Hungary 101: Stephen I

There are those in our hobby who believe that stamp collectors merely accumulate and organize old postage stamps, whereas philatelists use stamps to better understand global history and cultures. Assuming that distinction has any validity, then there must be a way to get from the “lesser” of the two avocations to the “higher”. As a relatively new collector of Hungarian stamps and a novice in Hungarian history, this new series is my attempt to bridge that gap. Instead of taking a deep dive into these characters and moments of Hungarian history, let’s just dip our toes into the pool.

Read more entries of Hungarian 101.

Who was Stephen I?

The best place to begin a story is often the beginning. And in popular Hungarian history, their national origin story begins with the initiative of a single man at the turn of the last millennium.

Stephen I was the last Grand Prince of the Hungarian tribes and the first King of Hungary from Christmas Day 1000 (or New Year’s Day 1001—accounts vary), until his death in 1038. Though the nation saw peace during his reign, his death was followed by civil wars of succession which lasted for decades. He was canonized by Pope Gregory VII in 1083. Saint Stephen is Hungary’s patron saint, and he remains one of the most revered leaders in Hungarian history.

Stephen I Fact Sheet

Hungarian Name	I. István
Alternate Names/Titles	Saint Stephen, Vajk
Lifespan	c. 975–August 15, 1038
Title and Reign	Grand Prince of the Hungarians(Reign, 997–1000 or 1001) King of Hungary(Reign, 1000 or 1001–1038)
Coronation	25 December 1000 or 1 January 1001
Dynasty	House of Árpád
Predecessor	Géza of Hungary (father)
Successor	Peter, King of Hungary (nephew)
Spouse	Blessed Gisela of Bavaria (m. 996)
Issue	Otto (before 1002)Saint Emeric, Prince of Hungary (c. 1007)
Legacy	Last Grand Prince of the HungariansFirst King of HungaryAdopted Christianity as the state religionCanonized by Pope Gregory VII in 1083His feast day (August 20) is also a public holiday known as State Foundation Day

Making a nation and crowning a king

The land that we now call Hungary has been inhabited by various peoples for 30,000 years. In the mid-ninth century, the seven Magyar tribes that would eventually form the nation of Hungary were pushed from their ancestral lands in the Central Asian steppe by invading forces. According to national history, they “arrived” to the area along the Danube River in the year 896, notably through their own series of conquests.

Sometime in (or after) 975 in Esztergom, a child was born to Hungarian Grand Prince Géza and his wife, Sarolt, and given the pagan name Vajk. The date of the child’s baptism is unknown, but afterward he was known as Stephen (Hungarian: István). Although both of his parents were baptized, Stephen was the first member of his family to become a devout Christian. The young man was given an education befitting his station, and he was married to Gisela, daughter of Henry II, Duke of Bavaria, in or after 995.

Upon the death of Grand Prince Géza in 997, Stephen was crowned the sixth Grand Prince of the Hungarians based on the principle of primogeniture. However, a cousin, Koppány, Duke of Somogy, declared his own claim to the throne based on the traditional idea of seniority in the Árpád dynasty. Stephen won the right to the crown after defeating Koppány in a decisive battle.

Stephen wished for peace and security for his people, and he realized that the most expedient solution was for his country to be recognized as a legitimate nation by the other European powers. This could never happen without the approval of the Catholic Church. According to national history, Pope Sylvester II declared Hungary a sovereign, Catholic nation on Christmas Day of the year 1000, and István was crowned His Royal Apostolic Majesty King Stephen I on either Christmas Day or the first day of the new millennium. 

King Stephen ruled the new nation of Hungary for 38 years until his death in 1038. Hungary enjoyed a lasting period of peace during his reign, making it a safe and preferred route for pilgrims and merchants traveling between Western Europe, Constantinople, and the Holy Land. Less than 50 years after his death, King Stephen was canonized by Pope Gregory VII as Saint Stephen, and became the patron saint of Hungary. His feast day (celebrated on August 20) is also a public holiday commemorating the foundation of the state, known as State Foundation Day.

