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{{Short description|King of Hungary from 1387 to 1437 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1433 to 1437}}

{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Sigismund
| image        = Pisanello 024.jpg
| caption      = ''[[Portrait of Sigismund of Luxemburg]]'' attributed to [[Pisanello]], {{circa}} 1433
| succession   = [[List of Hungarian monarchs|King of Hungary]] and [[List of rulers of Croatia#After 1102|Croatia]]
| reign        = 1387–1437
| predecessor  = [[Mary, Queen of Hungary|Mary]]
| successor    = [[Albert II of Germany|Albert]]
| coronation   = 31 March 1387, [[Székesfehérvár]]
| cor-type     = [[Coronation of the Hungarian monarch|Coronation]]
| regent       = Mary (1387–1395)
| reg-type     = Co-ruler
| succession1  = [[King of the Romans]]<br>[[King of Germany]]
| reign1       = 1410–1437
| predecessor1 = [[Rupert, King of the Romans|Rupert]]
| successor1   = [[Albert II of Germany|Albert II]]
| coronation1  = 8 November 1414, [[Aachen]]
| regent1      = [[Jobst of Moravia]] (1410–1411)
| reg-type1    = Contender
| succession2  = [[King of Bohemia]]
| cor-type2    = [[Coronation of the Bohemian monarch|Coronation]]
| reign2       = 1419–1437
| predecessor2 = [[Wenceslaus, King of the Romans|Wenceslaus IV]]
| successor2   = [[Albert II of Germany|Albert]]
| coronation2  = 27 July 1420, [[Prague]]
| succession3  = [[Holy Roman Emperor]]
| reign3       = 1433–1437
| predecessor3 = [[Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles IV]]
| successor3   = [[Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick III]]
| coronation3  = 31 May 1433, [[Rome]]
| cor-type3    = [[Coronation of the Holy Roman Emperor|Coronation]]
| spouses      = {{Plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Mary, Queen of Hungary]]|1385|1395|end=died}}
* {{marriage|[[Barbara of Celje]]|1405}}
}}
| issue        = {{Plainlist|
* Unnamed son
* [[Elizabeth of Luxembourg|Elizabeth, Queen of Germany, Hungary and Bohemia]]
}}
| house        = [[House of Luxembourg|Luxembourg]]
| father       = [[Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor]]
| mother       = [[Elizabeth of Pomerania]]
| birth_date   = 15 February 1368
| birth_place  = [[Free Imperial City of Nuremberg]], [[Holy Roman Empire]]
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|df=y|1437|12|9|1368|02|14}}
| death_place  = [[Znojmo]], [[Kingdom of Bohemia]]
| place of burial = Nagyvárad, [[Kingdom of Hungary]] (today [[Oradea]], Romania)
}}

'''Sigismund of Luxembourg'''{{efn|{{hlist|{{langx|lb|Sigismund vu Lëtzebuerg}}|{{langx|fr|Sigismond de Luxembourg}}|{{langx|de|Sigismund von Luxemburg}}|{{langx|hu|Luxemburgi Zsigmond}}|{{langx|hr|Žigmund Luksemburški}}|{{langx|cs|Zikmund Lucemburský}}|{{langx|nl|Sigismund van Luxemburg}}|{{langx|it|Sigismondo di Lussemburgo}}|{{langx|sl|Sigismund Luksemburški}}|{{langx|ro|Sigismund de Luxemburg}}|{{langx|sk|Žigmund Luxemburský}}}}}} (15 February 1368 – 9 December 1437) was [[Holy Roman Emperor]] from 1433 until his death in 1437. He was elected [[King of Germany]] ([[King of the Romans]]) in 1410, and was also King of [[Bohemia]] from 1419, as well as [[prince-elector]] of [[Margraviate of Brandenburg|Brandenburg]] (1378–1388 and 1411–1415). As the husband of [[Mary, Queen of Hungary]], he was also [[King of Hungary]] and [[Croatia in union with Hungary|Croatia]] (''[[jure uxoris]]'') from 1387. He was the last male member of the [[House of Luxembourg]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sigismund - Holy Roman Emperor |date=11 January 2024 |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/543594/Sigismund}}</ref>

Sigismund was the son of [[Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor]] and his fourth wife [[Elizabeth of Pomerania]]. He married [[Mary, Queen of Hungary]] in 1385 and was crowned King of Hungary soon after. He fought to restore and maintain authority to the throne. Mary died in 1395, leaving Sigismund the sole ruler of [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungary]].

In 1396, Sigismund led the [[Battle of Nicopolis|Crusade of Nicopolis]] but was decisively defeated by the [[Ottoman Empire]]. Afterwards, he founded the [[Order of the Dragon]] to fight the Turks and secured the thrones of [[Croatia in union with Hungary|Croatia]], [[King of the Romans|Germany]] and [[Kingdom of Bohemia|Bohemia]]. Sigismund was one of the driving forces behind the [[Council of Constance]] (1414–1418) that ended the [[Western Schism|Papal Schism]], but which also led to the [[Hussite Wars]] that dominated the later period of his life. In 1433, Sigismund was crowned Holy Roman Emperor and ruled until his death in 1437.

Historian Thomas Brady Jr. remarks that Sigismund "possessed a breadth of vision and a sense of grandeur unseen in a German monarch since the [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|thirteenth century]]". He realized the need to carry out reforms of the empire and the Church at the same time. However external difficulties, self-inflicted mistakes and the extinction of the Luxembourg male line made this vision unfulfilled.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brady |first1=Thomas A.|title=German Histories in the Age of Reformations, 1400–1650 |date=2009 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-139-48115-1 |pages=75–81 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5OcgAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA75 |access-date=4 February 2022 |language=en}}</ref> Later, the [[Habsburgs]] would inherit this mission and imperial reform was carried out successfully under the reigns of [[Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick III]] and especially his son [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian I]], although perhaps at the expense of the reform of the Church, partly because Maximilian was not particularly focused on the matter.{{sfn|Brady|2009|pp=128–129, 144}}

In recent years, scholarly interest (especially from [[East-Central Europe]]) has grown greatly in [[Cultural depictions of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor|the person and reign of Sigismund]]—the ruler who had gained and led an imperial association almost reaching the size of the later [[Habsburg Empire]]—as well as cultural developments associated with his era. The setbacks which have been seen as his major failures (like dealing with the Hussite movement) are now generally considered by most scholars to be the results of the lack of financial resources and other heavy constraints, rather than personal failings.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Irgang |first1=Winfried |title=Sehepunkte – Rezension von: Kaiser Sigismund (1368–1437) – Ausgabe 14 (2014), Nr. 11 |url=https://sehepunkte.de/2014/11/26191.html |website=sehepunkte.de}}</ref><ref name="Frenken"/>

== Biography ==
{{More citations needed|section|date=September 2022}}

=== Early life ===
Born in [[Nuremberg]]{{sfn|Wood|2008|p=149}}{{sfn|Geaman|2022|p=29}} or [[Prague]],{{sfn|Kondyli|Andriopoulou|Panou|Cunningham|2014|p=223 n142}} Sigismund was the son of [[Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor]] and his fourth and final wife, [[Elizabeth of Pomerania]],{{sfn|Hoensch|2000|p=350{{endash}}351}} who was the granddaughter of King [[Casimir III of Poland]] and the great-granddaughter of [[Gediminas]], a [[List of rulers of Lithuania|Grand Duke of Lithuania]]. He was named after [[Saint Sigismund of Burgundy]], the favourite saint of Sigismund's father. From Sigismund's childhood, he was nicknamed the "ginger fox" (''liška ryšavá'') in the [[Lands of the Bohemian Crown|Bohemian Crown lands]] on account of his hair colour.

