Ferenc Deák
Encyclopedia
Ferenc Deák de Kehida , (October 17, 1803, Söjtör
- January 28, 1876, Budapest
), was a Hungarian
statesman and Minister of Justice. He was known as "The Wise Man of the Nation".
as a replacement for his older brother, beginning his career that would make him one of the most important personalities in the Hungarian politics and reforms of the 1840s. His name became known as a result of his involvement in the suit of Miklós Wesselényi
and his success in declaring the Hungarian Assembly's right to create laws.
. After the death of his brother in 1842, he liberated his serf
s and voluntarily chose to pay taxes to show that he was sincere about his reforms. The abolition of the exemption of the nobles from all taxation in the Kingdom of Hungary and the liberation of serfs were some of the most important endeavours of the Reformist movement of the era. However, he refused to attend the Diet of 1843-44, supposedly due to strife surrounding the election.
the reformers gained popularity and they released the "Ellenzéki nyilatkozat" (Manifesto of the Opposition) under the name of Deák, while it was in fact created by Kossuth
. During the Hungarian Revolution of 1848
against the Habsburg Empire, Deák stayed calm and opposed violence as a political tool. He accepted a position as Minister of Justice in the Batthyány Government, mostly to show his support of Lajos Batthyány
.
Once part of the revolutionary government, Deák made several overtures to the court in Vienna
, seeking a compromise between the Habsburg
monarchy and Kossuth’s Extreme Liberals. When his efforts failed, he resigned his ministerial post, but remained a member of the Diet, defending the constitutional legitimacy of the April laws
. He retired to his estate at Kehida before the end of the War of Independence, and took no further active part in events surrounding the revolution. An Austrian court martial acquitted him after Hungary’s defeat.
Deák spent most of the 1850s in semi-retirement, tacitly supporting various national causes without engaging in active politics. He, however, refused to assume any public role, office or position, thus becoming an emblem of the so-called passive resistance
. He sold his estate to István Széchenyi
, and moved to Buda to become the de facto leader of Hungarian public life. He steered a middle course between advocates of a second anti-Habsburg uprising aligned with Kossuth, and pro-Austrian collaborationists. The crisis attending the Second Italian War of Independence
in 1859, with strong Hungarian popular support for the Italian cause, returned him to active political life, although he opposed the initial Austrian reform proposals of 1860. In the 1861 Diet, he became the leader of the group calling for a petition to the Austrian crown, throwing the onus for a settlement onto the Habsburg court. In response to his prompting, Franz Joseph I dismissed his current administration and called for a new diet to negotiate the settlement. Deák led the committee tasked with drafting a formula, working alongside Kálmán Tisza
and other prominent contemporary politicians. The Austro-Prussian War
of 1866 came just as they had completed their work, but Deák resisted extremist pressure to reopen the issue.
Gradually, Deák moderated his views on Hungary's independence. He began taking the line that foreign affairs, defense and finance were "common" to both Austria and Hungary, and a constitutional arrangement could be worked out to incorporate these ideas while still respecting Hungary's internal independence. He supported the "Compromise" (Ausgleich
or Kiegyezés) of 1867, which incorporated these ideas, with all his strength, leading the delegation that signed the actual accord. although he was the obvious choice as the first prime minister of the Hungarian half of the newly formed Austria-Hungary
, he stood down in favour of Gyula Andrássy
.
After 1867 his health weakened the continuous work and the attacks on him by disappointed radical patriots used up most of his strength. His reformist ideas were often rejected by Parliament.
He died on January 28, 1876, and was buried with great pomp. Parliament created a law to remember his excellent service and ordered that a statue should be created from national donations. One of the central squares of Budapest, Deák Ferenc Square
is today named after him, which is where the three lines of the Budapest Metro
come together.
Söjtör
Söjtör is a village of approximately 1500 people located in Zala County, in western Hungary. It is most famously known as the birthplace of Ferenc Deák, a Hungarian statesman living in the 19th century who served as the Minister of Justice during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, and is now known...
- January 28, 1876, Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
), was a Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
statesman and Minister of Justice. He was known as "The Wise Man of the Nation".
