Nicholas Szák
[1] His early career is highly uncertain depending on the identification of those contemporary namesake lords, who held court offices around the same period during the reign of Andrew II.
[3] Nicholas Szák, in fact, was first referred to as count (or judge) of the court of Queen consort Gertrude of Merania in 1213, shortly before her assassination.
While the majority of the contingent returned to Hungary in early 1218, Nicholas remained in the Holy Land for a while and took part in the Siege of Damietta, along with bishops Peter of Győr and Simon of Várad.
[5] When he returned to Hungary, Andrew found his kingdom in the state of anarchy, both royal governor John, Archbishop of Esztergom and Palatine Julius Kán proved to be incapable to prevent the spread of looting and chaotic conditions.
Historian Tibor Szőcs argued Nicholas Szák professionalized the previously ad-hoc institution, which until then had operated in accordance with the habitus of the incumbent office-holder.
[9] Nicholas' first deputies were File Szeretvai (possibly), Petus, Maurice Pok and Martin, they plausibly simultaneously held their positions.
[12] The process of regular issuance of letters of conviction in the palatinal court also began during his term – previously, other institutions, such as the royal chancellery or places of authentication recorded the content of the judicial decision in writing if litigants requested.
It is presumable that where Nicholas was just judging, a scribe of a nearby place of authentication or monastery issued the "ad hoc" diplomas.
[18] Prior to 1222, Nicholas exchanged his villages Veperd and Kislók (present-day Weppersdorf and Unterfrauenhaid in Austria, respectively) with his king for unidentified landholdings in Sopron County.
A letter of 1222 of Pope Honorius III reveals that "some wicked men" had forced Andrew II to share his realms with his heir, Duke Béla, who became the internal opposition of his father's rule thereafter.
The available data suggest that discontented barons, many of whom had held high offices during Emeric's reign, staged a coup d'état in the spring of 1222.
Andrew was forced to dismiss his confidants from the most important courtly positions, including Nicholas Szák, who was replaced as Palatine by Theodore Csanád, a leading figure of the 1222 movement.
While retaining his office in Sopron County until 1224, Nicholas became count (judge) of the court of Queen Yolanda of Courtenay from 1222 to 1225, a relatively more insignificant dignity.
[6] Nicholas gradually lost influence in the royal court for the remaining part of Andrew's rule, while Julius Kán and Denis dominated the government.
According to a charter from 1230, Andrew II delegated Nicholas to that committee composed of Duke Béla and his partisans, which investigated cases in Sopron County.
Unable to resist them, almost all perished by the sword.After the death of Andrew II, his son Béla IV ascended the Hungarian throne in September 1235.
Nicholas became disgraced and completely lost political influence, while some of his landholdings along the border with Austria were confiscated, but he was able to avoid imprisonment or execution, unlike Denis, son of Ampud or Julius Kán.
However their troops, led by Bulcsú Lád, the Bishop of Csanád and Nicholas Szák were confronted by the fleeing Cumans, who looted and destroyed many villages on their way towards the Balkan Peninsula.
Following a temporary possession by Queen Maria Laskarina, Béla IV granted three of Herrand's former estates – Terjén, Gyalán and Várong – to a distant relative Conrad Szák in April 1250.
