George Zápolya

Who is George Zápolya?

Count George Zápolya de Szepes was a Hungarian magnate, son of Palatine Stephen Zápolya and younger brother of King John I of Hungary. He served as Hereditatry Lord Lieutenant of Szepes County.

He was relegated to the political life besides his brother. He was engaged Elisabeth Corvinus, daughter of John Corvinus, in 1504, but the last surviving member of the Hunyadi family died in 1508. He became one of the commanders of the Hungarian Royal Army in the Battle of Mohács, the other one was Archbishop of Kalocsa Pál Tomori. George Zápolya disappeared and presumably died in the battle.

According to a hypothesis by a court chaplain, Miklós Tatai, Zápolya murdered King Louis II of Hungary, who escaped from the battle, in the house of the vicar in Dunaszekcső. The historians do not accept this report as credible.