Early life and law career
Born in Söjtör in the county of Zala, in south-western Hungary, Deák belonged to an ancient noble family. He studied law, and became successively an advocate and notary. He first went into politics in 1833 when he attended the assembly of Pressburg (now Bratislava)Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
as a replacement for his older brother, beginning his career that would make him one of the most important personalities in the Hungarian politics and reforms of the 1840s. His name became known as a result of his involvement in the suit of Miklós Wesselényi
Miklós Wesselényi
Baron Miklós Wesselényi de Hadad , was a Hungarian statesman, leader of the upper house of the Diet, member of the Board of Academy of Sciences, hero of the 1838 Pest flood....
and his success in declaring the Hungarian Assembly's right to create laws.
Early activism
In 1836, he wrote and distributed a document about the cases that he supported without the permission of the censors; while it was confiscated, it was already widespread and made his name familiar in important circles. He was involved in the creation of the 1839–40 laws of the Assembly and became honorary member of the Hungarian Academy of SciencesHungarian Academy of Sciences
The Hungarian Academy of Sciences is the most important and prestigious learned society of Hungary. Its seat is at the bank of the Danube in Budapest.-History:...
. After the death of his brother in 1842, he liberated his serf
SERF
A spin exchange relaxation-free magnetometer is a type of magnetometer developed at Princeton University in the early 2000s. SERF magnetometers measure magnetic fields by using lasers to detect the interaction between alkali metal atoms in a vapor and the magnetic field.The name for the technique...
s and voluntarily chose to pay taxes to show that he was sincere about his reforms. The abolition of the exemption of the nobles from all taxation in the Kingdom of Hungary and the liberation of serfs were some of the most important endeavours of the Reformist movement of the era. However, he refused to attend the Diet of 1843-44, supposedly due to strife surrounding the election.
Political career
In 1846, after the bloody end of the Polish uprising in GaliciaKraków Uprising
The Kraków Uprising of February 1846 was an attempt, led by Edward Dembowski, to incite a Polish fight for national independence. Even though most of Poland was part of the Russian Empire, the Polish risings were conducted mainly in Prussia and in the Austrian Empire.-History:Most of the...
the reformers gained popularity and they released the "Ellenzéki nyilatkozat" (Manifesto of the Opposition) under the name of Deák, while it was in fact created by Kossuth
Lajos Kossuth
Lajos Kossuth de Udvard et Kossuthfalva was a Hungarian lawyer, journalist, politician and Regent-President of Hungary in 1849. He was widely honored during his lifetime, including in the United Kingdom and the United States, as a freedom fighter and bellwether of democracy in Europe.-Family:Lajos...
. During the Hungarian Revolution of 1848
Hungarian Revolution of 1848
The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was one of many of the European Revolutions of 1848 and closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas...
against the Habsburg Empire, Deák stayed calm and opposed violence as a political tool. He accepted a position as Minister of Justice in the Batthyány Government, mostly to show his support of Lajos Batthyány
Lajos Batthyány
Count Lajos Batthyány de Németújvár was the first Prime Minister of Hungary. He was born in Pressburg on 10 February 1807, and was executed by firing squad in Pest on 6 October 1849, the same day as the 13 Martyrs of Arad.-Career:His father was Count József Sándor Batthyány , his mother Borbála...
.
Once part of the revolutionary government, Deák made several overtures to the court in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, seeking a compromise between the Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
monarchy and Kossuth’s Extreme Liberals. When his efforts failed, he resigned his ministerial post, but remained a member of the Diet, defending the constitutional legitimacy of the April laws
April laws
The April laws, also called March laws, were a collection of laws legislated by Lajos Kossuth with the aim of modernizing Kingdom of Hungary into a nation state. The imperative program included Hungarian control of its popular national guard, national budget and Hungarian foreign policy, as well as...
. He retired to his estate at Kehida before the end of the War of Independence, and took no further active part in events surrounding the revolution. An Austrian court martial acquitted him after Hungary’s defeat.
