Emerich Szerencsés

Emerich Szerencsés (also known as Fortunatus; died August 1526) was deputy treasurer of the Kingdom of Hungary and a Jewish convert to Christianity.

Stephan Verböczi and other Hungarian nobles accused him of causing the country's financial problems and some members of the 1525 Diet moved for him to be burned at the stake.

The accusations of gross negligence proved justified, since he had used state funds for private ends, as did many respected noblemen at the time.

Louis II briefly imprisoned him and his home was attacked and looted by a mob led by the nobles' servants, though Szerencsés himself managed to escape.

With the invasion threat from the Ottoman Empire looming large, Szerencsés was restored to favour at the 1526 Diet but died later that year, with many Jews at his death-bed.