August 7, 1560 - Nyírbátor, Hungary - Erzsébet Báthori is born to Baron George VI Báthory and Baroness Anna Báthory
January(?) 1(?), 1566 - Ecsed (Nagyecsed, NE tip of Hungary) - At the age of 6, she is allowed to observe a public execution of a local gypsy, accused of kidnapping and selling a few children to the turks. The gypsy is sewn in a horse's stomach
December 31, 1572 - Ecsed (Nagyecsed, NE tip of Hungary) - At the age of 12, Erzsébet is betrothed to 15-year-old Ferenc Nádasdy, only child of the Palatine Thomas Nádasdy
February(?) 1(?), 1573 - Nagyszombat (Trnava, Slovakia) - Erzsébet stays at the Nádasdy manor in Trnava
January(?) 1(?), 1573 - Sárvár, W. Hungary - Erzsébet is sent from Ecsed to Sárvár, the main Nádasdy family seat in Western Hungary
November 11, 1573 - Esztergom - Erzsébet appears before the priests at the Cathedral Chapter of Esztergom to lodge a formal complaint and admission that seven months prior, during Holy Week, she had been forcibly abducted by Lázsló Bende, drugged with an extract of hempseed and then raped
December(?) 1(?), 1573 - Nagyszombat (Trnava, Slovakia) - At the age of 13, Erzsébet gives birth to a child, fathered by Lázsló Bende. The child is supposedly given away to a local woman, trusted by the Báthory family, and taken to Transylvania
May 8, 1575 - Varannó (Vranov, slovakia) - At the age of 14, Erzsébet (Elizabeth) Báthory marries 19-year-old Count Ferenc Nádasdy. As a wedding gift, Nádasdy transfers Castle Csejte and its 17 accompanying villages to Elizabeth =(START)
January(?) 1(?), 1578 - Sárvár, W. Hungary - While Ferenc is away fighting the turks, Elizabeth makes frequent trips to visit her bisexual aunt, Klara, with whom she learns witchcraft, torture and how to make love to women
December 10(?), 1578 - Pozsony (Bratislava) - Possibly present at the Diet of Pozsony (Pressburg/Bratislava) - (held around December 10th. Elizabeth Báthory is known to have gone on some Hungarian diets with her husband Ferenc Nádasdy)
December 10(?), 1581 - Pozsony (Bratislava) - Possibly present at the Diet of Pozsony (Pressburg/Bratislava) - (held around December 10th. Elizabeth Báthory is known to have gone on some Hungarian diets with her husband Ferenc Nádasdy)
December 10(?), 1583 - Pozsony (Bratislava) - Possibly present at the Diet of Pozsony (Pressburg/Bratislava) - (held around December 10th. Elizabeth Báthory is known to have gone on some Hungarian diets with her husband Ferenc Nádasdy)
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| Sárvár Castle today |
June(?) 1(?), 1585 - Sárvár - Daughter Anna Nádasdy is born
December 10(?), 1587 - Pozsony (Bratislava) - Possibly present at the Diet of Pozsony (Pressburg/Bratislava) - (held around December 10th. Elizabeth Báthory is known to have gone on some Hungarian diets with her husband Ferenc Nádasdy)
May 12, 1588 - Sárvár - Letter to Mrs.Ponticzka: "After my greeting, Mistress Ponticzka our good sister, I wish to say to you that you should send to me immediately that book which is about pains in the back, and write to me of Ghéczi, how is he, and write to me also of how you find yourself, are you at peace or not"
November 5, 1589 - Sárvár - Letter to Imre Vasváry: "Egregio Domine Nobis Salutem....We have received your letter together with the food. Especial thanks for the bustard (large game bird), we will keep it to await my husband, but you should know, Sir, that these provisions should have been sent to us during the last week. Therefore for next Saturday send to us all that you are accustomed to send, and even the provisions for the week to come, or you will see our anger, for we will expect guests and my husband, too, will return home. For tomorrow evening send fishes and crayfishes. You excuse yourself that you have distributed food amongst the poor, but we ser you in your office for the government of our estates, that we might have everything we require in our kitchen. May God bless you"
January(?) 1(?), 1590 - Sárvár - Daughter Orsolya Nádasdy is born
December 10(?), 1593 - Pozsony (Bratislava) - Possibly present at the Diet of Pozsony (Pressburg/Bratislava) - (held around December 10th. Elizabeth Báthory is known to have gone on some Hungarian diets with her husband Ferenc Nádasdy)
March(?) 1(?), 1594 - Sárvár - Letter to Ferenc: "Thorko has taught me a lovely new one (magic spell). Catch a black hen and beat it to death with a white cane. Keep the blood and smear a little of it on your enemy. If you get no chance to smear it on his body, then get one of his articles of clothing and smear the hen's blood on it"
