The Miners’ Uprising that took place from 1525 to 1526 was the greatest socio-political movement of miners in the area that is today Slovakia and the history of Hungary during the Feudal period. The uprising was mainly caused by changes to the pay stamp, the coin used to pay miners, harsh working conditions and increases in taxes and fees. After the suppression of the earlier revolt led by Juraj Dóža, the plebeian classes who were concentrated around the mining areas erupted in open warfare. Issues with wages were added to by problems with food supplies and sickness benefits. Factors, sales representatives, and the administrators of the largest mining company in Europe, the Thurzó-Fugger Company, based in Banská Bystrica, began to pay miners with devalued copper pay stamps in 1523. In early May 1525, the House of Thurzó and Fugger was attacked by the nobility in the diet, and in June their property was confiscated in the name of the monarch.
Meanwhile, on 16th May, armed miners held a demonstration asking for higher wages in Banská Bystrica. The miner’s movement spread to Kremnica, Banská Štiavnica and Hodruša. All summer, the miners alternated between protests, demonstrations and work stoppages, but the owners and buyers did not back down. In the autumn of 1525, the Miners’ Union was established to defend the interests of miners with its headquarters in Špania Dolina. The Union safeguarded communication between the individual mining groups. At the end of February 1526, it began an armed uprising. Miners from Špania Dolina stormed into Banská Bystrica. They burnt down houses and occupied the town for more than 10 days. But once they had failed to conquer the castle grounds, they backed down. The leaders fled to Moravia and into the surrounding mountains. The investigation of the uprising was entrusted to Palatine Verböci and Gašpar of Raška, Nógrád County official. Some rebels were captured and executed in Banská Bystrica in September 1526, they were: A. Kolár, A. Kocka, I. Skocka, I. Kőllere, M. Maczigel and others. More rebels, including Beňo Maslo, were executed in Brezno in October 1526.
Pavel Kováč
