent history books whenever members of this kindred are mentioned in relation to their prominent role in the 13th and 14th centuries the surname of Šubić is conferred upon them by the historian. This was not the way that the members called themselves at the time. During the Middle Ages every man in Croatia bore four names: the name given at baptism, the patronym, the name of his kindred which was also the name of the settlement in which he lived, and his tribal affiliation (Jirecek, 1967). When, with the introduction of feudalism, king Bela confirmed the kindred in their possession of Breber (1251) this name would again be used to identify them since by then the custom was to be called after one's premier fief (Rady, 2000). Thus, in the period from 1069 to the destruction of the county by the Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

 in 1520, the many personages of the clan that emerge from the original Latin documents qualify themselves as de Breberio preceded by their Christian name and patronym; only rarely do they add their tribal affiliation.

The seal of Paul (Pavao in Croatian)
Pavao Šubic Bribirski
Paul I Šubić of Bribir was a Croatian leader and most outstanding member of the Šubić noble family from Bribir, was a Ban of Croatia and Lord of all of Bosnia. He ruled from his seat in the fortified town of Bribir, where he erected, along with his castle, the three-aisled basilica of St...

 (+1312), the greatest figure of the clan, has the following lettering on it: + S(igillum). PAULI BREBERIENSIS BANI TOCIUS SCLAVONIE. Another seal of the same man has PAULUS DE BREBERIO BANUS CROATORUM D(OMI)N(U)S ET BOSNE. Thus, in the vulgar the surname would be Breber or some variant (Breberić, Brebrić, Barbier, Barber, Barberich, etc.). The 19th century erudite Croatian historians who wrote the first history books for the public opted for Šubić which, in the ardent nationalistic spirit of the time, sounded reassuringly Slavic as compared to Breber.

During the reign of Dmitar Zvonimir
Dmitar Zvonimir
Demetrius Zvonimir was King of Croatia from 8 October 1076 until his death. He also ruled as Ban of Slavonia , and was named Duke of Croatia in around 1075. His native name was Zvonimir, while the name Demetrius was adopted at his coronation.He began as a Ban of Slavonia in the service of King...

 (1075–1089), the mythical golden age of the Kingdom of Croatia
Kingdom of Croatia (medieval)
The Kingdom of Croatia , also known as the Kingdom of the Croats , was a medieval kingdom covering most of what is today Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Balkans.Established in 925, it ruled as a sovereign state for almost two centuries...

, the highest court offices of postelnik (comes camerarius) and tepizo (comes palatinus) were held by Budez and Dominicus, both of the lineage. During the 13th and 14th centuries Brebers were many times called to cover the post of count in the townships of Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...

, Trogir
Trogir
Trogir is a historic town and harbour on the Adriatic coast in Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia, with a population of 12,995 and a total municipality population of 13,322 . The historic city of Trogir is situated on a small island between the Croatian mainland and the island of Čiovo...

, Skradin
Skradin
Skradin is a small town in the Šibenik-Knin county of Croatia it has a population about 3,986 . It is located near the Krka river and at the entrance to the Krka National Park, from Šibenik and from Split...

 and Omiš
Omiš
Omiš is a town and port in the Dalmatia region of Croatia, and is a municipality in the Split-Dalmatia County. The town is situated approximately south-east of Croatia's second largest city, Split. Its location is where the emerald-green Cetina River meets the Adriatic Sea...

. In the documents, it is possible to identify six different branches of the Breber clan. The most illustrious of which is the one descended from iupanus Miroslaus Brebriensis, filius Bogdanizi (1184). His great-grandson Paul, mentioned above, reached the peak of power towards the end of the 13th century. He was Ban of Croatia and Dalmatia, his rule extended to Bosnia
Bosnia (region)
Bosnia is a eponomous region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders. The other eponomous region, the southern, other half of the country is...

, and with his brothers he controlled the maritime cities of Dalmatia. In these regions he was champion of the Pope and was instrumental in placing Charles, the firstborn of the King of Naples, on the throne of Hungary and Croatia
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...

. He was related to the King of Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...

, the King of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...

