Stephen VIII Báthory

Stephen VIII Báthory (Hungarian: Báthory István, pronounced [ˈbaːtori ˈiʃtvaːn]) (1477–1534) was a Hungarian noble.

He was a son of Nicholas Báthory (1462–1500) of the Somlyó branch of the Báthory family.

In 1521, he was appointed adjoint of the Voivode of Transylvania, serving under the Voivode John Zápolya. After the Battle of Mohács in 1526, Stephen supported Zápolya's claim to the Kingship of Hungary and in 1529 was made Voivode of Transylvania himself.

With his wife Catherine Telegdi, he fathered eight children:

• Nicholas
• Catharine
• Andrew (died 1563)
• Sophia
• Anna (1539–1570), who apparently was born well after her father's death, the mother of the "Blood Countess" Elizabeth Báthory.
• Elizabeth (1557–1562), who apparently was born well after her father's death
• Christopher (1530–1581), who governed Transylvania in the absence of his younger brother Stefan.
• Stephen (1533–1586), who became Voivode (and later Prince) of Transylvania and King of Poland.

Literature

• Farin, Michael, Heroine des Grauens. Elisabeth Báthory. Munich: P. Kirchheim, 2003. ISBN 3-87410-038-3.
• Wertner, Moritz, "Urgeschlechter in Siebenbürgen.", in Archiv des Vereins für siebenbürgische Landeskunde. Neue Folge, Bd. 29, Heft 1 (1899), Hermannstadt 1899, pp. 156–235.