István Széchenyi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Count
István Széchenyi
de Sárvár-Felsővidék
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| Minister of Public Works and Transport | |
| In office 23 March 1848 – 4 September 1848 |
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| Preceded by | office created |
| Succeeded by | László Csány |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 September 1791 Vienna, Archduchy of Austria |
| Died | 8 April 1860 (aged 68) Oberdöbling, Austrian Empire |
| Spouse | Crescence Seilern |
| Children | Béla Ödön Júlia |
| Parents | Ferenc Széchényi Julianna Festetics |
| Profession | Politician |
István Széchenyi (born September 21, 1791 – died April 8, 1860) was a very important Hungarian leader, thinker, and writer. Many people in Hungary still call him "the Greatest Hungarian." He worked hard to make Hungary a more modern and better place. He is known for his big ideas and for helping to build important things like bridges and schools.
Contents
Who Was István Széchenyi?
His Early Life and Family
István Széchenyi was born in Vienna. He was the youngest of five children. His family, the Széchenyis, was an old and powerful noble family in Hungary. They were connected to other important families.
István's father, Ferenc Széchényi, was a smart nobleman. He started the Hungarian National Museum and the Hungarian National Library. István spent his childhood in Vienna and at his family's home in Nagycenk, Hungary.
A Soldier in Wartime
When he was 17, Széchenyi joined the Austrian army. He fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He was a brave soldier. For example, in 1809, he risked his life to deliver a message across the Danube River. This helped two Austrian armies join together.
In 1813, he made a famous ride through enemy lines. He carried a message to important generals, helping them join the Battle of Leipzig. In 1815, he fought in Italy. He left the army in 1826 as a captain. After that, he focused on politics.
Becoming a Reformer
Traveling and Learning
From 1815 to 1821, Széchenyi traveled all over Europe. He visited countries like France, England, Italy, and Greece. He studied how these countries worked. He was most amazed by how quickly Britain was modernizing. This greatly shaped his ideas for Hungary. He also saw the Canal du Midi in France, which made him think about improving rivers in Hungary.
Széchenyi quickly realized that Hungary was falling behind other modern countries. For the rest of his life, he worked to bring new ideas and progress to his home country.
Starting the Reform Movement
In 1825, Széchenyi became widely known. He supported the idea of creating the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He gave all the money he earned from his estates that year, 60,000 forints, to help start it. Other wealthy nobles followed his example. He wanted to promote the use of the Hungarian language. This was a big step for him and for the reform movement in Hungary.
In 1827, he started the Nemzeti Kaszinó, or National Casino. This was a place where Hungarian nobles could meet and talk about politics. It was important for the reform movement.
To share his ideas with more people, Széchenyi wrote several books. These included Hitel (Credit, 1830), Világ (Light, 1831), and Stádium (1833). In these books, he told the Hungarian nobles to give up their old privileges, like not paying taxes. He wanted them to lead the way in modernizing Hungary.
Big Ideas for Hungary
Széchenyi believed that Hungary needed to grow slowly and carefully. He did not want sudden, big changes or too much nationalism. He thought nationalism could be dangerous in Hungary because many different groups of people lived there.
He also focused on improving transportation. He knew that good roads and waterways were key for trade and communication. He worked to make the lower Danube River easier for ships to use. This would open up trade from Buda to the Black Sea. He was a leader in the Danube Navigation Committee. He also helped bring steamboats to Hungary's rivers and lakes.
Széchenyi also wanted to make Buda and Pest (which later became Budapest) a major center for Hungary. He strongly supported building the first permanent bridge between the two cities, the Chain Bridge. This bridge was not just for travel; it was a symbol of connecting the two cities.
Marriage and Family
In 1836, when he was 45, Széchenyi married
Countess Crescencia von Seilern und Aspang. They had three children:
- Júlia Széchenyi, who passed away when she was very young.
- Béla Széchenyi, who traveled to many Eastern countries.
- Ödön Széchenyi, who later became a Turkish pasha.
Béla Széchenyi became famous for his travels and explorations in places like the East Indies, Japan, China, and Tibet. He wrote a book about his adventures.
Political Differences with Kossuth
Széchenyi had different ideas from another important Hungarian leader, Lajos Kossuth. Széchenyi thought Kossuth was too radical and too focused on his own popularity. Széchenyi believed in slow, careful changes to avoid problems with the Habsburg monarchy, who ruled Hungary.
Kossuth, on the other hand, wanted faster changes and believed that ordinary people should have more say in politics. He thought Hungary should have stronger ties with other liberal movements around the world.
They also disagreed on money matters. Széchenyi liked the idea of "laissez-faire" economics, where the government does not control businesses much. Kossuth wanted to protect Hungarian industries with tariffs (extra taxes on imported goods). Széchenyi wanted to keep farming strong in Hungary, while Kossuth wanted to build many factories quickly.
Later Life and Legacy
The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 began, and Hungary tried to break away from Habsburg rule. This was not what Széchenyi wanted for Hungary. In September 1848, Széchenyi became very unwell. He went to a private hospital. With his wife's help, he slowly got better and started writing again. He wrote books about children and education. He also wrote Ein Blick (One Look), about Hungary's political problems.
Széchenyi passed away on April 8, 1860. He was 68 years old. Many people in Hungary were sad about his death. Even his rival, Kossuth, called him "the greatest of the Magyars."
His Writings
Széchenyi wrote many books and articles about politics and economics. Some of his most famous works include:
- Hitel (Credit, 1830)
- Világ (World/Light, 1831)
- Stádium (1833)
- Önismeret (Self awareness)
- Ein Blick (One Look)
Many of his writings were translated into German so more people in Europe could read them.
Honors and Recognition
István Széchenyi is remembered and honored in many ways:
- A statue of him was put up in Budapest in 1880.
- Another statue was unveiled in Sopron in 1880.
- In 1898, the famous bridge over the Danube was named Széchenyi Lánchíd (Széchenyi Chain Bridge) in his honor.
- In a survey in 2007, Hungarians ranked him as the "greatest statesman of all time" among Hungarian historical figures.
- Since 1990, Széchenyi's picture has been on the 5000 Hungarian forint banknote.
- A Hungarian TV movie about his life, called A Hídember (The Bridgeman), was made in 2002.
- Hungary has issued several postage stamps honoring him.
- An asteroid, 91024 Széchenyi, was named after him in 2008.
Images for kids
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Count István Széchenyi
See also
In Spanish: Esteban Széchenyi para niños