, the Da Camino lords of Treviso
Treviso
Treviso is a city and comune in Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 82,854 inhabitants : some 3,000 live within the Venetian walls or in the historical and monumental center, some 80,000 live in the urban center proper, while the city...

, and the Tiepolo and Dandolo
Dandolo
Dandolo is an Italian surname and may refer to*One of 3 Doges of Venice:**Enrico Dandolo, 41st Doge**Francesco Dandolo, 52nd Doge**Andrea Dandolo, 54th Doge*Two Risorgimento fighters**Enrico Dandolo **Emilio Dandolo...

 patricians of Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...

. When he died in 1312, his eldest son Mladen tried to maintain the hold over the other Croatian clans, but was unsuccessful and bit by bit lost land, castles and towns.

Decline

Besides these particular offshoots which went their separate ways, a numerous kin continued to abide by the ancient holding of Breber. In 1324 when the citizenship of Zadar
Zadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...

 was conferred on the "nobiles domini de Briberio", 190 members of the clan presented themselves for the investiture. In 1353 the Ottoman Turks
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...

 crossed the Dardanelles
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles , formerly known as the Hellespont, is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with its counterpart the Bosphorus. It is located at approximately...

 and began their invasion of Europe. In the 15th century Bosnia was already a pashalik from where raids would be carried into Croatia-Dalmatia. The feudal levies and the clan warriors had no hope against the Turkish war machine and met their fate in the battle of Krbavsko Polje (1493). The castle of Breber was caught on the front between the Turkish, Hungarian and Venetian armies and by 1520 had become a desolate waste of rubble. Last news giving the comites Breberienses still in their ancient seat is in the diocesan synod of Skradin held at the time of bishop Archangel (1490–1502) (Farlati, 1769). The Turkish terror displaced large portions of the population of Dalmatia-Croatia. Some sought refuge in the cities of the coast, some crossed the sea to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, others, especially those belonging to the nobility, resettled to the north in that part of Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...

 still under the crown of Hungary-Croatia. Their clan organisation definitely disrupted, the single Breber families settled in various places in the county of Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...

(Comitatus Zagrabiensis) (Adamcek & Kampus, 1976). In the second half of the 16th century we find one nucleus settled in Turopolje (Campus Zagrabiensis) where they joined the free community of lesser nobles (nobiles unius sessionis). Another group established itself at Stubica and other places in the Zagorje region, where one branch, the counts Jankovic Bribirsky, owned the Horvatska manor in the 17th century and remained one of the prominent local families till the 20th century. Breber families are still living in these places to this day.

Zrinski branch

In 1347 King Louis I of Hungary conferred on this branch of the Brebers, in the persons of Count Gregory and Count George (Grgur and Juraj in Croatian), respectively son and nephew of Ban Paul, the castle of Zrin
Zrin Castle
Zrin Castle is a ruined castle located in the village of Zrin, south of the town of Sisak in central Croatia.-History:The castle was first mentioned in the 13th century as a fortress ruled by the Babonić clan. Later it was possessed by the members of Iločki family...

 (in exchange for the strategically important castle of Ostrovica
Ostrovica, Croatia
Ostrovica is a village in Croatia in the Zadar County, in the Lišane Ostrovičke municipality at .Near the village there is a ruined medieval castle of the Šubić noble family.- External links :* *...

, their last holding outside of ancestral Breber (Croat. Bribir). This branch would be known by the surname of Zrin (but also variously a Zrinio, Zrinski, Zrínyi, Zrini, de Serin, Sdrin following Latin, contemporary Croatian, Magyar, French, or Italian usage) which rose to its height of fame and glory with Count Nicholas IV (Nikola IV in Croatian), the hero of Szigetvár
Battle of Szigetvár
The Siege of Szigetvár or Battle of Szigeth was a siege of the Szigeth Fortress in Baranya which blocked Suleiman's line of advance towards Vienna in 1566 AD...

, (*1508 - †1566), and with Count Nicholas VII (Nikola VII in Croatian), the Scourge of the Ottomans (*1620 - †1664).

Mark Forstall (or Marcus Forstall), the secretary of the latter, compiled a history of the Zrins, tracing it back to the Brebers, to the tribe of Šubić, and from there to the Roman gens Sulpicia which, according to Suetonius
Suetonius
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, commonly known as Suetonius , was a Roman historian belonging to the equestrian order in the early Imperial era....

