Baron, later Count Nikolaus Esterházy de Galántha (English: Nicholas Esterházy of Galántha) (Galanta, 8 April 1583 – Großhöflein, 11 September 1645) was the founder of the West-Hungarian noble House of Esterházy which became one of the grandest and most influential aristocratic families of the Kingdom of Hungary.

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Nikolaus Esterházy
Count of Galántha
Palatine of Hungary
Reign	25 October 1625 – 11 September 1645
Predecessor	Szaniszló Thurzó
Successor	János Draskovich
Full name	Count Miklós Esterházy de Galántha
Born	(1583-04-08)8 April 1583 Galánta, Kingdom of Hungary (today: Galanta, Slovakia)
Died	11 September 1645(1645-09-11) (aged 62) Nagyhöflány, Kingdom of Hungary (today: Großhöflein, Austria)
Noble family	House of Esterházy
Spouse(s)	Baroness Orsolya Dersffy de Szerdahely (1612–1619) Baroness Krisztina Nyáry de Bedegh (1624–1641)
Issue	eleven children, including: Stephen Ladislaus Paul Anna Julia
Father	Ferenc Esterházy de Galántha
Mother	Zsófia Illésházy de Illésháza

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Nikolaus's parents were Protestants, and he himself followed them at first, but he subsequently became a Catholic and, along with Cardinal Pázmány, his most serious rival at court, became a pillar of Catholicism, both religiously and politically. At court, he opposed the two great Protestant champions of the period, Gabriel Bethlen and George I Rákóczi. Matthias II made him a baron (1613), count of Bereg (1617), and lord-lieutenant (Hungarian: főispán) of the county of Zólyom and magister curiae regiae (1618).^[1]

His political ideal was the consolidation of the House of Habsburg as a means towards freeing Hungary from domination by the Ottoman Empire, and the Habsburg noted him because of his zeal to that end. He himself, on one occasion (1623), defeated the Turks on the banks of the Nyitra.^[1]

His first marriage with Orsolya Dersffy made him immensely rich and brought him also the lordships of Munkács (today: Mukachevo, Ukraine) and Lánzsér-Lakompak (today: Landsee and Lackenbach in Austria). When he had to hand over Munkács in 1622 to Gabriel Bethlen because of the Peace of Nikolsburg, he was compensated by the Emperor with 2 new lordships, namely Fraknó (today: Forchtenstein, Austria) and Kismarton (today: Eisenstadt, Austria).

In 1625 he officiated in the coronation of the Emperor Ferdinand II, who made him Palatine of Hungary, the highest political function in the country.^[1] He also became Count of Fraknó and Knight in the Order of the Golden Fleece on 10 August 1626.

Nikolaus was also an accomplished writer.^[1]

He married in 1612 Baroness Orsolya Dersffy de Szerdahely (1583–1619) and they had:^{[2][better source needed]}

• István (1616–1641), died before his father. Had one daughter.
• Krisztina (1617–1617).

After his first wife's death, he married in 1624 Baroness Krisztina Nyáry de Bedegh (1604–1641) and had:

• Magdolna (1625–1627)
• László (1626–1652), killed in at the Battle of Vezekény
• Katalin, (1628–1630)
• Anna Júlia (1630–1669), married Franz III. Nádasdy^[3]
• Michael (1632–1633)
• Mária Krisztina (1634–1634)
• Paul I Esterházy of Galántha (1635–1713), his successor
• Mária (1638–1684), married Count György Drugeth de Homonna
• Ferenc (1641–1683), had issue. Ancestor of Móric Esterházy, Márton Esterházy, and Péter Esterházy.

• The jewelled wedding collar reputedly worn by Esterházy at his wedding in 1611.^[4]