June(?) 1(?), 1594 - Sárvár - Daughter Katalin Nádasdy is born
September(?) 1(?), 1594 - Sárvár - János Újváry, or "Ficzkó", a probably disfigured boy of 8 or 10 years-old, is added to the Countess' personal entourage, allegedly by force
January(?) 1(?), 1595 - Sárvár - An old and mysterious widow healer, Anna Darvolya (Darvulia) is added to the Countess' personal entourage
May 24, 1596 - Sárvár - Letter to Ferenc: "At your service, I write to you as my beloved husband. Regarding the children, I can report that Anna and Orsika are healthy. Regarding Kata, however, theres is a problem in her mouth: namely, rot has spread there, such that even the jawbone is infected. The Barber poked about the middle of the tooth with an iron - he says it was a stroke of luck that not a single tooth fell out. I do not know how the Lord will bring the matter to an end but right now, it is, in any case, very bad for her. About myself, I can write that things are now going much better than in the past few days..."
July 8, 1596 - Sárvár - Letter to Ferenc: "Anna, thank God, is in good health. Ursula's eyes are quite painful, but as for Kata, again she has a rot (probably gingivitis or trench mouth) in her mouth. I am well, thank God, only my eyes pain me"
August(?) 1(?), 1596 - Sárvár - Son András Nádasdy is born
December 10(?), 1596 - Pozsony (Bratislava) - Possibly present at the Diet of Pozsony (Pressburg/Bratislava) - (held around December 10th. Elizabeth Báthory is known to have gone on some Hungarian diets with her husband Ferenc Nádasdy)
June(?) 1(?), 1597 - Sárvár - Son Pál Nádasdy is born
December 10(?), 1597 - Pozsony (Bratislava) - Possibly present at the Diet of Pozsony (Pressburg/Bratislava) - (held around December 10th. Elizabeth Báthory is known to have gone on some Hungarian diets with her husband Ferenc Nádasdy)
December 10(?), 1598 - Pozsony (Bratislava) - Possibly present at the Diet of Pozsony (Pressburg/Bratislava) - (held around December 10th. Elizabeth Báthory is known to have gone on some Hungarian diets with her husband Ferenc Nádasdy)
December 10(?), 1599 - Pozsony (Bratislava) - Possibly present at the Diet of Pozsony (Pressburg/Bratislava) - (held around December 10th. Elizabeth Báthory is known to have gone on some Hungarian diets with her husband Ferenc Nádasdy)
January(?) 1(?), 1600 - Sárvár - A widow called Ilona Jó Nagy is brought to be the wet nurse of Elizabeth's children at Sárvár. A woman called Katalin Beneczky joins the Countess' service at Csejte
December 10(?), 1600 - Pozsony (Bratislava) - Possibly present at the Diet of Pozsony (Pressburg/Bratislava) - (held around December 10th. Elizabeth Báthory is known to have gone on some Hungarian diets with her husband Ferenc Nádasdy)
January(?) 1(?), 1601 - While in Sárvár - Rumors begin circulating that the croatian "gate keeper" and the Countess's personal advisor Anna Darvolya (Darvulia) was running a torture chamber and executioner's butcher shop within Sárvár palace
March 1(?), 1601 - While in Sárvár - Count Nádasdy is afflicted with an illness that caused him intense pain in his lower limbs and left him unable to stand
December 10(?), 1601 - Pozsony (Bratislava) - Possibly present at the Diet of Pozsony (Pressburg/Bratislava) - (held around December 10th. Elizabeth Báthory is known to have gone on some Hungarian diets with her husband Ferenc Nádasdy)
December 10(?), 1602 - Pozsony (Bratislava) - Possibly present at the Diet of Pozsony (Pressburg/Bratislava) - (held around December 10th. Elizabeth Báthory is known to have gone on some Hungarian diets with her husband Ferenc Nádasdy)
April 20, 1603 - Bytča, NW Slovakia - Attends the marriage of György Thurzó's daughter Zsuzsanna with István Perényi
December 10(?), 1603 - Pozsony (Bratislava) - Possibly present at the Diet of Pozsony (Pressburg/Bratislava) - (held around December 10th. Elizabeth Báthory is known to have gone on some Hungarian diets with her husband Ferenc Nádasdy)
January 3, 1604 - While in Vienna, Austria - Letter from Count Nádasdy to Lord György Thurzó: "God hath visited me with sickness" (and formally entrusting the wellbeing of the heirs and the widow to Thurzó's protection and benevolence should he not survive
January 4, 1604 - While in Vienna - Count Ferenc Nádasdy dies in Sárvár, aged 48
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| Countess Elizabeth Báthory |