, sprang from the love of Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...

 for Pasiphaë
Pasiphaë
In Greek mythology, Pasiphaë , "wide-shining" was the daughter of Helios, the Sun, by the eldest of the Oceanids, Perse; Like her doublet Europa, her origins were in the East, in her case at Colchis, the palace of the Sun; she was given in marriage to King Minos of Crete. With Minos, she was the...

. Even the illustrious erudite Charles Ducange (1610–1688) mentions these fabulous origins in his Illyrici Veteris et Novi, p. 237: Dynastae in Zrinio magno semper in Dalmatia, et in Croatia potentatu gaudebant, primum ante anno 1347. Breberiensium, deinde Zriniorum nomine cogniti: Comites Breberienses ex antiquo Sulpitorum Romanorum genere orti, Subich a Dalmatis patrio cognominabantur sermone.A feeling for classical antiquity was a cultural feature of the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...

 and the wish to establish a link with the great tradition of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

 was a common vanity of those times. The claim of the Zrins, however, is not totally groundless. During the times of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....

, Dalmatia was a senatorial province and would have affiliations with the patrician families of the capital. P. Sulpicius Rufus was governor of Illyricum around 45 B.C. and could have established a settlement of clientes here, as was the general custom during Roman rule. Varvaria was a Roman municipium under Italic law but was actually enroled in the tribe Claudia. Archaeological evidence at Bribir shows no sign of interruption of human occupation between the Roman municipium and the arrival of the Croats. This belonging of the Breberienses to the universe of Rome is revealed by their emergence to power in the time when Croatia was placed under papal suzerainty during the reign of Zvonimir (1075–89), and also when later they bitterly fought and defeated (1227) the Kacic kindred, champions of the heretical party. And later still when the Pope would address ban Mladen as dilectus filius (1319). Other kindreds and families in Croatia and Dalmatia like the Karin
Karin
Karin is a common feminine given name in various Germanic languages , and in some French-speaking areas, as well as Japanese...

, the Babonić, the Frankopan
Frankopan
The Frankopans are a Croatian noble family. Also called Frankapan, Frangepán in Hungarian, and Frangipani in Italian.The Frankopan family is the leading princely Croatian aristocratic family which dates back to the 12th Century and even earlier to Roman times...

, the Gusić and some of the patrician families from the maritime cities also claimed a similar link with Rome.

The greatness of the house of Zrin
Zrin
Zrin is a village in Croatia, Sisak-Moslavina county.In the past it was the seat of Croatian noble family Šubić. Later they called themselves Zrinski, after Zrin. It was a strong point of Croatian defence in the Ottoman wars. There are still ruins of Zrin Castle in the village. In World War II the...

 ended with the brothers Nicholas VII and Peter (Petar in Croatian), the latter having been condemned to the scaffold in the famous trial of Vienna (1671) regarding the Zrinski-Frankopan conspiracy. The last counts, Adam
Adam Zrinski
Adam Zrinski , , was a Croatian count and officer in Habsburg Monarchy army service, a member of the Zrinski noble family.-Life:...

 and John Anthony
Ivan Antun Zrinski
Ivan Antun Zrinski , , was a Croatian count, a member of the Zrinski noble family, its last male descendant.-Life:...

 (Ivan Antun in Croatian), lost the previous power of the family; the former fell in the cavalry charge against the Turks at Slankamen
Slankamen
Slankamen may mean:* Stari Slankamen , a village in Vojvodina, Serbia.* Novi Slankamen , a village in Vojvodina, Serbia.* Battle of Slankamen during the Great Turkish War in 1691...

 in 1691 and the latter, after having brilliantly fought against the French, fell into disgrace and died in prison in 1703.

Notable members

The following members of the family were most notable:
  • Nikola Šubić Zrinski
    Nikola Šubic Zrinski
    Nikola Šubić Zrinski , was a Croatian nobleman and general in service of Habsburg Monarchy, ban of Croatia from 1542 to 1556, and member of the Zrinski noble family...

