nemesítési

Nemesítés (nemesítési) is the act of elevating an individual or family to the noble estate (nemes) within the historical Kingdom of Hungary and its successor states. The grant was typically effected by a sovereign royal patent and could accompany holdings, heraldic privileges, and political rights.

Historically, the nobility formed a privileged estate whose members held land, paid certain taxes differently, and had a role in governing bodies such as the royal court or parliament. Ennoblement was used to reward military or civil service, diplomacy, or loyal administration. The status was often hereditary and could be inherited by legitimate descendants, though in some periods it could be limited or revoked.

The procedure varied by era, but commonly involved a petition or recommendation, royal decision, and an official certificate or patent naming the new noble and, at times, granting land, arms, or a coat of arms. In many cases, ennobled individuals joined a recognized nemes class and took part in the estate's privileges and obligations.

In modern Hungary, the legal and social privileges of nobility were abolished in the 19th and 20th centuries. After the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the subsequent political changes, nobility is no longer a legally recognized estate; however, historical ennoblement remains a matter of genealogical and cultural interest, and noble titles persist in social usage and heraldry without legal status.