: See Nikola Zrinski for the great grandson.

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Nikola Šubić Zrinski or Miklós Zrínyi, (1508-1566), Croatian and Hungarian hero, member of the Zrinski noble family.

Nikola was the son of Nikola Zrinski and Ilona Karlović. He distinguished himself at the siege of Vienna in 1529, and in 1542 saved the imperial army from defeat before Pest by intervening with 400 Croats, for which service he was appointed ban of Croatia.

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In 1542 he routed the Ottoman Empire at Somlyo. In 1543 he married Catherine (Katarina) Frankopan, who placed the whole of her vast estates at his disposal. The Emperor Ferdinand also gave him large possessions in Hungary, and henceforth the Zrinskis–Zrínyis became as much Magyar as Croatian magnates.

In 1556 Zrínyi won a series of victories over the Ottomans, culminating in the battle of Babócsa. The Croatians, however, overwhelmed their ban with reproaches for neglecting them to fight for the Magyars, and the emperor simultaneously deprived him of the captaincy of Upper Croatia and sent 10,000 men to aid the Croats, while the Magyars were left without any help, whereupon Zrínyi resigned the banship (1561).

In 1563, on the coronation of the Emperor Maximilian as king of Hungary, Zrínyi attended the ceremony at the head of 3000 Croatian and Magyar mounted noblemen, in the vain hope of obtaining the dignity of palatine, vacant by the death of Thomas Nadasdy.

Shortly after marrying (in 1564) his second wife, Eva Rosenberg, a great Bohemian heiress, he hastened southwards to defend the frontier, and defeated the Ottomans at Segesd.

In 1566, from August 5 to September 7, his small force heroically defended the little fortress of Szigetvár against the whole Ottoman host, led by Suleiman the Magnificent in person. The Battle of Szigetvár ended with Zrínyi perishing with every member of the garrison in a last desperate sortie.

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A square surrounding a large park in the center of Zagreb is named after Nikola Šubić Zrinski, commonly known as Zrinjevac.

References

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Subic Zrinski, Nikola
Category:Bans of Croatia
Category:Zrinski