     (also Nikola IV), Ban of Croatia
    Ban of Croatia
    Ban of Croatia was the title of local rulers and after 1102 viceroys of Croatia. From earliest periods of Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by Bans as a rulers representative and supreme military commander. In the 18th century, Croatian bans eventually become chief government officials in...

     between 1542 and 1556
  • Juraj IV Zrinski
    Juraj IV Zrinski
    Juraj IV Zrinski , , was a Croatian count, a member of the Zrinski noble family.-Life:...

    , main royal treasurer
    Treasurer (Kingdom of Hungary)
    The treasurer or in full title main royal treasurer was the supreme economic officer in the Kingdom of Hungary till 1848/1918.The name is derived from the Slavic word tovor The treasurer (Latin: magister tavernicorum, Hungarian: tárnok(mester), Slovak: taverník, German: Schatzmeister) or in full...

  • Juraj V Zrinski
    Juraj V Zrinski
    Juraj V Zrinski was a Croatian Ban , warrior and member of the Zrinski noble family.-Biography:Juraj V Zrinski was born in Čakovec, a town in the Međimurje County, the northernmost county of Croatia...

    , Ban of Croatia
    Ban of Croatia
    Ban of Croatia was the title of local rulers and after 1102 viceroys of Croatia. From earliest periods of Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by Bans as a rulers representative and supreme military commander. In the 18th century, Croatian bans eventually become chief government officials in...

     (1622–1626)
  • Nikola VII Zrinski, Ban of Croatia
    Ban of Croatia
    Ban of Croatia was the title of local rulers and after 1102 viceroys of Croatia. From earliest periods of Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by Bans as a rulers representative and supreme military commander. In the 18th century, Croatian bans eventually become chief government officials in...

     (1647–1664)
  • Petar Zrinski
    Petar Zrinski
    Petar Zrinski was a Croatian Ban and writer. A member of the Zrinski noble family, he was noted for his role in the attempted Croatian-Hungarian rebellion of 1664-1670 which ultimately led to his execution for high treason.-Zrinski family:Petar Zrinski was born in Vrbovec, a small town near...

     (also Petar IV), Ban of Croatia
    Ban of Croatia
    Ban of Croatia was the title of local rulers and after 1102 viceroys of Croatia. From earliest periods of Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by Bans as a rulers representative and supreme military commander. In the 18th century, Croatian bans eventually become chief government officials in...

     (1665–1670)
  • Katarina Zrinska
    Katarina Zrinska
    Countess Ana Katarina Zrinska was a Croatian noblewoman, born into the House of Frankopan noble family. She married Count Petar Zrinski of the House of Zrinski in 1641 and later became known as Katarina Zrinska. She is remembered in Croatia as a patron of the arts, a writer and patriot...

    , poet, wife of Petar Zrinski
  • Jelena Zrinska, Katarina's daughter, wife of Francis I Rákóczi
    Francis I Rákóczi
    Francis I Rákóczi was a Hungarian aristocrat, elected prince of Transylvania and father of Hungarian national hero Francis II Rákóczi....


Count Nikola Šubić Zrinski
Nikola Šubic Zrinski
Nikola Šubić Zrinski , was a Croatian nobleman and general in service of Habsburg Monarchy, ban of Croatia from 1542 to 1556, and member of the Zrinski noble family...

 (born 1508) was the ban of Dalmatia, Slavonia and Croatia, the commander of Szigetvár
Szigetvár
-History:The town's fortress was the setting of the Battle of Szigetvár in 1566. It was a sanjak centre at first in Budin Province , later in Kanije Province .There was already a bum in the marshland back in the Celtic and Roman times...

 (from 1561) and the Habsburg commander in western 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...