[[File:Mary (Chronica Hungarorum).jpg|thumb|upright=.7|Sigismund's first wife, [[Mary, Queen of Hungary|Queen Mary of Hungary]] ([[Chronica Hungarorum]], 1488)]]

King [[Louis I of Hungary|Louis the Great of Hungary and Poland]] always had a good and close relationship with Emperor Charles IV, and Sigismund was [[Betrothal|betrothed]] to Louis' eldest daughter, [[Mary, Queen of Hungary|Mary]], in 1374, when he was six years old and Mary but an infant. The marital project aimed to augment the lands held by the [[House of Luxembourg]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Main |first1=Archibald |title=The Emperor Sigismund |date=1903 |publisher=B.H. Blackwell |location=University of Michigan |isbn=0530512955 |pages=12 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hz4bAAAAMAAJ |access-date=30 March 2022}}</ref> Upon his father's death in 1378, young Sigismund became [[Margrave of Brandenburg]] and was sent to the Hungarian court, where he soon learned the Hungarian language and way of life, and became entirely devoted to his adopted country.<ref name=EB1911/> King Louis named him as his heir and appointed him his successor as [[King of Hungary]].

In 1381, the then 13-year-old Sigismund was sent to [[Kraków]] by his eldest half-brother and guardian [[Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia|Wenceslaus, King of Germany and Bohemia]], to learn [[Polish language|Polish]] and to become acquainted with the land and its people.{{sfn|Jefferson|2012|p=131}} King Wenceslaus also gave him [[Neumark]] to facilitate communication between Brandenburg and Poland.

While Mary was accepted as monarch of Hungary, Sigismund vied for the [[Kingdom of Poland|crown of Poland]] as well. However, the Poles were unwilling to submit to a German sovereign, nor did they want to be tied to Hungary.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Main |first1=Archibald |title=The Emperor Sigismund |date=1903 |publisher=B.H. Blackwell |location=University of Michigan |isbn=0530512955 |pages=13 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hz4bAAAAMAAJ |access-date=30 March 2022}}</ref> The disagreement between Polish landlords of [[Lesser Poland]] on one side and landlords of [[Greater Poland]] on the other, regarding the choice of the future monarch of Poland, finally ended in choosing the Lithuanian side. The support of the lords of Greater Poland was however not enough to give Prince Sigismund the Polish crown. Instead, the landlords of Lesser Poland gave it to Mary's younger sister [[Jadwiga I of Poland|Jadwiga]], who married [[Jogaila]] of [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania|Lithuania]].

=== King of Hungary ===
[[File:Sigismund (Chronica Hungarorum).jpg|left|thumb|upright=.8|King Sigismund of Hungary ([[Chronica Hungarorum]], 1488)]]
On the death of her father in 1382, his betrothed, Mary, became queen of Hungary and Sigismund married her in 1385 in Zólyom (today [[Zvolen]]). The next year, he was accepted as Mary's future co-ruler by the [[Treaty of Győr (1386)|Treaty of Győr]]. However, Mary was captured, together with her mother, [[Elizabeth of Bosnia]], who had acted as regent, in 1387 by the rebellious [[House of Horvat]], Bishop [[Paul Horvat]] of [[Mačva]], his brother [[John Horvat]] and younger brother Ladislav. Sigismund's mother-in-law was strangled, while Mary was liberated.
[[File:Thuróczy krónika - Zsigmond király hadjárata a lázadó urak ellen.jpg|thumb|Campaign of King Sigismund of Hungary against the rebellious House of Horvat in 1387 ([[Chronica Hungarorum]], 1488)]]
Having secured the support of the nobility, Sigismund was crowned [[King of Hungary]] at [[Székesfehérvár]] on 31 March 1387.<ref>Michaud, "The Kingdoms of Central Europe in the Fourteenth Century", p. 743.</ref> Having raised money by pledging [[Margraviate of Brandenburg|Brandenburg]] to his cousin [[Jobst of Moravia|Jobst, Margrave of Moravia]] (1388), he was engaged for the next nine years in a ceaseless struggle for the possession of this unstable throne.<ref name="EB1911" /> The central power was finally weakened to such an extent that only Sigismund's alliance with the powerful Czillei-Garai League could ensure his position on the throne.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ungarische geschichte |url=http://www.conflicts.rem33.com/images/Ungarn/hunhist_II.html}}</ref> It was not for entirely selfless reasons that one of the leagues of barons helped him to power: Sigismund had to pay for the support of the lords by transferring a sizeable part of the royal properties. (For some years, the baron's council governed the country in the name of the [[Holy Crown]]). The restoration of the authority of the central administration took decades of work. The bulk of the nation headed by the [[House of Garai]] was with him; but in the southern provinces between the [[Sava]] and the [[Drava]], the Horvathys with the support of King [[Tvrtko I of Bosnia]], Mary's maternal uncle, proclaimed as their king [[Ladislaus of Naples]], son of the murdered [[Charles II of Hungary]]. Not until 1395 did [[Nicholas II Garai]] succeed in suppressing them.<ref name="EB1911" /> Mary died heavily pregnant in 1395.

To ease the pressure from Hungarian nobles, Sigismund tried to employ foreign advisors, which was not popular, and he had to promise not to give land and nominations to anyone other than Hungarian nobles. However, this was not applied to [[Stibor of Stiboricz]], who was Sigismund's closest friend and advisor. On a number of occasions, Sigismund was imprisoned by nobles, but with the help of the armies of Garai and Stibor of Stiboricz, he was able to regain power.

==== Crusade of Nicopolis ====
[[File:Zsigmond Nikápolyban.jpg|thumb|King Sigismund of Hungary during the [[battle of Nicopolis]] in 1396. Painting by Ferenc Lohr (1896), main hall of the Castle of Vaja.]]
[[File:Flag of Sigismund of Hungary.svg|thumb|left|Royal Standard of Hungary under the rule of Sigismund (1387–1437).]]

