Heinrich Hentzi
Encyclopedia
Heinrich Hentzi von Arthurm (October 24, 1785 - May 21, 1849) was a Hungarian general in the army of the Austrian Empire
. He was famous for his refusal to defect to the Hungarian rebels during the Battle of Buda
in 1849, defending Buda
city and castle on behalf of the Austrian Habsburgs.
Born in Debrecen
, Hentzi's military career reached a climax in April 1849 when, as Austrian forces evacuated Pest, he established a defense on the Buda side of the river, based on the castle there
. Holding out against a Hungarian siege for over a month, Hentzi refused to capitulate. When the nationalist general Artúr Görgey
appealed to Hentzi's Magyar ancestry in an attempt to secure his surrender, Hentzi replied while he had indeed been born in Hungary, his loyalty was to the Kaiser
. Hentzi was killed when Hungarian forces stormed Buda and its castle in late May 1849.
A hero to Habsburg loyalists, Hentzi was honored with a statue in Budapest
. A source of irritation to Hungarian nationalists, the statue was the focal point of tensions in 1886. When the city's army commander, Generalmajor Ludwig Janski decorated the Hentzi sculpture, riots and denouncements followed, as well as fights and duels between army officers and Hungarian nationalists. The disruption was so severe that Crown Prince Rudolf advocated an armed intervention. No such measure was taken but the government in Vienna refused to punish the officers involved. General Janski was transferred to a divisional command elsewhere.
The statue controversy was minimized in 1899 when, in an effort to appease Hungarian sentiment, the Hentzi sculpture was removed from its prominent place in Saint George Square and placed inside the courtyard of the cadet school in Budapest.
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
. He was famous for his refusal to defect to the Hungarian rebels during the Battle of Buda
Battle of Buda (1849)
The Battle of Buda was a battle at Buda, Kingdom of Hungary during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. It was part of the Spring Campaign between 4 and 21 May 1849 and ended with Hungarian victory.- Castle :...
in 1849, defending Buda
Buda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...
city and castle on behalf of the Austrian Habsburgs.
Born in Debrecen
Debrecen
Debrecen , is the second largest city in Hungary after Budapest. Debrecen is the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar county.- Name :...
, Hentzi's military career reached a climax in April 1849 when, as Austrian forces evacuated Pest, he established a defense on the Buda side of the river, based on the castle there
Buda Castle
Buda Castle is the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest, first completed in 1265. In the past, it was also called Royal Palace and Royal Castle ....
. Holding out against a Hungarian siege for over a month, Hentzi refused to capitulate. When the nationalist general Artúr Görgey
Artúr Görgey
----Artúr Görgey de Görgő et Toporcz was a Hungarian military leader.He was born at Toporz in Upper Hungary of a Hungarian noble family of originally Zipser German descent who immigrated to Upper Hungary during the reign of king Géza II . During the reformation they were converted to Protestantism...
appealed to Hentzi's Magyar ancestry in an attempt to secure his surrender, Hentzi replied while he had indeed been born in Hungary, his loyalty was to the Kaiser
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
. Hentzi was killed when Hungarian forces stormed Buda and its castle in late May 1849.
Legacy
Hentzi's refusal to join the Hungarian nationalists and his lengthy defense of Buda has been credited with preventing a Hungarian invasion of Austria in the spring and summer of 1849.A hero to Habsburg loyalists, Hentzi was honored with a statue in 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...
. A source of irritation to Hungarian nationalists, the statue was the focal point of tensions in 1886. When the city's army commander, Generalmajor Ludwig Janski decorated the Hentzi sculpture, riots and denouncements followed, as well as fights and duels between army officers and Hungarian nationalists. The disruption was so severe that Crown Prince Rudolf advocated an armed intervention. No such measure was taken but the government in Vienna refused to punish the officers involved. General Janski was transferred to a divisional command elsewhere.
The statue controversy was minimized in 1899 when, in an effort to appease Hungarian sentiment, the Hentzi sculpture was removed from its prominent place in Saint George Square and placed inside the courtyard of the cadet school in Budapest.