King Stephen I, also known as King Saint Stephen is one of the most important kings of Hungarian
history. He was the first Christian Hungarian king, the founder of the Hungarian Kingdom and the organizer of the Hungarian
Christian Church. He reigned from 997-1038. (1000-1038) King Stephen was born around 970 to Prince Géza and Sarolt.
Stephen married the very religious Gizella the daughter of Henry, Prince of Bavaria, in AD 996. Many missionaries
and knights came along with Gizella from Bavaria.
After the death of Prince Géza in AD 997, Stephen was elected Prince of Hungary.
Stephen was crowned king in Esztergom at the turn of the millennium, around Christmas
in AD 1000. The crown was sent Pope Sylvester II, meaning that the pope recognized him as a Christian king. Thereby, the independent
Kingdom of Hungary had been born.
Among other things, Stephen continued and finished the construction of the Benedictine Abbey at Pannonhalma, founded the
Nunnery at Veszprémvölgy, the Abbey at Bakonybél and the Monastery at Pécsvárad. He built the Church of St. Peter and Paul
at Óbuda, a cathedral in Esztergom and another one in Székesfehérvár.
King Stephen died on August 15, 1038 at Székesfehérvár and he was buried there. His people mourned for three years.