Deák spent most of the 1850s in semi-retirement, tacitly supporting various national causes without engaging in active politics. He, however, refused to assume any public role, office or position, thus becoming an emblem of the so-called passive resistance
Passive Resistance (Hungary)
Passive Resistance is a name attributed to an era of Hungarian politics in the 19th century. It refers to a form of opposition to Austrian domination of Hungary...
. He sold his estate to István Széchenyi
István Széchenyi
Széchenyi committed suicide by a shot to his head on April 8, 1860. All Hungary mourned his death. The Academy was in official mourning, along with the most prominent persons of the leading political and cultural associations...
, and moved to Buda to become the de facto leader of Hungarian public life. He steered a middle course between advocates of a second anti-Habsburg uprising aligned with Kossuth, and pro-Austrian collaborationists. The crisis attending the Second Italian War of Independence
Second Italian War of Independence
The Second War of Italian Independence, Franco-Austrian War, Austro-Sardinian War, or Austro-Piedmontese War , was fought by Napoleon III of France and the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia against the Austrian Empire in 1859...
in 1859, with strong Hungarian popular support for the Italian cause, returned him to active political life, although he opposed the initial Austrian reform proposals of 1860. In the 1861 Diet, he became the leader of the group calling for a petition to the Austrian crown, throwing the onus for a settlement onto the Habsburg court. In response to his prompting, Franz Joseph I dismissed his current administration and called for a new diet to negotiate the settlement. Deák led the committee tasked with drafting a formula, working alongside Kálmán Tisza
Kálmán Tisza
Kálmán Tisza de Borosjenő was the Hungarian prime minister between 1875 and 1890. He is credited for the formation of a consolidated Magyar government, the foundation of the new Liberal Party and major economic reforms that would both save and eventually lead to a government with popular...
and other prominent contemporary politicians. The Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
of 1866 came just as they had completed their work, but Deák resisted extremist pressure to reopen the issue.
Gradually, Deák moderated his views on Hungary's independence. He began taking the line that foreign affairs, defense and finance were "common" to both Austria and Hungary, and a constitutional arrangement could be worked out to incorporate these ideas while still respecting Hungary's internal independence. He supported the "Compromise" (Ausgleich
Ausgleich
The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 established the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. The Compromise re-established the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Hungary, separate from and no longer subject to the Austrian Empire...
or Kiegyezés) of 1867, which incorporated these ideas, with all his strength, leading the delegation that signed the actual accord. although he was the obvious choice as the first prime minister of the Hungarian half of the newly formed Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
, he stood down in favour of Gyula Andrássy
Gyula Andrássy
Gyula Count Andrássy de Csíkszentkirály et Krasznahorka was a Hungarian statesman, who served as Prime Minister of Hungary and subsequently as Foreign Minister of Austria-Hungary...
.
After 1867 his health weakened the continuous work and the attacks on him by disappointed radical patriots used up most of his strength. His reformist ideas were often rejected by Parliament.
Deák Ferenc square (Budapest)
The Deák Ferenc square , named for Ferenc Deák, is a major intersection and transport junction in Budapest. Károly körút, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út, Király utca, Deák Ferenc utca, and Harmincad utca converge here. The three lines of the Budapest Metro each have a station under the square, creating the...
is today named after him, which is where the three lines of the Budapest Metro
Budapest Metro
The Budapest Metro is the rapid transit system in the Hungarian capital Budapest. It is the second-oldest underground metro system in the world after the London Underground. Its iconic Line 1, dating from 1896, was declared a World Heritage Site in 2002.-Lines:The Metro consists of three lines,...
come together.
Legacy
- Deák Ferenc Bilingual High SchoolDeák Ferenc Bilingual High SchoolThe Deák Ferenc Bilingual High School is a public, co-educational secondary school in Szeged, Hungary established in 1988 which makes it the youngest secondary educational institution in the city of Szeged; it is named after Ferenc Deák, a famous Hungarian 19th century politician who is also known...
was named after him. - Deák Ferenc tér a major transport intersection in Budapest was also named after him.
External links
Further reading
- Király, Béla K. Ferenc Deák. Twayne's world leaders series. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1975.
- Arnold-Forster, Florence Mary. Francis Deák : Hungarian Statesman : A Memoir. London: Macmillan, 1880. (online version available here)