The Peasant's King

In the 1400s, Eastern Europe was the scene of territorial conflicts, kings, queens, and peasants who struggled to survive. The Peasant's King is the story of Matthias Hunyadi who ruled Hungary for 30 years until his death in 1490. One might call him a "champion" for the peasants, as he would sometimes dress like one and mingle among them to hear their comments about him as their ruler. Matthias was an accomplished soldier at a very young age, and as King, ruled most of Eastern Europe. He and his father before him, fought to keep the Turks from invasion. Many years ago, Ellen Wilson Burt discovered she was a descendent of King Matthias but could find little information about him. Her curiosity sent her to Budapest. To her surprise, King Mathias was everywhere. His statue stands next to his father’s in Hero’s Square. Another is adjacent to the Palace, which also contains several books from his famous library, The Bibliotheca Corviniana. Matthias was more than a brilliant soldier, he was an intellectual. The Peasant’s King follows Mathias through his fascinating but short life from becoming king at age 14 to his death at age 47.