In 1396, Sigismund led the combined armies of Christendom against the Turks, who had taken advantage of the temporary helplessness of Hungary to extend their dominion to the banks of the [[Danube]]. This crusade, preached by [[Pope Boniface IX]], was very popular in Hungary. The nobles flocked in their thousands to the royal standard and were reinforced by volunteers from nearly every part of Europe, the most important contingent being that of the [[Kingdom of France|French]] led by [[John the Fearless]], son of [[Philip II, Duke of Burgundy]]. Sigismund set out with 15,000 men and a flotilla of 70 galleys. After capturing [[Vidin]], he camped with his Hungarian armies before the fortress of [[Nicopolis, Bulgaria|Nicopolis]]. Sultan [[Bayezid I]] raised the [[Siege of Constantinople (1394–1402)|siege of Constantinople]] and, at the head of 10,000 men, completely defeated the [[Christianity|Christian]] forces in the [[Battle of Nicopolis]] fought between the 25 and 28 September 1396.<ref name="EB1911" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Nicolle |first=David |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/ocm60188063 |title=Nicopolis, 1396: the last crusade |date=2005 |publisher=Praeger |isbn=978-0-275-98837-1 |series=Praeger illustrated military history series |location=Westport, Conn |oclc=ocm60188063}}</ref> Sigismund returned by sea and through the realm of [[Principality of Zeta|Zeta]], where he ordained the local [[Montenegrins (ethnic group)|Montenegrin]] lord [[Đurađ II]] with the islands of [[Hvar]] and [[Korčula]] for resistance against the Turks; the islands were returned to Sigismund after Đurađ's death in April 1403.[[File:765572.jpg|thumb|Gold coin of Sigismund of Hungary with his coat of arms (right), and the image of the King Saint [[Ladislaus I of Hungary]] (left).]]The disaster at Nicopolis angered several Hungarian lords, leading to instability in the kingdom. Deprived of his authority in Hungary, Sigismund then turned his attention to securing the succession in [[Kingdom of Germany|Germany]] and [[Kingdom of Bohemia|Bohemia]], and was recognized by his childless half-brother [[Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia|Wenceslaus IV]] as Vicar-General of the whole empire. However, he was unable to support Wenceslaus when he was deposed in 1400, and [[Rupert of Germany]], Elector Palatine, was elected [[King of Germany|German king]] in his stead.<ref name=EB1911/>

==== Return to Hungary ====
[[File:Sigismundof Luxemburg.jpg|thumb|left|upright=.6|Sigismund of Luxembourg, official imprint.]]
[[File:Luxemburgi_Zsigmond_király_(1387-1437)_első_kettős_felségpecsétjének_hátlapja_(1384-1405).jpg|alt=Béla IV of Hungary, king, royal, seal, gold, golden bull, Hungary, double cross, Hungarian coat of arm|thumb|upright=.6|Reverse of the first double seal (1387–1405) of King Sigismund of Hungary]]
On his return to Hungary in 1401, Sigismund was imprisoned once and deposed twice. That year, he aided an uprising against [[Wenceslaus IV]], during the course of which the [[Kingdom of Bohemia|Bohemia]]n king was taken prisoner, and Sigismund ruled Bohemia for nineteen months. He released Wenceslaus in 1403. In the meantime, a group of Hungarian noblemen swore loyalty to the last Anjou monarch, [[Ladislaus of Naples]], putting their hands on the relic of Saint Ladislas of Hungary in Nagyvárad (today Oradea). Ladislaus was the son of the murdered [[Charles II of Hungary]], and thus a distant relative of the long-dead King [[Louis I of Hungary]]. Ladislaus captured Zara (today [[Zadar]]) in 1403, but soon stopped any military advance. This struggle in turn led to a war with the [[Republic of Venice]], as Ladislaus had sold [[Dalmatian city-states|the Dalmatian cities]] to the Venetians for 100,000 ducats<ref name=EB1911/> before leaving for his own land. In the following years, Sigismund acted indirectly to thwart Ladislaus' attempts to conquer central Italy, by allying with the Italian cities resisting him and by applying diplomatic pressure on him.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}

Due to his frequent absences attending to business in the other countries over which he ruled, he was obliged to consult Diets in Hungary with more frequency than his predecessors and institute the office of Palatine as chief administrator while he was away.{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}} In 1404, Sigismund introduced the ''Placetum Regium''. According to this decree, [[Papal bull]]s could not be pronounced in Hungary without the consent of the king. During his long reign, the royal [[Buda Castle]] became probably the largest Gothic palace of the [[Late Middle Ages]].{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}

==== Crusade against Bosnia ====
[[File:Thuróczy krónika - A magyarok boszniai hadjárata Zsigmond király idején.jpg|thumb|The campaign of Hungarians against Bosnia during the reign of King Sigismund of Hungary ([[Chronica Hungarorum]], 1488)]]
[[File:Drinking horn of Sigismund of Luxemburg.PNG|upright=.6|thumb|[[Drinking horn]] of Sigismund of Luxembourg, before 1408]]

In about 1406, Sigismund married Mary's cousin [[Barbara of Celje]], daughter of Count [[Hermann II of Celje]]. Hermann's mother [[Catherine of Bosnia, Countess of Cilli|Catherine]] (of the House of [[Kotromanic]]) and Mary's mother Queen [[Elisabeth of Bosnia]] were sisters, or at least cousins who were adoptive sisters.

Sigismund managed to establish control in [[Slavonia]]. He did not hesitate to use violent methods (see [[Bloody Sabor of Križevci]]), but from the River [[Sava]] to the south his control was weak. Sigismund personally led an army of almost 50,000 "crusaders" against the [[Bosnians]], culminating with the [[Battle of Dobor]] in 1408, a massacre of about 200 members of various Bosnian [[nobility|noble]] families. However, although campaign militarily looked like a success, it ultimately failed politically and Hungarians retreated, while the [[Bosnian Kingdom|Bosnian crown]] slowly but surely slipped away out of the reach for Sigismund and Hungarians.<ref name="Maslo-2018-Slavni Pavle-p.57">{{cite journal |author1=Amer Maslo |title=Slavni i velmožni gospodin knez Pavle Radinović |journal=Cobiss+ |date=2018 |page=57 |url=https://www.ff.unsa.ba/files/zavDipl/17_18/his/Amer-Maslo.pdf |access-date=25 January 2024 |publisher=IZUM-Institut informacijskih znanosti |location=Maribor |language=bs}}</ref>

==== Possessions in Serbia ====
Threatened by Ottoman expansion, King Sigismund managed to strengthen the security of southern Hungarian borders by entering into a defensive alliance with Despot [[Stefan Lazarević]] of [[Serbian Despotate|Serbia]]. In 1403, Hungarian possessions in northwestern regions of Serbia (the city of [[Belgrade]] and the [[Banate of Macsó]]), were given to Despot Stefan, who pledged his allegiance to King Sigismund, remaining the king's loyal [[vassal]] until death in 1427. Stefan's successor [[Đurađ Branković|George Branković]] of Serbia also pledged his allegiance to Sigismund, returning Belgrade to the king. By maintaining close relations with Serbian rulers, Sigismund succeeded in securing the southern borders of his realm.{{sfn|Fine|1994|pp=501–502, 526–527}}{{sfn|Ćirković|2004|pp=89, 103}}

====Order of the Dragon====
Sigismund founded his personal order of knights, the [[Order of the Dragon]], after the victory at Dobor.<ref>{{cite book |title=Dracula |first=Matei |last=Cazacu |publisher=Brill  |year=2011 |editor-first=Stephen W. |editor-last=Reinert |page=XIV}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | url=https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=yhoFEQAAQBAJ |title =Charter of the Order of the Dragon |isbn = 9798869346247 |last1 = Von Luxemburg|first1 = Sigismund|last2 = Curtin|first2 = D. P.|date = January 2024|publisher =Dalcassian Press }}</ref> The main goal of the order was fighting the [[Ottoman Empire]]. Members of the order were mostly his political allies and supporters. The main members of the order were Sigismund's close allies [[Nicholas II Garay]], [[Hermann II of Celje]], [[Stibor of Stiboricz]], and [[Pippo Spano]]. The most important European monarchs became members of the order. He encouraged international trade by abolishing internal duties, regulating tariffs on foreign goods and standardizing weights and measures throughout the country.

