Editing Stefan Ionuț

{{Infobox person
| name = Stefan Ionuț
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1501|3|3|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Bucharest]], [[Wallachia]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1537|1|14|1501|3|3|df=yes}}
| death_place = Near [[Bucharest]], [[Wallachia]]
| death_cause = Crossbow wound
| occupation = Resistance leader
| era = [[Early Foundation Era]]
| known_for = Removal of [[Grozav Ionuț]] from the Butchers
| title = Leader of the [[Bucharest Butchers|Butchers]]
| term = 18 December 1521–14 January 1537
| predecessor = [[Grozav Ionuț]]
| father = [[Dragos Ionuț]]
| mother = Maria Ionuț
| family = [[Ionuț family]]
}}

'''Stefan Ionuț''' (3 March 1501 – 14 January 1537) led the [[Bucharest Butchers|Butchers]] from the expulsion of [[Grozav Ionuț]] in 1521 until his death during an armed confrontation east of [[Bucharest]]. During the [[1521 Ionuț succession crisis]], Stefan moved between the Butchers crews and persuaded their commanders to abandon Grozav.<ref name="succession-crisis"/>

Stefan preferred dealing with crew members in their workshops and storehouses to attending meetings of the [[House of Ionuț]]. He spoke to commanders himself and expected them to state their loyalty directly. His approach often brought him into argument with [[Mihai Ionuț (House of Ionuț head)|Mihai Ionuț]], who wanted family decisions recorded before the crews acted.

== Work among the Butchers ==
Stefan was born in Bucharest on 3 March 1501, the third child of [[Dragos Ionuț]] and Maria Ionuț. As a young man, he accompanied older Butchers members when they collected money and food for households protected by the network. He learned which commanders answered to Dragos personally and which followed whichever member controlled the supplies.

After Grozav killed Dragos on 23 November 1521, Stefan refused an offer to remain under his command. He spent the following nights at different crew houses. By moving each night, Stefan spoke with members without revealing which crews had changed sides.

== Expulsion of Grozav ==
Mihai organized the family rejection of Grozav, while Stefan dealt with the armed membership. Once the loyalist households declared their position on 2 December, Stefan replaced commanders who still accepted Grozav's orders. He did not attempt to take the House title for himself.

On 18 December, Stefan entered the main Butchers storehouse with crews that had changed sides. Grozav's remaining commanders withdrew, and Grozav fled west. Stefan took leadership of the recovered network that day.

== Fifteen years in command ==
Stefan restored the decentralized command used under Dragos. Crew leaders kept authority over their own members but met Stefan when an action involved more than one household. He personally joined collections and confrontations.

Mihai restored the House on 12 April 1522 and became its head. Stefan accepted Mihai's authority over succession and family membership but resisted attempts to place the crews under the House register. When a crew member's family status was disputed, Mihai decided the membership question and Stefan decided whether the person retained command.<ref name="house-restoration"/>

== Death east of Bucharest ==
On 14 January 1537, armed retainers attempted to take grain from households protected by the Butchers east of Bucharest. Stefan went with the responding crew. A crossbow bolt struck him during the fighting, and he died before his men reached Bucharest. He was 35 years old.

== See also ==
* [[Dragos Ionuț]]
* [[Mihai Ionuț (House of Ionuț head)|Mihai Ionuț]]
* [[Grozav Ionuț]]
* [[1521 Ionuț succession crisis]]
* [[House of Ionuț]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="succession-crisis">"[[1521 Ionuț succession crisis]]". ''1521 Ionuț succession crisis''. ''Vrienden Universe Wiki''.</ref>
<ref name="house-restoration">"[[House of Ionuț#Restoration|Restoration]]". ''House of Ionuț''. ''Vrienden Universe Wiki''.</ref>
}}

[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Ionuț family]]
[[Category:Bucharest Butchers]]
[[Category:Bucharest Butchers members]]
[[Category:1501 births]]
[[Category:1537 deaths]]
[[Category:Early Foundation Era]]