Global InformationMikes family information
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| House of Mikes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | Kingdom of Hungary Principality of Transylvania |
| Founded | 15th century |
| Founder | Miklós I |
| Titles |
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| Cadet branches | Zágon branch |
The House of Mikes de Zabola is a Hungarian noble family of Székely origin from the 16th century.
The family's historical presence dates back to the political affairs of the Middle Ages, notably linked to the National Assembly of Agyagfalva in 1506. Over time, members of the family consistently aligned with the Principality of Transylvania, serving as envoys (e.g., representing Transylvania in Venice), generals, and chancellors in various princely matters during the 16th and 17th centuries. By the early 17th century, Mihály MIKES became the commissioner of Háromszék, and the family actively participated in the freedom fight of II. Ferenc RÁKOCZI alongside other freedom fighters.
The modern developments on the Zabola Estate were initiated by Count Benedek MIKES (1819-1878) and further expanded by Count Ármin MIKES (1868-1944). The latter erected the so-called “New Castle” as an office building and guesthouse for visitors.
Exile, imprisonment, torture, and dispossession have been recurring themes across generations of the family. Two brothers from the (Catholic) Mikes family gained notoriety in Hungarian literature after their involvement in the 1634 kidnapping of the daughter of a prominent (Protestant) family, leading to the confiscation of their properties by the government (depicted in Zsigmond KEMÉNY's work "Özvegy és leánya" "The Widow and Her Daughter").
The darkest period began in 1949 when, on the night of March 2nd, Shrove Tuesday, noble families were forcibly evicted from the country within hours. Countess Katalin MIKES, then a young girl, was among those who had to hastily leave the castle amidst the chaos. Subsequent decades were marked by labor camps, forced relocation, limited educational opportunities, and constant threat of persecution. The family crypt behind the castle was demolished in the late 1950s.
Katalin MIKES was finally permitted to leave the country for Austria in 1960 to join her relatives. After the revolution in 1989, she returned to the Zabola Estate with her late husband Shuvendu Basu Roy Chowdhury of Ulpur and their sons to advocate for the restitution of their properties and the restoration of neglected and destroyed assets.
The restoration efforts are ongoing