=== King of the Romans ===
After the death of King [[Rupert of Germany]] in 1410, Sigismund—ignoring the claims of his half-brother Wenceslaus—[[September 1410 imperial election|was elected]] as successor by three of the [[prince-elector|elector]]s on 20 September 1410, but he was opposed by his cousin [[Jobst of Moravia]], who was [[October 1410 imperial election|elected by four electors]] in a different election on 1 October. Jobst's death on 18 January 1411 removed this conflict and Sigismund was [[1411 imperial election|again elected king]] on 21 July 1411. His [[coronation]] was deferred until 8 November 1414, when it took place at [[Aachen]].<ref name=EB1911/>

=== Anti-Polish alliances ===
On a number of occasions, and in 1410 in particular, Sigismund allied himself with the [[Teutonic Knights]] against [[Jogaila|Władysław II]] of Poland. In return for 300,000 ducats he would attack [[Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)|Poland]] from the south after the truce on St. John's Day, 24 June expired. Sigismund ordered his most loyal friend [[Stibor of Stiboricz]] to set up the attack on Poland. Stibor of Stiboricz was of Polish origin and from the main line of the powerful [[Clan of Ostoja]] that had also been against choosing Jagiello as King of Poland. With the support of Sigismund, Stibor became one of the most influential men in late medieval Europe, holding titles as [[Duke]] of [[Transylvania]] and owning about 25% of modern-day [[Slovakia]], including 31 castles of which 15 were situated around the 406&nbsp;km long [[Váh]] river with surrounding land that was given to him by Sigismund. In the diplomatic struggle to prevent war between Poland-Lithuania, which was supported by the Muscovites, and the Teutonic Knights, Sigismund used Stibor's fine diplomacy to gain financially. The Polish side appointed several negotiators and most of them were also from the [[Clan of Ostoja]], distant relations of the Stibors. However, those "family meetings" could not prevent the war and an alliance of twenty-two western states formed an army against Poland in the [[Battle of Grunwald]] in July 1410. Stibor attacked then [[Nowy Sącz]] and burned it to the ground, but after that, he returned with his army back to the [[Beckov Castle]]. After the Polish-Lithuanian victory in the [[Battle of Grunwald]], the Teutonic Knights had to pay a huge sum of silver to Poland as reparation and again, through the diplomacy of his friend Stibor, Sigismund was able to borrow all this silver from King Władysław II of Poland on good conditions. In the light of facts about the diplomatic work of Stibor and the Clan of Ostoja that was following the politics of King Sigismund, one can question whether Sigismund actually joined the anti-Polish alliance.<ref>Dvořáková, Daniela : Rytier a jeho kráľ. Stibor zo Stiboríc a Žigmund Lucemburský. Budmerice, Vydavatel'stvo Rak 2003, {{ISBN|978-80-85501-25-4}}</ref>

=== Conference in Buda ===
[[File:Nádasdy Mausoleum - Zsigmond király.jpg|left|thumb|upright=.8|King Sigismund of Hungary ([[Nádasdy Mausoleum]], 1664)]]
In 1412, a Knights Tournament was held in [[Buda]], Hungary, this was also a conference between Hungarian King Sigismund, Polish King [[Władysław II Jagiełło|Wladyslaw II]] and Bosnian King [[Tvrtko II of Bosnia|Tvrtko II]]. 2000 knights were present from all over Europe, even England. There were very many princes, lords, knights and servants at the court of Buda in Hungary. Three kings and three other monarchs, a Serbian [[Despot (court title)|despot]], 13 herzogs and/or dukes, 21 counts, 2000 knights, 1 cardinal, 1 legate, 3 archbishops, 11 other bishops, 86 players and trumpeters, 17 messengers, and 40,000 horses. There were people from 17 countries and languages. A presumably contemporary list of the participants of the meeting has also survived. Besides the host, Sigismund, and his main guest, Władysław II, this text mentions Władysław's cousin [[Vytautas]], [[Grand Duke of Lithuania]], and the king of Bosnia, usually identified as Tvrtko II. Some argue convincingly that it was not Tvrtko II but [[Stjepan Ostoja]] who visited Buda at that time. Besides the king, [[Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić]], [[Sandalj Hranić Kosača]] and [[Pavle Radinović]] also came from Bosnia, and from [[Serbian Despotate|Serbia]], the Despot [[Stefan Lazarević]], bringing two thousand horses. From Austria, dukes [[Ernest the Iron|Ernest (the Iron)]] and [[Albert II of Germany|Albert II]], later successor of Sigismund, also took part in the Buda meeting. Also [[Heinrich von Plauen]]. the [[Grand Master of the Teutonic Order|Grand Master]] of the [[Teutonic Order]], [[Stibor of Stiboricz]], [[Nikola II Gorjanski]], [[Hermann II, Count of Celje]] and his son [[Frederick II, Count of Celje|Frederick II]], count of [[Krbava]]—Karlo Kurjaković, Ivan Morović-ban of [[Mačva|Machva]]. Długosz reports the arrival in Buda of the envoys of the [[Jalal al-Din Khan ibn Tokhtamysh|Jalal al-Din]], khan of the [[Golden Horde]] and son of [[Tokhtamysh]], who wanted to meet Władysław II of Poland. Jalal al-Din was an ally of the Polish and Lithuanian rulers in their fight against the [[Teutonic Order]], and according to some reconstructions of the events, Sigismund also wanted to rely on the Tatars against the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] threat. A narrative source from [[Lübeck]] also mentions the proceedings in Buda in 1412. Detmar's Lübeckische Chronik continued from 1400 to 1413. The continuation also gives a detailed description of the participants at the Buda meeting. The royal meeting was accompanied by festivities and various entertainments. At the tournament, a knight from [[Silesian Voivodeship|Silesia]] named Nemsche and a page from Austria won the joust. A Polish priest and chronicler [[Jan Długosz]] says in his ''Annales seu cronici incliti regni Poloniae'' that in the tournament there were also knights from Bulgaria, probably from the court of prince [[Fruzhin]], Sigismund's [[Vassal|vasal]] who also was at the conference.

=== Council of Constance ===
[[File:Meister der Chronik des Konzils von Konstanz 001.jpg|thumb|left|upright=.8|Sigismund and Barbara of Celje at the Council of Constance.]]

From 1412 to 1423, Sigismund campaigned against the [[Republic of Venice]] in Italy. The king took advantage of the difficulties of [[Antipope John XXIII]] to obtain a promise that a [[Council of Constance|council should be called in Constance]] in 1414 to settle the [[Western Schism]]. He took a leading part in the deliberations of this assembly, and during the sittings travelled to [[Kingdom of France|France]], [[Kingdom of England|England]], and [[Kingdom of Burgundy|Burgundy]] in a vain attempt to secure the abdication of the three rival popes. The council ended in 1418, having resolved the Schism and—of great consequence to Sigismund's future career—having the [[Czech people|Czech]] religious reformer, [[Jan Hus]], [[execution by burning|burned at the stake]] for [[heresy]] in July 1415. The complicity of Sigismund in the death of Hus is a matter of controversy. He had granted Hus a [[safe conduct]] and protested against his imprisonment,<ref name=EB1911/> and Hus was burned during Sigismund's absence.

