A Wasteful and Indebted Aristocrat? Notes on the Financial Situation and Bankruptcy Proceedings of Ignác Eötvös Jr. Cover Image

Pazarló, eladósodott arisztokrata? Néhány megjegyzés ifj. Eötvös Ignác anyagi helyzetéhez, csődperéhez
A Wasteful and Indebted Aristocrat? Notes on the Financial Situation and Bankruptcy Proceedings of Ignác Eötvös Jr.

Author(s): Krisztián Bödő
Subject(s): History, Economic history, 19th Century
Published by: Károli Gáspár Református Egyetem
Keywords: bankruptcy; aristocracy; indebtedness; credit system

Summary/Abstract: This study examines the bankruptcy and financial situation of Ignác Eötvös Jr. (1786–1851), Royal Treasurer of Hungary, in order to reassess the common stereotype of the “wasteful and indebted aristocrat” in the early nineteenth century. The research is based on county debt registers, bankruptcy records, and archival sources. The findings show that Eötvös accumulated considerable debts, but these were mainly connected to estate purchases, credit transactions, and the changing financial environment of the Reform Era rather than personal extravagance. His bankruptcy should therefore be interpreted in the context of the transformation of credit relations and the capital demands of large estates, not simply as the result of a lavish lifestyle.

  • Issue Year: XVIII/2026
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 52-65
  • Page Count: 14
  • Language: Hungarian
Toggle Accessibility Mode