January 31, 1605 - Vienna(?) - Issues a letter ordering the protection of the clergy's wages and property
April 17, 1605 - Csepreg - Anna Báthory marries Count Miklós Zrínyi at Csepreg
July 1(?), 1605 - Ecsed (Nagyecsed, NE tip of Hungary) - Attends her brother István's funeral. Three girls are tortured to death during the voyage to Ecsed
August(?) 1(?), 1605 - Csejte (Čachtice, slovakia) - A friend of Ilona Jó, Dorottya Szemtés, joins the Countess' house in Csejte
December 22, 1605 - While in Csejte - Letter from her 20-year-old daughter, Anna Nádasdy, describing her reception at the home of her new husband, Count Zrínyi, at his castle of Csáktornya (now Čakovec, Croatia)
April 28, 1606 - Beckó (Beckov, W. Slovakia) - Letter to György Thurzó: "I would like Your Grace to look at these letters and bring to your attention that I have arrived, with the help of God, and am currently here in Beckó now. I would gladly like to know from Your Grace your current whereabouts. I would like to call your attention to my situation. I urge you, my trusted benevolent Lord, to inform me as to where I can find you and how I might get there in order to speak with you and hear your opinion"
July 29, 1606 - While in Beckó(?) - A creek flood in Csejte tears the bridge, houses and scarecrows in the countryside
November 11, 1606 - Keresztúr Castle (Hostie, Slovakia?) - Letter to György Thurzó: "I have received your letter and I understand its cause, that you wish me to give the abbacy of Csorna to Peter Kálli. Regarding this matter I can write to you that it would be a great pleasure for me if I were able to do this, but I cannot. I have previously been required for the same purpose before by some lords, as my lord Othkavio also has. But I have not yet decided which of them shall be given the abbacy, for there are four candidates. I shall gather them all together in the next days and I shall speak to them of this, and according to their decision the abbacy shall be granted. I will fit my order to their decision. As soon as we come to our decision, I shall inform you, so that you can give a certain answer to our friend. I serve you with pleasure as my brother."
April 1(?), 1607 - Keresztúr Castle(?) - Countess Báthory bestows a gift to Benedict Bicsérdy: "We, Lady Elizabeth Báthory...declare to all who should be aware thereof, that those ownerless allotments in the village of Hegyfalu to the value of 100 florins are hereby granted to Benedict Bicsérdy by me in recognition of his true and devoted service in his office and to my husband in the late wars"
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| Ruins of Csejte Castle Čachtice, Slovakia |
November 16, 1607 - Bytča, NW Slovakia - Attends the marriage of Thurzo's daughter Judit to Baron András Jakusith de Orbova
June 25, 1608 - Pozsony (Bratislava) - Attends the coronation of King Matthias II (Mátyás II), future Holy Roman Emperor
January(?) 1(?), 1609 - Csejte - Anna Darvolya suffers a blinding stroke and becomes incapacitated. The Countess then turns to Erzsi Majorova, a forest witch, for advice
June(?) 1(?), 1609 - Csejte - Beginning to feel her age and concluding that the servants' blood was losing its rejuvenating effects, Countess Báthory opens an etiquette academy for girls called "Gynaecaeum", a way to attract noble girls into her service and obtain their blood, supposedly with greater rejuvenating powers.
January 6, 1610 - Csejte - Attends the marriage of her daughter Katalin with Lord György Drugeth de Homonnay at Csejte castle
March 5, 1610 - While in Csejte - György Thurzó, the Palatine of Hungary, orders two notaries, András Keresztúry and Mózes Cziráky to collect evidence against Báthory
March 15(?), 1610 - Sárvár, W. Hungary - Travels to Sárvár in March
March 22, 1610 - While in Sárvár - The interrogations of the Báthory case begin
June(?) 1(?), 1610 - Trencsén (Trenčín, NW Slovakia) - During a trip to Trencsén, witnesses see some girls being tortured to death near a river
August 19, 1610 - near Sárvár - Accompanies a widowed gentlewoman named Hernath to the Vasvár-Szombathely county court near her Sárvár estates, and a voluntary deposition is formally lodged with the local justices. The lady states under oath that her late daughter, Susanna Ungváry, who had been in Báthory’s service, had died of natural causes and that the marks to be found on her body after death were the result of disease and not of violence, her employer being wholly innocent of her untimely death.
