(Saint) Stephen I (dec 25, 1000 – aug 15, 1038)

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Son of Prince Geza. First Catholic ruler and first true "king" of Hungary. Married Gisela of Bavaria, Henry II, Duke of Bavaria's sister. Edward Aetheling was raised at Stephen's court for his protection. In a series of wars against semi-independent tribes and chieftains—including the Black Hungarians and his uncle, Gyula the Younger—he unified the Carpathian Basin. He protected the independence of his kingdom by forcing the invading troops of Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor, to withdraw from Hungary in 1030. Hungary enjoyed a lasting period of peace during his reign and became a preferred route for pilgrims and merchants traveling between Western Europe and the Holy Land or Constantinople. He survived all of his children, his death causing civil wars which lasted for decades.

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