!!!Esterházy, Paul V. Fürst

b. Eisenstadt (Burgenland), March 23, 1901, 
d. Zurich (Switzerland), May 25, 1989, legal scholar, political 
scientist, estate owner. Inherited the  Esterházy family title 
and estate (128,000 hectares of land in Hungary and 66,000 in 
Burgenland) in 1920, as well as administrative seats in Sopron and 
Eisenstadt. In the Peace Treaty of St. Germain (1919)  Burgenland was 
ceded Austria; this met with Hungarian resistance and in 1921 the 
inhabitants were allowed to choose between Hungarian and Austrian 
citizenship.  Prince Paul decided to adopt Hungarian citizenship. 
After 1925 E. offered buildings and land for the construction of the 
provincial capital  Eisenstadt. 1946-1947 his land in Hungary was 
seized by the state, and in 1946 his property in Austria was placed 
under the administration of the  USIA. in 1949 was sentenced to 15 
years' imprisonment in the Mindszenty Trial, but was able to flee to 
Austria in the autumn of 1956 and settled down in Switzerland. It was 
owing to him that the "Burgspiele" (Festival) were created in 
Burgenland at  Forchtenstein Castle, the international  
Bildhauersymposion St. Margarethen (sculptors' symposium) and the  
Lake Neusiedl National Park; E. also provided around 9000 hectares of 
land for the development of farmers' property from 1959 to 1961.

!Literature
G. Schlag, Burgenland, Geschichte, Kultur, Wirtschaft in 
Biographien, 1991; Die Fuersten Esterházy, exhibition 
catalogue, Eisenstadt 1995.



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