Dr Stipe Ledić participated in a Hungarian-Croatian academic conference held in Budapest on 22–23 May, entitled A magyar-horvát egyházi és világi elit a királyi tanácsban és a magyar országgyűléseken (1102–1918) [The Hungarian-Croatian Ecclesiastical and Secular Elite in the Royal Council and the Hungarian Diet (1102–1918)].
The conference was co-organised by the Hungarian HUN-REN BTK Institute of History and the Croatian Institute of History – Department for the History of Slavonia, Srijem and Baranja.
In his presentation, titled “Court Agent Josip Keresturi (1739–1794) – Magnificus D. Joseph Keresztury de Szinerszegh, Agent of Hungary at Court”, Dr Ledić developed the thesis that Keresturi was an Enlightenment intellectual actively engaged in the public and political life of the Habsburg Monarchy. In his extensive body of written work, Keresturi addressed the most significant political, economic and social developments in the Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen, particularly in relation to the policies of the Viennese Court.
Abstract:
The position of “court agent” at the Hungarian Court Chancellery in Vienna, which Josip Keresturi held from 1771 to 1790, defined his public and political activity. During this period, he developed a prolific editorial and writing career in Vienna, producing works in Latin. In the signature of all his works, he always emphasised his role as court agent: auctore Josepho Keresztury de Szinerszek, agente Aulico. As agens Aulicus, Keresturi served under the patronage of the Croatian Ban, Franjo Nadasdy (Ferenc Nádasdy). A collection of 25 letters has been preserved, in which Keresturi reported to the Ban on developments at the Hungarian Court Chancellery and on other current political affairs of the Viennese Court. His works reveal that he was an advocate of Josephinism and was exceptionally well informed about the processes of Josephine policy at the Viennese Court, as well as the challenges this policy caused in relation to the Kingdom of Hungary. He built a broad social network among the Hungarian-Croatian political elite, but as a member of the prestigious Masonic lodge Zur wahren Eintracht, he also positioned himself as a respected figure in Viennese social life. These aspects of Keresturi’s work will be viewed through the lens of his education within the Jesuit curriculum Ratio studiorum, during which he acquired the skills necessary for performing his duties and for understanding contemporary social, political, and economic issues.
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