When at one point during the council a cardinal corrected Sigismund's [[Latin]], Sigismund replied ''Ego sum rex Romanus et super grammaticam'' ("I am king of the Romans and above grammar").<ref>{{Cite book |last=Carlyle |first=Thomas |url=https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=2102 |title=History of Friedrich II of Prussia, Called Frederick the Great (Volume II) |publisher=Gutenberg.org |year=1858}}</ref> [[Thomas Carlyle]] nicknamed Sigismund "Super Grammaticam".<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Grundy  |first=T. R. |date=28 December 1872 |title=Sigismund "Super Grammatican" |journal=Notes and Queries |language=en |volume=s4-X |issue=261|page=524 |doi=10.1093/nq/s4-X.261.524-c |doi-broken-date=12 July 2025 |issn=0029-3970|url=https://academic.oup.com/nq/article-abstract/s4-X/261/524/4418677}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Wackernagel |first1=Jacob |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dSISDAAAQBAJ |title=Jacob Wackernagel, Lectures on Syntax: With Special Reference to Greek, Latin, and Germanic |last2=Langslow |first2=David |date=2009 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0198153023 |page=456 |language=en}}</ref>

His main acts during these years were an alliance with England against France, and a failed attempt, owing to the hostility of the princes, to secure peace in Germany by a league of the towns.<ref name=EB1911/> Also, Sigismund awarded Brandenburg (which he had recovered after Jobst's death) to [[Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg|Frederick of Hohenzollern]], burgrave of [[Nuremberg]], in 1415. This step made the [[House of Hohenzollern]] one of the most important in Germany.

Sigismund began to shift his alliance from France to England after the French defeat at the [[Battle of Agincourt]], which he was also controversially absent from due to hosting a pseudo-council in [[Perpignan]] with [[Antipope Benedict XIII]] and King [[Ferdinand I of Aragon]]. The signing of the [[Treaty of Canterbury (1416)|Treaty of Canterbury]] on 15 August 1416 culminated diplomatic efforts between [[Henry V of England]] and Sigismund and resulted in a defensive and offensive alliance against France. This, in turn, led the way to the resolution of the [[Western Schism|papal schism]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Guenee |first=Bernard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D9Qwkh0DKxwC&pg=PA246 |title=Between Church and State: The Lives of Four French Prelates in the Late Middle Ages |year=1991 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0226310329 |author-link=Bernard Guenée}}</ref> The close relationship that developed between Henry V and Sigismund resulted in him being inducted into the [[Order of the Garter]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Collins|first=Hugh E. L.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sKapp53K4_MC&pg=PA176|title=The Order of the Garter, 1348–1461: Chivalry and Politics in Late Medieval England|date=2000|publisher=Clarendon Press|isbn=978-0198208174|language=en}}</ref>

=== Hussite Wars ===
{{main|Hussite Wars}}
[[File:Thuróczy krónika - Zsigmond király háborúi a husziták ellen.jpg|left|thumb|The wars of King Sigismund against the Hussites ([[Chronica Hungarorum]], 1488)]]
[[File:Albrecht Dürer 082.jpg|thumb|upright=.7|Portrait of Emperor Sigismund, painted by [[Albrecht Dürer]] after the emperor's death]]

In 1419, the death of [[Wenceslaus, King of the Romans|Wenceslaus IV]] left Sigismund titular [[King of Bohemia]], but he had to wait for seventeen years before the [[Czechs|Czech]] [[Estates of the realm|Estates]] would acknowledge him. Although the two dignities of king of the Romans and king of Bohemia added considerably to his importance, and indeed made him the nominal temporal head of [[Christianity|Christendom]], they conferred no increase of power and financially embarrassed him. It was only as [[King of Hungary]] that he had succeeded in establishing his authority and in doing anything for the order and good government of the land. Entrusting the government of Bohemia to [[Sofia of Bavaria]], the widow of Wenceslaus, he hastened into Hungary.<ref name=EB1911/>

The Bohemians, who distrusted him as the betrayer of [[Jan Hus|Hus]], were soon in arms; and the flame was fanned when Sigismund declared his intention of prosecuting the war against heretics. Three campaigns against the [[Hussites]] ended in disaster although the army of his most loyal ally [[Stibor of Stiboricz]] and later his son [[Stibor of Beckov]] could hold the Hussite side away from the borders of the kingdom. The Turks took advantage of the internal disorder and soon began attacking Hungary again at this time.

At the 1422 Diet of Nuremberg, Sigismund and German territorial princes collaborated to organize two armies against the Hussite rebels. The first army was sent to relieve [[Karlštejn]], which was under a Hussite siege; the second army was ordered to destroy the Hussite field army. But [[Jan Žižka]] defeated the Imperial force at the [[Battle of Kutná Hora]] and then at the [[Battle of Německý Brod]]. These two unexpected defeats at the hands of the Hussites "ended the first Imperial and Catholic attempt to crush the Bohemian 'heretic rebellion'."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Nolan |first1=Cathal J. |title=The Age of Wars of Religion, 1000–1650: An Encyclopedia of Global Warfare and Civilization |date=2006 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-313-33733-8 |page=429 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1h9zzSH-NmwC&pg=PA429 |access-date=11 September 2022}}</ref>

The alliance against the Hussites continued to develop though, joined by Upper German princes and cities, even from "the regions furthest from Bohemia". In January 1424, the associative activity of the German electors led to the Union ('einunge') of Bingen, "within which the Rhenish princes were joined by the elector of Saxony and Sigismund's loyal partner Margrave Frederick of Brandenburg, and mutual assistance, adjudication, and cooperation in the face of the Hussite threat were stipulated."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hardy |first1=Duncan |title=Associative Political Culture in the Holy Roman Empire: Upper Germany, 1346–1521 |date= 2018 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-256216-6 |page=213 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yB1rDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA213 |access-date=11 September 2022}}</ref>

===Germany===
Sigismund's rule in Germany and in the empire in general was hampered by his complete lack of ''Hausmacht'' (domestic power) within the [[Kingdom of Germany]].<ref name=Frenken>{{cite book |last1=Frenken |first1=Ansgar |title=M. Pauly u.a. (Hrsg.): Sigismund von Luxemburg / Buchrezensionen |url=https://www.hsozkult.de/publicationreview/id/reb-9374 |publisher=Philipp von Zabern Verlag |access-date=2 July 2022 |date=2006|isbn=978-3805336253 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Irgang |first1=Winfried |title=Sehepunkte – Rezension von: Kaiser Sigismund (1368–1437) – Ausgabe 14 (2014), Nr. 11 |url=https://sehepunkte.de/2014/11/26191.html |website=sehepunkte.de}}</ref>

His rule relied on key allies and the culture of associative political mechanisms in Germany. Duncan Hardy remarks that "both the local and the trans-regional dimensions of the political activity displayed by the sources from throughout Sigismund's reign demonstrate that power at every level in the empire was exercised and mediated through the customary institutions and mechanisms of associative political culture. If Sigismund enjoyed considerable successes at certain junctures, it was not in spite of or independently from these institutions and mechanisms, but precisely because he devoted considerable energy to harnessing associative interactions and building strategic relationships with leading actors within elite networks. Even during his prolonged absences from the empire's core lands, Sigismund was able to make use of these partnerships, and could reasonably expect that the associative activity of princes, nobles, and towns would yield results—as indeed they did, in the form of large-scale collective activity against Duke [[Frederick IV, Duke of Austria|Frederick IV]] of Austria—Tyrol in the 1410 and the Hussites in the 1420. Not all of Sigismund's projects came to fruition, and he could not always control the longer-term outcomes of his policies, but the notion that there were phases of an 'empire without a king' during his reign clearly does not stand up to the abundant evidence of his interactions with regional clients and associations. At the same time, the somewhat adulatory view that has developed in recent years of Sigismund as a masterly politician can be tempered by the evidence that it was often felicitous alliances as much as personal skill which made his successes possible."{{Sfn|Hardy|2018|p=213}}

