Kálmán Mikszáth
Encyclopedia
Kálmán Mikszáth de Kiscsoltó (January 16, 1847—May 28, 1910) was a major Hungarian
novelist, journalist, and politician.
, Upper Hungary
(today's Sklabiná, Slovakia) into a family of the lesser nobility
. He studied Law at the University of Budapest from 1866 to 1869, although he did not apply for any exam, and became involved in journalism, writing for many Hungarian newspapers including the Pesti Hírlap.
His early short stories were based on the lives of peasants and artisans, and had little appeal. However, they demonstrated his skill in crafting humorous anecdotes, which would be developed in his later, more popular works. Many of his novels contained social commentary and satire
, and towards the end of his life they became increasingly critical of the aristocracy and the burden he believed the latter placed on Hungarian society.
Theodore Roosevelt
enjoyed his novel, St. Peter’s Umbrella so much that he visited Mikszáth during his European trip in 1910 solely to express his admiration.
Mikszáth was a member of the Liberal Party, and in 1887 was elected to the Diet of Hungary
(one of the two top legislatures in Austria-Hungary
). Until 1879 he was the representative for the Illyefalva
District in Transylvania
, and from 1892 until his death he represented the Fogaras
District.
He was buried in Kerepesi Cemetery
in Budapest
, along his sons János (1886–1890) and Albert (1889–1921).
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...
novelist, journalist, and politician.
Biography
Mikszáth was born in SzklabonyaSklabiná
Sklabiná is a village and municipality in the Veľký Krtíš District of the Banská Bystrica Region of southern Slovakia.-External links:*http://www.statistics.sk/mosmis/eng/run.html...
, Upper Hungary
Upper Hungary
Upper Hungary is the usual English translation for the area that was historically the northern part of the Kingdom of Hungary, now mostly present-day Slovakia...
(today's Sklabiná, Slovakia) into a family of the lesser nobility
Nobility and royalty of the Kingdom of Hungary
This article deals with titles of the nobility and royalty of the Kingdom of Hungary.-Earlier usage :Before the accession of the Habsburgs, the nobility was structured according to the offices held in the administration of the Kingdom...
. He studied Law at the University of Budapest from 1866 to 1869, although he did not apply for any exam, and became involved in journalism, writing for many Hungarian newspapers including the Pesti Hírlap.
His early short stories were based on the lives of peasants and artisans, and had little appeal. However, they demonstrated his skill in crafting humorous anecdotes, which would be developed in his later, more popular works. Many of his novels contained social commentary and satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
, and towards the end of his life they became increasingly critical of the aristocracy and the burden he believed the latter placed on Hungarian society.
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
enjoyed his novel, St. Peter’s Umbrella so much that he visited Mikszáth during his European trip in 1910 solely to express his admiration.
Mikszáth was a member of the Liberal Party, and in 1887 was elected to the Diet of Hungary
Diet of Hungary
The Diet of Hungary was a legislative institution in the medieval kingdom of Hungary from the 15th century, and in its successor states, Royal Hungary and the Habsburg kingdom of Hungary throughout the Early Modern period...
(one of the two top legislatures in 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...
). Until 1879 he was the representative for the Illyefalva
Ilieni
Ilieni is a commune located in Covasna County, south-eastern Transylvania, 7 km south of the county seat Sfântu Gheorghe.The commune is composed of three villages:...
District in Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
, and from 1892 until his death he represented the Fogaras
Fagaras
Făgăraș is a city in central Romania, located in Braşov County . Another source of the name is alleged to derive from the Hungarian language word for "partridge" . A more plausible explanation is that the name is given by Fogaras river coming from the Pecheneg "Fagar šu", which means ash water...
District.
He was buried in Kerepesi Cemetery
Kerepesi Cemetery
Kerepesi Cemetery is the most famous cemetery in Budapest...
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...
, along his sons János (1886–1890) and Albert (1889–1921).
Selected works
- The Slovak Relations (1881)
- The Good People of PalócPalócThe Palóc are a subgroup of the Magyars in Northern Hungary. While Palócs have retained distinctive traditions, including a very apparent dialect of Hungarian, Palócs are also ethnic Hungarians by general consensus....
(1882) - The Grass of Lohina (1885)
- Two Beggar-Students (1886)
- The Magic Caftan (1889)
- St. Peter’s Umbrella (1895)
- The Siege of Beszterce (1896), adapted to an opera by Ján CikkerJán CikkerJán Cikker was a Slovak composer, a leading exponent of modern Slovak classical music. He was awarded the title National Artist in Slovakia, the Herder Prize and the UNESCO Prize .-Life:...
- The Gentry (1897)
- Two Elections in Hungary (1896, 1899)
- New Zrínyiád (1898)
- A Strange Marriage (1900)
- The Women of Szelistye (1901)
- The Young Noszty’s Affair with Mary Tóth (1908)
- The Black TownA fekete városA fekete város is a Hungarian novel of Kálmán Mikszáth set in the town of Lőcse, today Levoča. It is based on real historical events, but the story and dialogue are fictional.-The murder:...
(1908–1910) (set in the town of LevočaLevocaLevoča is a town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia with a population of 14,600. The town has a historic center with a well preserved town wall, a Renaissance church with the highest wooden altar in Europe, carved by Master Paul of Levoča, and many other Renaissance buildings.On 28 June 2009,...
)