Ugrin Csák, Archbishop of Esztergom facts for kids

Ugrin from the Csák family (Hungarian: Csák nembeli Ugrin) was an important Hungarian church leader around the late 1100s and early 1200s. He was the Bishop of Győr from 1188 to 1204. After that, he was chosen to be the Archbishop of Esztergom in 1204, but he died that same year.

Who Was Ugrin Csák?

Ugrin was born into a powerful Hungarian family known as the Csák clan. This family was very old and important in Hungary. Their ancestor was Szabolcs, who was the grandson of a leader named Előd. Előd was one of the seven Magyar tribal leaders who helped conquer the Carpathian Basin in the late 800s.

Some historians think Ugrin's father might have been a nobleman also named Ugrin. This older Ugrin owned a place called Vértesszentkereszt Abbey in 1146. It is believed that Ugrin belonged to a specific part of the Csák family called the Kisfalud branch.

Ugrin's Church Career

Ugrin became the Bishop of Győr in 1188. A bishop is a high-ranking leader in the Christian church.

Helping the Crusaders

In 1189, a large group of German crusaders marched through Hungary. These were Christian soldiers traveling to the Holy Land. King Béla III of Hungary welcomed their leader, Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor. King Béla sent 2,000 Hungarian soldiers to help guide the crusaders. Ugrin Csák was chosen to lead these Hungarian troops.

King Béla also released his brother, Géza, from prison. Géza joined the crusaders and left Hungary. Later, King Béla changed his mind. He did not want to upset his son-in-law, Emperor Isaac II Angelos. So, he called Ugrin and his soldiers back to Hungary. Géza, however, stayed with the crusader army.

Building and Supporting the King

As a bishop, Ugrin did a lot to improve the Vértesszentkereszt monastery. He hired skilled church builders from other cities. They made the monastery bigger and stronger. They used both Romanesque and Gothic art styles in their work.

The ruins of Vértesszentkereszt Abbey

After King Béla III died, Ugrin strongly supported the new king, Emeric. King Emeric often had problems with his younger brother, Duke Andrew. Ugrin was a key leader in the group that supported King Emeric.

Pope Celestine III even told Ugrin to stay loyal to the king. Later, Pope Innocent III asked Ugrin and other bishops to check on some church leaders. These leaders had been appointed by Duke Andrew, but they had been removed by the previous Pope.

King Emeric thought Ugrin was one of his most loyal church leaders. The king even gave Ugrin a village called Mihályi in 1198. This village later became important for Ugrin's family.

Archbishop of Esztergom

In 1204, the Archbishop of Esztergom, Job, passed away. King Emeric was very sick and wanted to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He needed to make sure his young son, Ladislaus, would become king safely. The Archbishop of Esztergom usually crowned the Hungarian kings.

On April 24, 1204, Pope Innocent III named Ugrin as the Archbishop-elect of Esztergom. This meant Ugrin was chosen to be the new archbishop. The Pope also gave Ugrin permission to crown Ladislaus as king. However, King Ladislaus III was crowned by the Archbishop of Kalocsa on August 26, 1204. This suggests that Ugrin died suddenly before that date. His red marble tomb was found by archaeologists many years later.

Images for kids

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  The ruins of Vértesszentkereszt Abbey