The alliance between Sigismund and his two key allies in Germany, namely [[Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg]] and [[Albert II of Germany|Albert of Austria]] (who became his son-in-law and heir through the marriage with Sigismund's only daughter [[Elizabeth of Luxembourg]]), started the rise of the Hohenzollerns and reboosted the [[Habsburgs]] (who returned to the German throne and also inherited the connection with Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia from Sigismund).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Middleton |first1=John |title=World Monarchies and Dynasties |date=2015 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-45158-7 |page=404 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R63ACQAAQBAJ&pg=PA404 |access-date=11 September 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Detwiler |first1=Donald S. |title=Germany: A Short History |date=1999 |publisher=SIU Press |isbn=978-0-8093-2231-2 |page=56 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-M4dwX_X0PoC&pg=PA56 |access-date=11 September 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

===Final years===
In 1428, Sigismund led another campaign against the Turks, but again with few results. In 1431, he went to [[Milan]] where on 25 November he received the [[Iron Crown of Lombardy|Iron Crown]] as [[Kingdom of Italy (Holy Roman Empire)|King of Italy]]; after which he remained for some time at [[Siena]], negotiating for his [[coronation]] as emperor and for the recognition of the Council of Basel by [[Pope Eugenius IV]]. He was crowned emperor in [[Rome]] on 31 May 1433, and after obtaining his demands from the pope returned to Bohemia, where he was recognized as king in 1436, though his power was little more than nominal.<ref name=EB1911/> Shortly after he was crowned, Pope Eugenius began attempts to create a new anti-Ottoman alliance.<ref>{{cite book|last=Buda|first=Aleks|title=Shkrime historike|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l5K4AAAAIAAJ|year=2002|publisher=Toena|isbn=978-99927-1-651-9|language=sq |page=247}}</ref> This was sparked{{citation needed|date=January 2015}} by an [[Albanian Revolt of 1432–36|Albanian revolt]] against the Ottomans, which had begun in 1432. In 1435, Sigismund sent [[Fruzhin]], a Bulgarian nobleman, to negotiate an alliance with the Albanians. He also sent Daud, a pretender to the Ottoman throne, in early 1436.<ref name="Islami4" /> However, following the defeat of the rebels in 1436, plans for an anti-Ottoman alliance ended.<ref name="Islami4">{{cite book|last1=Islami|first1=Selim|first2=Skënder |last2=Anamali |first3=Muzafer |last3=Korkuti |first4=Frano |last4=Prendi |first5=Edi |last5=Shukriu|editor=Kristaq Prifti, Muzafer Korkuti|title=Historia e popullit shqiptar|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UlUtAQAAIAAJ|year=2002|publisher=Botimet Toena|language=sq |page=338|isbn=978-9992716229 }}</ref> Sigismund died on 9 December 1437 at [[Znojmo]] ({{langx|de|Znaim}}), [[Moravia]] (now [[Czech Republic]]), and as ordered in life, he was buried at [[Nagyvárad]], [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungary]] (today [[Oradea]], [[Romania]]), next to the tomb of the King Saint [[Ladislaus I of Hungary]], who was the ideal of the perfect monarch, warrior and Christian for that time and was deeply venerated by Sigismund.<ref>Bertényi Iván. (2000). A Tizennegyedik Század története. Budapest: Pannonica kiadó.</ref> By his second wife, [[Barbara of Celje]], he left an only daughter, [[Elisabeth of Luxembourg]], who was married to [[Albert II of Germany|Albert V, duke of Austria]] (later German king as Albert II) whom Sigismund named as his successor. As he left no sons, his line of the [[House of Luxembourg]] became extinct on his death.<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|wstitle=Sigismund|inline=1}}</ref>

== Family and issue ==
Sigismund married twice but had little luck in securing the succession to his crowns. Each of his two marriages resulted in the birth of one child. His [[Childbirth|firstborn]] child, probably a son, was born prematurely as a result of a horse riding accident suffered by Queen [[Mary of Hungary]] when she was well advanced in pregnancy. Mother and child both died shortly after the birth in the hills of [[Buda]] on 17 May 1395. This caused a deep succession crisis because Sigismund ruled over [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungary]] by right of his wife, and although he managed to keep his power, the crisis lasted until his second marriage to [[Barbara of Celje]]. Barbara's only child, [[born in the purple]] on 7 October 1409, probably in the castle of [[Visegrád]], was [[Elisabeth of Luxembourg]],{{sfn|Hoensch|2000|p=351}} the future [[queen consort]] of Hungary, Germany, and Bohemia. Queen Barbara was unable to give birth to any further issue. [[Elizabeth of Luxembourg]] was thus the only surviving legitimate offspring of Sigismund.

=== Hungarian affiliations ===
[[File:Coa Hungary Family Hunyadi János (extended) v2.svg|right|thumb|Coat of arms of John Hunyadi.]]

Sigismund was known to speak fluent [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]], wore Hungarian-style royal clothes, and even grew his beard in the Hungarian fashion.<ref>Hóman Bálint: Magyar középkor II. Attraktor, Gödöllő, Hungary, 2003.</ref> {{Blockquote|''Emperor Sigismund, in terms of the quality of his face and the greatness of his stature, was a fairly great man, the world's chief creator blessed him with a beautiful face, curly, bluish hair, and a gentle look. He wore a long beard out of his attraction to the Hungarians because they also wore long beards once upon a time.''|[[Johannes de Thurocz|John Thuróczy]]: ''[[Chronica Hungarorum]]''<ref>''Johannes Thuróczy: Chronica Hungarorum'' http://thuroczykronika.atw.hu/pdf/Thuroczy.pdf</ref>}}He also spent huge amounts of money during his reign to rebuild the Gothic castles of [[Buda Castle|Buda]] and [[Visegrád]] in the Kingdom of Hungary, ordering the transportation of materials from Austria and Bohemia.<ref>Mályusz Elemér: Zsigmond király uralma Magyarországon 1387–1437, Gondolat, Budapest, 1984.</ref>

His many affairs with women led to the birth of several [[legend]]s, as the one that existed decades later during the reign of the King [[Matthias Corvinus]] of Hungary. According to this, [[John Hunyadi]] was Sigismund's illegitimate son. Sigismund gave a ring to the boy's mother when he was born, but one day in the forest a raven stole it from her, and the ring was only recovered after the bird was hunted down. It is said that this incident inspired the coat of arms of the [[Hunyadi family|Hunyadi]]s, and later also appeared in the coat of arms of Matthias "Corvinus".<ref>Dümmerth Dezső: A két Hunyadi. Panoráma, Budapest, 1985.</ref>

Sigismund adopted the Hungarian reverence for Saint [[Ladislaus I of Hungary]], who was considered to be an ideal Christian knight at that time. He went on pilgrimage several times to his tomb in Nagyvárad. Before Sigismund died, in [[Znojmo|Znaim]], [[Moravia]], he ordered to be buried next to the king saint.<ref>C. Tóth Norbert: Luxemburgi Zsigmond uralkodása 1387–1437. Magyarország története 6. Főszerk.: Romsics Ignác. Bp.: Kossuth Kiadó, 2009.</ref>

The bloodline of Sigismund connects through three princesses to the royal Hungarian [[Árpád dynasty]].

