Nepotism – the "Hidden" Aspect of the Liptov and Orava Counties´ Administration in the 18th Century

The phenomenon of nepotism belongs to the almost unknown aspect of the Hungarian county administration, although familial and personal ties represented crucial elements of political culture in the early modern period. State and local offices became ideal places for applying such personal ties and relations into practice. The state maintained a neutral attitude towards nepotism until the first half of the 18th century and no intervention was made against it in the county administration. However, with the ascension of Maria Theresa to the Hungarian throne, county accountants were to keep thorough accounting. County written agenda became a demanding job that required educated officials. Therefore when nominating new officials the comes had to take into account their education rather than his family ties. By this way the new requirements could be considered as an indirect means of eliminating nepotism.
In the milieu of the Hungarian counties the main responsibility amongst the rich catholic county nobility for maintaining nepotism lay on the vicecomes. Composition of the county magistrate could be - depending on preferences of the vicecomes - influenced by factors such as number of offspring, religious denomination or specific family background and the size of their possession. Gradually, "a county officials' family circle" was formed. It was composed of all those vicecomes subordinate officials who were related to him either by blood or their children had the vicecomes or somebody of his closest family for a godfather or godmother. In order to achieve the biggest proportion of "family officials" and ensure continuity of existing "familial web," the blood relation between changing vicecomeses had to be as close as possible.
Familial ties were so strong that vicecomeses of both - the Liptov and the Orava Counties were related in some way, closely, distantly or by marriage. The vicecomes of the Orava County had "his men" in the Liptov County and vice versa - the vicecomes of the Liptov County in the Orava County. It was predominantly three generations of the Okolicsányi family that created and maintained the familial web of officials in the both Counties.