Benedict Makrai

[3] His brothers were Sebastian, who served as ispán of the chamber of salt (Hungarian: sókamaraispán, mentioned in this capacity in 1397 and 1403), and Stephen, the vice-ispán of Baranya County under Nicholas Garai (around 1388).

[1] He soon moved to the University of Vienna where he taught astronomy, one of the arts of the classical quadrivium curriculum, based on Arabic scholar Alchabitius until 1391.

[1] From October 1412 to June 1413, he was sent to the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania as arbiter in their long territorial dispute with the Teutonic Order over Samogitia.

He then traveled via Ragnit to Trakai where Grand Duke Vytautas organized a feast, knighted Makrai, and showered him with expensive gifts, including golden belt and spurs.

The Order presented many documents, reaching as far back as donations by King Mindaugas in the 1250s and early 1260s, showing the numerous times that Samogitia was transferred to them (most recently by the Peace of Raciąż of 1404).

[7] On 3 May 1413, Makrai delivered his final decision and recognized that Samogitia took up the entire right bank of the Neman River, including Memel (Klaipėda), and thus should belong to Lithuania.

[7] Makrai completed his mission in June 1413 leaving growing tensions behind that spilled into the short but devastating Hunger War in summer 1414.

[8] In a March 1421 letter King Sigismund addressed Makrai as the administrator of the Bishopric of Eger and in June 1421 Pope Martin V confirmed his honorary title of the Count of the Sacred Lateran Palace (comes sacri Lateranensis palatii).