 (from 1563). He is considered the most courageous and prominent member of the Zrinski family, which together with the Frankopan
Frankopan
The Frankopans are a Croatian noble family. Also called Frankapan, Frangepán in Hungarian, and Frangipani in Italian.The Frankopan family is the leading princely Croatian aristocratic family which dates back to the 12th Century and even earlier to Roman times...

s was the most distinguished and famous noble family in Croatian history. He established his reputation as a fearless warrior in the defense of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

 in 1529, and in the victory over the Turks at Buda
Buda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...

 in 1529. As Croatian Ban, he persistently advocated Croatian interests. He acquired immortal fame for himself and Croatia in the Battle of Szigetvár
Battle of Szigetvár
The Siege of Szigetvár or Battle of Szigeth was a siege of the Szigeth Fortress in Baranya which blocked Suleiman's line of advance towards Vienna in 1566 AD...

 in 1566. More than 100,000 well-armed Turks, headed by the famed Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman I was the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1520 to his death in 1566. He is known in the West as Suleiman the Magnificent and in the East, as "The Lawgiver" , for his complete reconstruction of the Ottoman legal system...

 and Grand Vezier Mehmed-Pasha Sokolović, besieged the fortress of Szigetvár from August 7 to 7 September 1566. Zrinski, with "two thousand three hundred and a few more" warriors defended it, until the charge from the fortress, in which he was killed. The Sultan offered Nicholas Zrinski the crown of Croatia in vain. The destiny of Europe was at stake then, and Zrinski and his company of Croatian knights chose to defend the interests of the Christian West. Sultan Suleiman died during the battle. After this the Grand Vezier abandoned that military expedition and returned to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...

.

Nikola's IV son, George IV (Croat. Juraj IV
Juraj IV Zrinski
Juraj IV Zrinski , , was a Croatian count, a member of the Zrinski noble family.-Life:...

) inherited his father's property. He was more interested in books than in chivalry. He became enthusiastic about Lutheranism
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...

 which he did not accept, but forced the people to turn Protestant. He persecuted Catholic priests and devastated a number of the churches, especially the famous Paulist monastery at Sveta Jelena, which did him no credit among the people. But on the other hand, he founded the first printing office at Nedelišće
Nedelišce
Nedelišće is a village in Međimurje County, in northern Croatia, and the seat of the Municipality of Nedelišće, which also includes 10 other villages in the south-western part of Međimurje County....

 (near Čakovec
Cakovec
Čakovec is a city in northern Croatia, located around 90 kilometres north of Zagreb, the Croatian capital. Čakovec is both the county seat and largest city of Međimurje County, the northernmost, smallest and most densely populated Croatian county.-Population:...

) in 1574, when there was no other printing office in Croatia.

His son, George V (Croat. Juraj V
Juraj V Zrinski
Juraj V Zrinski was a Croatian Ban , warrior and member of the Zrinski noble family.-Biography:Juraj V Zrinski was born in Čakovec, a town in the Međimurje County, the northernmost county of Croatia...

) turned back to Catholicism and "purified" Međimurje from Lutheranism. Unfortunately his chivalry and rapier-tonguedness were a thorn in his superior's, general Albrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein , actually von Waldstein, was a Bohemian soldier and politician, who offered his services, and an army of 30,000 to 100,000 men during the Danish period of the Thirty Years' War , to the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II...

's, side and von Wallenstein had George poisoned after a verbal duel in 1626.

Other branches

Count Martino Zrinski or Sdrigna, was born in 1462 and was the son of Count Peter II and brother of Nikola III, father of Nikola IV, the one who is referred to in history as Nikola the Great Zrinski of Siget (Szigetvár
Szigetvár
-History:The town's fortress was the setting of the Battle of Szigetvár in 1566. It was a sanjak centre at first in Budin Province , later in Kanije Province .There was already a bum in the marshland back in the Celtic and Roman times...

 in Hungarian).

Martino Zrinski was the first member of the Zrinski family to live in Cefalonia, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

. He adopted the name of Sdrin or Sdrinia.

Another branch of the Breber clan, descended from Peter living at the beginning of the 14th century, owed its rise to having remained unshakeably loyal to Sigismund of Luxemburg
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...

, the future Holy Roman Emperor (1411), in his struggle for the crown of Hungary-Croatia against King Ladislaus of Naples. Nicholas, James and John, nobiles de Breberio, were confirmed in their possessions. James was nominated Viceban. The family also received the castle of Perna
Perna
Perna is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Nowe Ostrowy, within Kutno County, Łódź Voivodeship, in central Poland. It lies approximately north-west of Kutno and north of the regional capital Łódź.-References:...

 with all the appurtenances. This family was then known as Perenyi (Peranski in Croatian, or Peransky, de Perén, a Pernya in other languages) and was numbered among the magnates of Hungary up to the 20th century. Gabriel Perényi and bishop Francis Perényi fell fighting in the fateful Battle of Mohács
Battle of Mohács
The Battle of Mohács was fought on August 29, 1526 near Mohács, Hungary. In the battle, forces of the Kingdom of Hungary led by King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia were defeated by forces of the Ottoman Empire led by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent....

