The diary of János Nemes of Hidvégi from the years 1651-1686

János Nemes of Hídvégi was the captain-general of Prince Mihály Apafi's Háromszék. He not only held the captain-generalship for a particularly long time, but also kept a diary about these years. This diary is not verbose; János Nemes primarily recorded not his thoughts or emotions, but what happened to him. In the diary, which he kept for more than three decades, he mostly recorded only his travels and meetings, but at other times he gave very detailed accounts of events he considered important, such as the wedding of Zsigmond Rákóczi, the younger brother of Prince George II Rákóczi, and Henrietta of the Palatinate in Crossen and then in Sárospatak. He reported on family events in more concise terms, but his joy over the birth of his children or the deep pain he felt at their death still shine through in his lines. He took the duties of the chief captain very seriously, he often lustrated the military of the seat, and he negotiated skillfully, trying to smooth out many tensions. He spent most of his time traveling. He also wrote down these most of the time, so we know exactly when and with whom he negotiated and how long he was away. He was also often present at the national assemblies, he liked to write about them, and he also gave detailed reports on his diplomatic tasks, which he performed at the Turkish port as the envoy of Prince Apafi. He was able to see the Transylvanian politics of the era up close, and at times he was among its main characters. János Nemes' diary was first published in the Historical Archive in 1902 and 1903. We did not change the text, but we added extensive notes. The new edition also contains a lengthy introductory study on the era and the life and activities of János Nemes. Despite the often terse entries, the diary can provide many interesting and novelties for those interested in the era.