Stephen I (975?-1038) was Hungary’s first king. He ruled as king from about 1000 until his death. Stephen completed the work begun by his father of organizing various tribes into the kingdom of Hungary. As a result of Stephen’s reign, Hungary became closely identified with the culture and politics of Western Europe.
Stephen established Roman Catholicism as Hungary’s national religion. He developed a code of laws for his country. He also developed a governmental structure by organizing the land into counties.
Stephen was born in Esztergom, Hungary. His name was originally Vajk. He received the name Stephen (Istvan in Hungarian) as a child when he was baptized. In 997, he succeeded his father, Duke Geza, as ruler of a number of Magyar tribes. He traveled throughout his lands with a group of missionaries to convert his people to Christianity. He applied to the pope for authority to organize the Hungarian church.
Stephen also asked the pope to recognize his right to the title of king. At that time, the pope crowned the heads of the Holy Roman Empire. Pope Sylvester II recognized Stephen and sent him a crown for his coronation. According to tradition, Stephen was crowned on Christmas Day in 1000. However, some historians question the date and suggest that the coronation actually may have taken place in 1001. In 1083, the Roman Catholic Church declared Stephen a saint.
