The Assassination of Ulrich II, Count of Celje, in Belgrade (1456)
On November 9, 1456, Ulrich II, Count of Celje, the last ruler of his once-mighty dynasty, was struck down by agents of the rival Hunyadi family inside the fortress of Belgrade. As captain general and de facto regent of Hungary, his sudden death eliminated one of Central Europe's most powerful noblemen and plunged the kingdom into a year of political crisis. The killing set in motion a chain of events that would ultimately place Matthias Corvinus, son of his great rival John Hunyadi, on the Hungarian throne.
The Rise of a Central European Power Broker
The Counts of Celje (Cilli) rose from minor Styrian nobility in the 14th century to become one of the most formidable dynasties in the region, holding vast territories across present-day Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Austria, and Slovakia. Ulrich II inherited this sprawling patrimony and expanded his influence further through marriage and political maneuvering, becoming ban (governor) of Slavonia, Croatia, and Dalmatia while also pressing a claim to the Bosnian throne. His family's ambitions repeatedly clashed with those of the Hunyadis, the leading noble house of Hungary led by the celebrated general John Hunyadi, hero of the wars against the Ottoman Empire. The two families competed fiercely for control over the young king Ladislas the Posthumous and the direction of Hungarian policy. When John Hunyadi died of plague in August 1456, just weeks after his celebrated victory at the Siege of Belgrade, Ulrich moved swiftly to fill the resulting power vacuum. He secured appointment as captain general of Hungary and effectively became the kingdom's regent, positioning himself to seize control of Belgrade, the strategic fortress the Hunyadis had defended and considered their stronghold.
Did You Know?
Despite being bitter rivals whose feud ended in murder, the Celje and Hunyadi families were bound by marriage: Matthias Corvinus, who ultimately became King of Hungary partly because of Ulrich's death, was connected to Ulrich's family through the very political ties both dynasties had used to compete for power at court.
Violence in the Fortress of Belgrade
Ulrich's attempt to assert authority over Belgrade brought him into direct confrontation with Ladislaus Hunyadi, John's eldest son, who commanded the fortress and its garrison of loyal soldiers. On November 9, 1456, tensions between the two camps erupted into open violence within the fortress walls. The precise circumstances remain disputed by historians, but the outcome was unambiguous: Ulrich II was killed by men loyal to the Hunyadi clan, reportedly cut down amid a chaotic clash rather than through a formal trial or duel. Contemporary and later chroniclers offered varying accounts of who gave the order and whether the killing was premeditated or the result of a spontaneous brawl that spiraled out of control. What is certain is that Ulrich's death eliminated Hungary's most powerful magnate at a single stroke, removing the counterweight to Hunyadi influence at court. King Ladislas the Posthumous, young and politically weak, was present in Belgrade at the time, adding to the scandal and uncertainty surrounding the affair. The killing was widely perceived as an act of the Hunyadi faction settling scores with its greatest rival, and it immediately raised questions about royal authority and the rule of law within the kingdom.
The End of a Dynasty and the Road to a New King
Ulrich's assassination extinguished the male line of the Counts of Celje, bringing an abrupt end to a dynasty that had shaped Central European politics for generations. His territories within the Holy Roman Empire passed to Emperor Frederick III, while his Hungarian holdings reverted to the crown, redistributing enormous wealth and strategic land across the region. The killing did not resolve the underlying power struggle, however. King Ladislas the Posthumous, seeking to reassert control, had Ladislaus Hunyadi arrested and executed in March 1457, an act that further inflamed political tensions and turned many nobles against the crown. The unrest continued until the king himself died suddenly in November 1457, likely of leukemia, though poisoning rumors persisted for centuries. With the throne vacant, Hungarian nobles elected Matthias Corvinus, John Hunyadi's younger son and Ulrich's own son-in-law through marriage ties between the families, as king in 1458. Matthias would go on to become one of Hungary's greatest Renaissance monarchs, ironically inheriting influence built partly through his family's rivalry with the man his supporters had killed in Belgrade. Ulrich's death thus marked both the twilight of one great dynasty and the dawn of another's ascent to the Hungarian crown.