{{Tree chart/start|align=center}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | |Bela3| |Bela3='''[[Béla III of Hungary]]'''<br>[[File:Coa Hungary Country History Bela III (1172-1196).svg|Coat of arms of Béla III of Hungary|33px]]|boxstyle_Bela3=background-color: gold;}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | |,|-|^|-|.| |}}
{{Tree chart| | | |Andrew| | | |Constance| |Andrew='''[[Andrew II of Hungary]]'''<br>[[File:Coa Hungary Country History Andrew II (1205-1235).svg|Coat of arms of Andrew II of Hungary|33px]]|boxstyle_Andrew=background-color: gold; |Constance='''[[Constance of Hungary]]'''|boxstyle_Constance=background-color: #F2CEDA;}}
{{Tree chart| | | | |!| | | | | |!| |}}
{{Tree chart| | | |Bela4| | | | |!| Bela4='''[[Béla IV of Hungary]]'''<br>[[File:Coa Hungary Country History (15th century).svg|Coat of arms of Béla IV of Hungary|33px]]|boxstyle_Bela4=background-color: gold;}}
{{Tree chart| | |,|-|^|-|.| | | |!| |}}
{{Tree chart| |Yolanda| |Anna| |Wenceslaus| |Yolanda='''[[Yolanda of Poland|Yolanda of Hungary]]''' |Anna='''[[Anna of Hungary, Duchess of Macsó|Anna of Hungary]]'''|boxstyle_Yolanda=background-color: #F2CEDA;|boxstyle_Anna=background-color: #F2CEDA; |Wenceslaus=[[Wenceslaus I of Bohemia]]}}
{{Tree chart| | |!| | | |!| | | |!| | |}}
{{Tree chart| |Jadwiga| |Kunigunda|y|Ottokar| |Jadwiga=[[Jadwiga of Kalisz]] |Kunigunda=[[Kunigunda of Halych]] |Ottokar=[[Ottokar II of Bohemia]]}}
{{Tree chart| | |!| | | | | |!| | | | | |}}
{{Tree chart| |Casimir| | | |Wenceslaus| |Casimir=[[Casimir III the Great|Casimir III of Poland]] |Wenceslaus=[[Wenceslaus II of Bohemia]]}}
{{Tree chart| | |!| | | | | |!| | | | | |}}
{{Tree chart| |ElizabethP| | | |ElizabethB| |ElizabethP=[[Elizabeth of Poland, Duchess of Pomerania|Elizabeth of Poland]] |ElizabethB=[[Elizabeth of Bohemia (1292–1330)|Elizabeth of Bohemia]]}}
{{Tree chart| | |!| | | | | |!| | | | | |}}
{{Tree chart| |Elizabeth|~|y|~|Charles| |Elizabeth=[[Elizabeth of Pomerania]] |Charles=[[Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor]]}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | |!| | | | | | |}}
{{Tree chart| | | | |Sigismund| | Sigismund='''Sigismund, King of Hungary and Holy Roman Emperor'''<br>[[File:Sigismund Arms Hungarian Czech per pale.svg|Coat of arms of King Sigismund of Hungary|33px]]|boxstyle_Sigismund=background-color: #d0e5f5;}}
{{Tree chart/end}}

== Reformatio Sigismundi ==
{{main|Reformatio Sigismundi}}
The '''''Reformatio Sigismundi''''' appeared in connection with efforts to [[Imperial Reform|reform]] the [[Holy Roman Empire]] during the reign of Emperor Sigismund (1410–1437). It was presented in 1439 at the [[Council of Basel]], published by an anonymous author, and referred to the injustice of the German rulers. It included a [[vision (religion)|vision]] of Sigismund's about the appearance of a priest-king, Frederick, as well as plans for a wide [[reform]] of the monarchy and emperorship and the German empire.

== Historiography and cultural depictions of Sigismund ==
{{main|Cultural depictions of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor}}

== Titles ==

* Title of Sigismund in the Hungarian first decree of 1405: ''"Sigismund, by the Grace of God, King of Hungary, Dalmatia, Croatia, Rama, Serbia, Galicia, Lodomeria, Cumania and Bulgaria, Margrave of Brandenburg, Chief Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Empire, Heir of Bohemia and Luxemburg."''<ref>{{Cite web |author=Dr. Pomogyi |first=László |title=Ezer év törvényei – 1405. évi (I. decrétum) törvénycikkek (Corpus Juris Hungarici Magyar Törvénytár) |trans-title=Laws of a Thousand Years – Law articles of 1405 (Decree I) (Corpus Juris Hungarici, Hungarian Law Library) |url=https://net.jogtar.hu/ezer-ev-torveny?docid=40500000.TV&searchUrl=/ezer-ev-torvenyei?pagenum%3D3 |accessdate=28 May 2023 |website=net.jogtar.hu (Online Hungarian Legal Register) |publisher=Wolters Kluwer |quote=Zsigmond, Isten kegyelméből Magyarország, Dalmácia, Horvátország, Ráma, Szerbia, Galícia, Lodoméria, Kunország és Bulgária királya, brandenburgi őrgróf, a Szent Római Birodalomnak főkamarása Csehország és Luxemburg örököse.}}</ref>

==Heraldry==
{| class="toccolours" width="100%" align="center"
|-
! style="background:#ccccff;"|Heraldry of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
|-
|
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|[[File:Coat of Arms of the King of the Romans (c.1433-1486).svg|155px]]
|[[File:Coat of arms of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor.svg|132px]]
|-
|Coat of arms as King of the Romans<br/><small>(1433–1437)</small>
|Coat of arms as Holy Roman Emperor<br/><small>(1433–1437), king of Hungary and Bohemia</small>
|-
|[[File:Sigismund Arms Hungarian Czech per pale.svg|132px]]
|[[File:Sigismund Arms.svg|132px]]
|-
| colspan="2" |Arms of the House of Luxembourg-Hungary-Bohemia<br/>
|-
|[[File:Coat of Arms of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor.png|155px]]
|-
|Coat of arms as [[Order of the Garter|Knight of the Garter]]
|}
|}

==In popular culture==
===Films===
King Sigismund is portrayed by British actor [[Matthew Goode]] in the 2022 film ''[[Medieval (film)|Jan Žižka]]'' by director [[Petr Jákl]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/medieval-movie-review-2022 | title=Medieval movie review & film summary (2022) &#124; Roger Ebert }}</ref>

