Zrinski

Zrinski, or Zrínyi in Hungarian, refers to a prominent Croatian noble family that played a central role in the history of Croatia and the Kingdom of Hungary during the 16th and 17th centuries. The family rose to prominence amid the struggles against the Ottoman Empire and the political integration of Croatian and Hungarian lands within the Habsburg monarchy. Their main seat was Čakovec Castle in Međimurje, and their estates covered substantial parts of northern Croatia and adjacent Hungary.

Notable members include Nikola Šubić Zrinski (died 1566), a military commander celebrated for the defense of Szigetvár against Ottoman forces led by Suleiman the Magnificent. The Zrinski family continued to hold high offices in Croatia, and in the 17th century Petar Zrinski (1621–1671) served as Ban of Croatia. In 1671, Petar Zrinski and the allied Fran Krsto Frankopan led the Zrinski–Frankopan conspiracy against Habsburg central authority; after its failure, Petar was executed in Wiener Neustadt, and the conspiracy triggered a harsh crackdown on Croatian nobility.

The Zrinski also produced figures in culture and letters, including Miklós Zrínyi, a poet and general who helped shape the Hungarian literary and military tradition of the era.

Today the Zrinski name survives in Croatian and Hungarian historiography, with the family remembered for its frontier defense, administrative roles, and cultural patronage. It remains a focal point in studies of Croatia’s relations with the Habsburg monarchy and the Ottoman frontier.