Parliament on Cetin
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After the Ottoman Empire defeated Hungary at the Battle of Mohács and with the death of Louis II, their king, the Croatian nobility gathered at the Parliament on Cetin (Cetinski Sabor) to discuss their strategy and choose a new leader. Louis II, the Hungarian king, held the crown of Croatia among other titles.
On January 1, 1527 they elected Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria as the new king of Croatia. Although the Croatians had few options the election of Ferdinand was a natural one because as well as being the powerful Archduke of Austria he ruled the lands of Croatia's Slavic neighbours, the Slovenes as both Duke of Carinthia and Carniola.
The charter signed by the Croatian nobles and representatives of Ferdinand von Habsburg which bears a fine example of the famous chequered state seal of Croatia is among the most important documents of Croatian statehood and is preserved at the Austrian State Archives in Vienna.
In return for the throne Archduke Ferdinand promised to respect the historic rights, freedoms, laws and customs the Croats had when united with the Hungarian kingdom and to defend Croatia from Ottoman invasion and subjugation.
The charter electing Ferdinand was confirmed with the seals of six Croatian nobles and four representatives of the Archduke:
Croatian Nobles
- Andrija Tuškanić
- Ivan Karlović
- Nikola Zrinski, father of Nikola Šubić Zrinski
- Juraj Frankopan
- Vuk Frankopan
- Stjepan Blagajski
Austrian Plenipotentiaries
- Pavao Oberstain
- Nikola Jurišić
- Ivan Katzianer
- Ivan Pichler
In Slavonia, an ancient duchy historically tied to Croatia, some of the nobility distanced themselves from the election and nominated John Zápolya the rival claimant to the Hungarian throne instead. After his death in 1540 the first option prevailed.
[edit] Sources
- Milan Kruhek: Cetin, grad izbornog sabora Kraljevine Hrvatske 1527, Karlovačka Županija, 1997, Karlovac