===Video games===
King Sigismund is a briefly seen antagonist in the 2018 [[Warhorse Studios]] action role-playing game ''[[Kingdom Come: Deliverance]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gamesradar.com/kingdom-come-deliverance-slashes-its-way-into-comics/ | title=Kingdom Come Deliverance slashes its way into comics | date=25 January 2022 }}</ref> The main character becomes involved in a plot which opposes Sigismund and aims to restore Wenceslaus to the Bohemian throne.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hafer |first1=Leana |title=Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 – Meet the Medieval Cast |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/kingdom-come-deliverance-2-meet-the-medieval-cast-ign-first |access-date=7 February 2025 |work=IGN |date=11 December 2024 |language=en}}</ref> Sigismund returned in ''[[Kingdom Come: Deliverance II]]'', where he was portrayed by [[Ondřej Vetchý]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hrusovsky |first1=Jan |title=Vetchý jako Zikmund a co Jan Žižka? Vývojáři Kingdom Come odhalili další dabéry a nové datum vydání |url=https://cnn.iprima.cz/nejocekavanejsi-ceska-hra-vyjde-drive-pokracovani-kingdom-come-je-hotove-vyvojari-prozradili-dalsi-detaily-455518 |access-date=24 January 2025 |work=[[CNN Prima News]] |date=8 December 2024 |language=cs}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Kings of Germany family tree]]
* [[Stibor of Stiboricz]]
* [[Clan of Ostoja]]
* [[Order of the Dragon]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{Cite book |last=Ćirković |first=Sima |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2Wc-DWRzoeIC |title=The Serbs |publisher=Blackwell Publishing |year=2004 |location=Malden |isbn=978-1405142915 |author-link=Sima Ćirković}}
* {{Cite book |last=Fine |first=John Van Antwerp Jr. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LvVbRrH1QBgC |title=The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest |publisher=University of Michigan Press |year=1994 |location=Ann Arbor, Michigan |isbn=0472082604 |author-link=John Van Antwerp Fine Jr. |orig-year=1987}}
* {{cite book |title=Anne of Bohemia |first=Kristen L. |last=Geaman |publisher=Routledge |year=2022 }}
* {{cite book |title=Die Luxemburger: Eine spätmitelalterliche Dynastie gesamteuropäischer Bedeutung 1308-1437 |first=Jörg K. |last=Hoensch |publisher=Verlag W. Kohlhammer |language=de |year=2000 }}
* {{cite book |title=The Holy Wars of King Wladislas and Sultan Murad: The Ottoman-Christian from 1438-1444 |first=John |last=Jefferson |publisher=Brill  |year=2012 |isbn=978-9004-21904-5 }}
* {{cite book |title=Sylvester Syropoulos on Politics and Culture in the Fifteenth-Century Mediterranean: Themes and Problems in the Memoirs, Section IV: 16 (Birmingham Byzantine and Ottoman Studies) |editor-first1=Fotini |editor-last1=Kondyli |editor-first2=Vera |editor-last2=Andriopoulou |editor-first3=Eirini |editor-last3=Panou |editor-first4=Mary B. |editor-last4=Cunningham|publisher=Routledge|year=2014}}
* {{cite book |title=Forgery, Replica, Fiction: Temporalities of German Renaissance Art |first=Christopher S. |last=Wood |publisher=University of Chicago Press |year=2008 }}
{{refend}}

== Further reading ==
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{Cite encyclopedia |year=1998 |title=Hungary: Crown and Estates |encyclopedia=New Cambridge Medieval History vol. VII. c. 1415–c. 1500 |publisher=CUP |location=Cambridge |last=Bak |first=János |editor-last=Christopher Almand |pages=707–27}}
* {{Cite book |last=Baum |first=W. |title=Císař Zikmund |year=1996 |trans-title=Emperor Sigismund}}
* {{Cite book |last=Hoensch |first=J. |title=Kaiser Sigismund: Herrscher an der Schwelle zur Neuzeit, 1368–1437 |year=1996}}
* {{Cite book |last=Horváth |first=H. |title=Zsigmond király és kora |year=1937 |trans-title=King Sigismund and his age}}
* {{Cite book |last=Kéry |first=B. |title=Kaiser Sigismund Ikonographie |year=1972}}
* {{Cite book |last=Mályusz |first=E. |title=Kaiser Sigismond in Ungarn 1387–1437 |year=1990}}
* {{Cite book |last=Mályusz |first=E. |title=Zsigmond király uralma Magyarországon, 1387–1437 |year=1984 |trans-title=King Sigismund's reign in Hungary, 1387–1437}}
* {{Cite book |title=Művészet Zsigmond király korában, 1387–1437 |publisher=Hist. Mus. |year=1987 |editor-last=E. Marosi |volume=2 vols |location=Budapest |trans-title=Art in the age of King Sigismund, 1387–1437}}
* {{Cite encyclopedia |year=2000 |title=The Kingdoms of Central Europe in the Fourteenth Century |encyclopedia=New Cambridge Medieval History vol. VI. c. 1300–c. 1415 |publisher=CUP |location=Cambridge |last=Michaud |first=Claude |editor-last=Michael Jones |pages=735–763}}
* {{Cite book |last=Mitsiou |first=E. |display-authors=etal |title=Sigismund of Luxemburg and the Orthodox World (Veröffentlichungen zur Byzanzforschung, 24) |year=2010}}
* {{Cite encyclopedia |year=2010 |title=Une histoire de trois empereurs. Aspects des relations de Sigismond de Luxembourg avec Manuel II et Jean VIII Paléologue |encyclopedia=Sigismund of Luxemburg and the Orthodox World (Veröffentlichungen zur Byzanzforschung, 24) |publisher=Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften |location=Wien |last=Mureşan |first=Dan Ioan |editor-last=Ekaterini Mitsiou |display-editors=etal |pages=41–101}}
* {{Cite encyclopedia |year=2006 |title=Sigismund von Luxemburg: ein Kaiser in Europa |encyclopedia=Tagungsband des internationalen historischen und kunsthistorischen Kongresses in Luxemburg, 8 to 10 June 2005|editor-last=Pauly |editor-first=M. |editor2=F. Reinert}}
* {{Cite book |last=Takacs |first=I. |title=Sigismundus rex et imperator: Kunst und Kultur zur Zeit Sigismunds von Luxemburg 1387–1437 |year=2006 |trans-title=Sigismund, king and emperor: Art and culture in the age of Sigisumd of Luxembourg 1387–1437}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
{{wikisource|works=or|Sigismund}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070611211239/http://www.sigismundus.hu/guide/index.php?l=en Art, images, and maps connected to Sigismund]
* {{Cite NIE|wstitle=Sigismund|year=1905 |short=x}}

{{s-start}}
{{S-hou | [[House of Luxembourg]] | 15 February | 1368 | 9 December | 1437 }}
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{{Holy Roman Emperors}}
{{Monarchs of Bohemia}}
{{Hungarian kings}}
{{German monarchs}}
{{Croatian kings}}
{{Antique Kings of Italy}}
{{Electors of Brandenburg}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor}}
[[Category:Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor| ]]
[[Category:Kings of Hungary]]
[[Category:Hungarian Roman Catholics monarchs]]
[[Category:Kings of Croatia]]
[[Category:1368 births]]
[[Category:1437 deaths]]
[[Category:14th-century people from Bohemia]]
[[Category:15th-century nobility from Bohemia]]
[[Category:15th-century Holy Roman Emperors]]
[[Category:15th-century monarchs of Bohemia]]
[[Category:14th-century Hungarian monarchs]]
[[Category:15th-century Hungarian monarchs]]
[[Category:14th-century German nobility]]
[[Category:15th-century German nobility]]
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[[Category:14th-century Luxembourgian people]]
[[Category:15th-century Luxembourgian people]]
[[Category:Kings of medieval Bohemia]]
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[[Category:Czech people of Luxembourgian descent]]
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[[Category:People of the Hussite Wars]]
[[Category:Pretenders to the Bohemian throne]]
[[Category:Sons of emperors]]
[[Category:Children of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor]]
[[Category:Burials at Oradea Cathedral, Crişana]]