The lasting legacy of Stephen I

As one of the most important statesmen in Hungarian history, it should be no surprise to learn that King Saint Stephen has appeared on various Hungarian coins and banknotes. There’s even a Hungarian stamp depicting one of these coins. He has also received other national honors in modern years. SMS Szent István (His Majesty’s Ship Saint Stephen) was the last of four Tegetthoff-class dreadnought battleships built for the Austro-Hungarian Navy, launched in 1914.

In the arts, he has been a popular theme in Hungarian poetry since the end of the 13th century. Early religious hymns gave way to secular poetry over the years, but followed the pattern of describing Stephen as the symbol of national identity and independence. Stephen also represented Hungary’s ability to survive historical cataclysms during the Communist regime between 1949 and 1989. He continues to inspire authors, poets, and artists.

Stephen was also a well known historical figure outside of Hungary and throughout Catholic Europe. Ludwig van Beethoven composed his King Stephen Overture for the inauguration of the Hungarian theatre in Pest in 1812. Hungarian composer Ferenc Erkel named his last complete opera István király (“King Stephen”, 1885). And musical interpretations of Stephen’s story continued into the 20th century, including the 1983 rock opera, István, a király (“Stephen, the King”), about the early years of his reign.

King Saint Stephen on stamps

Stephen may be one of the most prolific figures featured on Hungarian stamps (with the exceptions of various Communist figures). The following is likely an incomplete list:

Scott#	Date Issued	Scott Description
422–427	1928–29	890th death anniversary of St. Stephen, the first king of Hungary
B89	15 May 1930	900th anniv. of the death of St. Emerich, son of Stephen I, king, saint and martyr: Sts. Stephen and Gisela
511–524	1 Jan 1938	900th anniv. of the death of St. Stephen
B94a	16 May 1938	Eucharistic Cong. in Budapest, May 1938: St. Stephen
528	22 May 1938	3rd Hungarian Phil. Exhib., Budapest: St. Stephen enthroned (518)
B95–B97	12 Aug 1938	Death of St. Stephen, 900th anniversary
535	1938	St. Stephen enthroned (518) overprinted in blue for the restoration of the territory ceded by Czechoslovakia
544	1 June 1939	St. Stephen
560	21 April 1941	St. Stephen (Type of 1939) overprinted for return of the Bacska territory from Yugoslavia
585–586	1941–43	St. Stephen (Type of 1939)
2033	19 Aug 1970	Millenary of the birth of Saint Stephen, first king of Hungary
2109	10 Dec 1971	Founding of Obuda Church by King Stephen I and Queen Gisela
2157, 2159	20 Aug 1972	Millennium of the town of Szekesfehervar; 750th anniv. of the Golden Bull granting rights to lesser nobility:St. Stephen, first King of HungaryKing Stephen dictating to scribe (legal organization)
2769–2770	30 Nov 1982	Works of art in Hungarian Chapel, Vatican: St. Stephen, first King of Hungary (1001–1038)Pope Sylvester II making donation to St. Stephen
3041	10 Dec 1986	Portraits of Hungarian Kings in the Historical Portrait Gallery: St. Steven (sic), 997–1038
3702	18 May 2000	73rd Stamp Day: King Stephen I in coronation gown
3723a	18 Aug 2000	Hungarian History: King with orb, knights
VA 513	30 June 2009
4293c	14 Aug 2013	Paintings from Cathedral of St. Martin, Spisska Kapitula, Slovakia: St. Stephen, denomination at bottom center
TBD	18 Aug 2023	Saint Stephen’s Hall, Budapest

NOTE: The Crown of St Stephen, the Holy Crown of Hungary, is not featured in the list above except in cases where the figure of Stephen is also featured. It likely deserves its own entry in Hungarian 101.