 (29 August 1526).
Another family branch that rose to wealth and power were the descendants of Ugrinus (died 1335). Known under the nickname of Melić, then Melith, which later became their surname, they obtained vast estates in Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...

.

Members of the House of Šubić

  • Stjepko Šubić - Count of Trogir
    Trogir
    Trogir is a historic town and harbour on the Adriatic coast in Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia, with a population of 12,995 and a total municipality population of 13,322 . The historic city of Trogir is situated on a small island between the Croatian mainland and the island of Čiovo...

  • Paul I Šubić of Bribir (1245-1312) - Count of Bribir, Ban of Croatia and Lord of the all Bosnia
  • Mladen II Šubić of Bribir
    Mladen II Šubić of Bribir
    Mladen II Šubić of Bribir , a Croatian leader and member of the Šubić noble family, was a Ban of Croatia and Lord of all of Bosnia.-Biography:...

     (1270-1343) - Count of Bribir, Ban of Croatia, Ban of Bosnia  and Lord of the all Bosnia
  • George II Šubić of Bribir
    George II Šubić of Bribir
    George II Šubić of Bribir was a Count of Bribir and member of the Croatian Šubić noble family, who ruled from Klis Fortress.- Family Connections :...

     (1275-1330) - Count of Bribir and Split, ruled from Klis Fortress
  • Paul III Šubić of Bribir
    Paul III Šubić of Bribir
    - Family Connections :Paul III Šubić was son of Juraj II Šubić, and grandson of Paul I Šubić of Bribir who was the most powerful Croatian noble at the end of 13th century and beginning of the 14th century. His sister Jelena Šubić married to Regent of Bosnia Vladislav Kotromanić...

     (?-1356) - married Catherina Dandolo from Venice
  • Katarina Šubić - married Ivan Jurišić Bribirski
  • Deodat Šubić (? - 1348)
  • Mladen III Šubić of Bribir
    Mladen III Šubić of Bribir
    Mladen III Šubić of Bribir was a member of the Croatian Šubić noble family, who ruled from Klis Fortress. He was in possession of Klis, Omiš and Skradin.-Family Connections:...

     (1315-1348) - "shield of the Croats", ruled from Klis Fortress, married Jelena Nemanjić
    Jelena Šubic (Nemanjic)
    Jelena Šubić was the daughter of Stefan Uroš III Dečanski of Serbia and the half-sister of Stefan Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia. She was married to the Croatian magnate Mladen III Šubić, Prince of Bribir from noble Šubić family. They ruled from Klis Fortress in Dalmatia...

    , a daughter of Stephen Uroš III of Serbia
    Stefan Uroš III Decanski of Serbia
    Stephen Uroš III of Dečani was King of Serbia from January 6, 1322 to 8 September 1331. He defeated and killed several of his family members who wanted to take the throne from him. He took his epithet Dečanski from the great monastery he built at Dečani.-Early:He was the son of King Stefan Uroš II...

  • Mladen IV Šubić of Bribir
  • Senko Šubić of Bribir
  • Radics
  • Bielak
  • Katharina Šubić of Croatia (? -1358) - married Duke of Legnica-Brzeg Bolesław III the Generous in 1326.
  • Jelena Šubić
    Jelena Šubic
    Jelena Šubić was a Croatian kneginja from the noble Šubić family, and mother of Bosnian King Tvrtko.Jelena Šubić was daughter of Juraj II Šubić. She was born early in the 14th century , and was married to Regent of Bosnia Vladislav Kotromanić by his brother Mladen III Šubić at Klis Fortress in...

