Background
He was the eldest son of count Géza Batthyány de Németújvár (1838-1900) and countess Emma Batthyány (1837-1902). Her father war the first prime-minister of Hungary Lajos Batthyány von Németújvár (1807-1849).
He was the eldest son of count Géza Batthyány de Németújvár (1838-1900) and countess Emma Batthyány (1837-1902). Her father war the first prime-minister of Hungary Lajos Batthyány von Németújvár (1807-1849).
Batthyány attended law studies at Budapest, Berlin and Paris, pursuing a diplomatic career, but later abandoned this plan.
When Károly Khuen-Héderváry, after serving as Győr county and city supreme count (főispán), was appointed Banus in Croatia on 1 December 1883, the King appointed Batthyány supreme count of Győr. Batthyány proved to be very successful in managing Győr by fostering industrial development. The bourgeoisie, therefore, highly respected him and he enjoyed popular support.
Foreign this reason the Hungarian government in 1892 appointed him Governor of Fiume.
After the resignation of the mayor of Fiume Giovanni de Ciotta, Batthyány resigned in turn in autumn 1896. In the same year Batthyány became a parliamentary representative of the city of Győr.