September 3, 1610 - Németkeresztúr (Deutschkreutz, Austria) - Writes her will at her castle of Németkeresztúr, leaving all current and future inheritance possession to her children
October 1(?), 1610 - Csejte (Čachtice, slovakia) - Count Zrínyi brings his wife Anna Nádasdy to Csejte, to leave her in her mother's company while he joined the other lords for the Diet of Pozsony (Bratislava). While entertaining her daughter and her attendants in the manor-house, Dorotya Semtész is put in charge of the maidservants, leaving them close to death, either through disease, neglect or deliberate ill-treatment. By October, Keresztúry and Cziráky had collected 52 witness statements
October 15(?), 1610 - Pöstyén (Piešťany, Slovakia) - Báthory takes his daughter to the thermal mudbaths at Pöstyén Spa. Meanwhile, eight girls die in Csejte and clumsily disposed of around the estates
October 20, 1610 - Csejte - Letter to György Thurzó
October 26(?), 1610 - Sárvár, W. Hungary - Báthory travels west to her castle of Sárvár, where her son was living under supervision of Imre Megyery, and gathers her jewels, other valuables and movable furnishings, loading them into coaches and transporting them to Csejte before the winter roads became impassable
November 6, 1610 - Csejte - Letter from her brother Gábor Báthory
December 29, 1610 - Csejte - A detachment of soldiers arrives at the castle, led by the Habsburg Emperor's representative, the Viceroy of Hungary himself, Count György Thurzó.
December 30, 1610 - Csejte - The Countess is taken out under armed escort and her servants are put to torture. Count György Thurzó orders the members of the Countess' household and her guests to come together, assembles his entourage and summons the people from the nearby village. A well-preserved corpse of a young woman had been exhumed and shown to the assembled people, with traces of lacerations and marks of ropes on her wrists. Another girl is brought, still alive but suffering from grievous injuries in her back and buttocks. He informs his audience that these girls were just two of many, and that the Countess had practised murder in her castle for years, with more girls being found in the castle, awaiting torture. Countess Erzsébet Báthory is put "between stones" (imprisoned in her castle) and four servants (Dorotya Semtész, Ilona Jó, Katarína Benická, and János Újváry) are arrested.
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| CG reconstruction of Csejte Castle |
January 2, 1611 - While in Csejte - First trial in the wake of Báthory's arrest, at Bytča (northwest Slovakia)
January 7, 1611 - While in Csejte - Second trial at Bytča. Dorotya Semtész and Ilona Jó have their fingers ripped off their hands with hot pokers and burned alive. János Újvary, deemed less culpable, is beheaded before being consigned to the flames. Katarína Benická is sentenced to life imprisionment, since recorded testimony inticated that she was dominated and bullied by Semtész and Jó
January 14, 1611 - While in Csejte - King Matthias II (Mátyás II) writes a letter speaking of his “serious displeasure, paralyzing fear and internal shuddering” upon learning that Widow Nádasdy killed “more than 300 innocent virgins and women, of both noble and lower levels, who served her as maids, and of whom no such action was deserved, without any involvement of the judiciary, in a most monstrous and cruel manner, their bodies mutilated, burned with hot irons, their flesh ripped out, roasted on the fire and this roasted flesh then allowed to be served.”
January 24, 1611 - While in Csejte - Erzsi "Majorosné", known as the Witch of Myjava, who was said to have helped the Countess to bake her magic cake to kill her enemies, is burned alive at Bytča for sorcery
January 25, 1611 - While in Csejte - Thurzó writes to King Matthias informing him that they had captured Báthory and confined her to her castle
July 31, 1614 - Csejte (Čachtice, slovakia) - Two priests arrive at Csejte castle to witness and notarize an addendum to her Last Will and Testament: The city of Kresztúr in the County of Abauj is bequeathed to her daughter Katalin Nádasdy
August 21, 1614 - Csejte - Countess Erzsébet Báthory dies, aged 54 =(END)
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