     (1306-1378) - married to Vladislaus of Bosnia, regent of medieval Bosnia
  • Paul II Šubić of Bribir
    Paul II Šubić of Bribir
    Paul II Šubić of Bribir was a Count of Trogir and Ostrovica and member of the Croatian Šubić noble family.He married Elizabeta Frankopan , with whom he had two sons and daughter: Juraj III Šubić Bribirski , Pribko and Katlin....

     (?-1346) - Count of Trogir and Ostrovica
    Ostrovica, Croatia
    Ostrovica is a village in Croatia in the Zadar County, in the Lišane Ostrovičke municipality at .Near the village there is a ruined medieval castle of the Šubić noble family.- External links :* *...

    , married Elizabeth Frankopan (Elizabeta Krčka)
  • Juraj III Šubić of Bribir (Juraj I Zrinski) (?-1362)
  • Elizabeth - married Tamás of Corbavia
  • Paul (1414)
  • Pribko
  • Katharina - a nun
  • Gregory I Šubić of Bribir - Count of Šibenik
    Šibenik
    Šibenik is a historic town in Croatia, with population of 51,553 . It is located in central Dalmatia where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea...

    • George I Šubić of Bribir
      George I Šubić of Bribir
      George I Šubić of Bribir was the Count of Trogir, and a member of the Croatian Šubić noble family.Juraj I Šubić was brother of Paul I Šubić of Bribir, who was the most powerful Croatian noble at the end of 13th century and beginning of the 14th century. In Dalmatia, Paul appointed his brothers as...

       (1277-1302) - Count of Trogir, Šibenik
      Šibenik
      Šibenik is a historic town in Croatia, with population of 51,553 . It is located in central Dalmatia where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea...

      , Omiš
      Omiš
      Omiš is a town and port in the Dalmatia region of Croatia, and is a municipality in the Split-Dalmatia County. The town is situated approximately south-east of Croatia's second largest city, Split. Its location is where the emerald-green Cetina River meets the Adriatic Sea...

       and Nin
      Nin, Croatia
      Nin is a town in the Zadar county of Croatia, population 1,256 , total municipality population 4,603 .Nin was historically important as a centre of a Christian Bishopric in the Middle Ages. Up to the abolition and Latinization imposed by King Tomislav in the first half of the 10th century, Nin was...

      , ruled from Klis Fortress
      Klis Fortress
      The Klis Fortress is a medieval fortress situated above a village bearing the same name, near the city of Split, in central Dalmatia, Croatia. From its origin as a small stronghold built by the ancient Illyrian tribe Dalmatae, becoming a royal castle that was the seat of many Croatian kings, to...

  • Ivan (1358)
    • Mladen I Šubić of Bribir
      Mladen I Šubić of Bribir
      Mladen I Šubić of Bribir was a member of the Croatian noble family Šubić, at the end of 13th and beginning of the 14th century.He was a brother of a famous ban of Croatia Paul I Šubić of Bribir, who appointed Mladen as a commissar of dalmatinan city of Split, along with Klis Fortress.After Paul I...

       (?-1304) - Count of Split
      Split (city)
      Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...

      , Ban of Bosnia (Dominus of Bosnia), ruled from Klis Fortress after George I death
    • Stanislava Šubić (1299-1304) - a nun
      Nun
      A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...

      ,
    • a daughter (+1330) - married to Jacopo Tiepolo

See also

  • Šubić family tree
    Šubić family tree
    This is the family tree of the House of Šubić , a Croatian noble family, from 1066 to 1456.- See also :* House of Šubić* House of Zrinski* Zrinski family tree* List of rulers of Croatia- External links :* * * * *...

  • List of rulers of Croatia
  • List of rulers of Bosnia
  • History of Croatia
    History of Croatia
    Croatia first appeared as a duchy in the 7th century and then as a kingdom in the 10th century. From the 12th century it remained a distinct state with its ruler and parliament, but it obeyed the kings and emperors of various neighboring powers, primarily Hungary and Austria. The period from the...


External links

  • http://genealogy.euweb.cz/balkan/subich1.html
  • http://www.destinacije.com/slika_nav.asp?lang=hr&pg=1&p=Bribirska%20Glavica&cp=10&s=Next&prikaz=&t=opis_slike&news= Remains of the palace of Paul Šubić of Bribir
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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