The grave of Tivadar Jóny

Lawyer Tivadar Jóny was born in Igló on March 17, 1817 and died in Miskolc on April 3, 1883, “but it was in Késmárk where he spent the days of his youth and a large part of his manhood. Here he completed his studies at the Lyceum, and according to the testimony of Pál Hunfalvy, he belonged to the ranks of distinguished law students. After completing his studies, he went on a journey and gathered ample experience. But what he saw gloriously and grandly elsewhere could not wash away his youthful impressions, and the memory that he had locked up in his heart in childhood did not leave his bosom, it faithfully accompanied him throughout, ...“; Jóny Tivadar's "will was dated 1865 and has since been preserved in the archives of the Miskolc Evangelical Church. According to it, the general heir of all of Jóny Tivadar's property, which represents approximately 280,000 f.- tot, is the Kézsmárk Evangelical Lyceum... This noble measure carries within itself the most beautiful features of the feelings of the heart that aspired to the flourishing of public education. The main aspiration of the noble legatee was to put a huge barrier to the agitations of Pan-Slavism in Kézsmárk, on the border of the Hungarians." ; His exceptionally beautiful and valuable library consisted of 20 thousand volumes, of which, however, he left only the duplicates in his will to the Miskolc Evangelical Gymnasium, 15 thousand volumes went to the library of the Kézsmárk Evangelical Lyceum in 1884. ; "The feeling of gratitude and piety prompted the noble patronage of the Keszmárki Lyceum to decide to have the remains of our institution's glorious Maecenas, Tivadar Jóny, removed from the Miskolc cemetery, where they rested for 6 years (until 1889), and placed in the Keszmárki cemetery for eternal rest..." Following the exhumation in Miskolc, "On March 26th at 11 o'clock at night, the coffin with the body arrived in Keszmárki and was immediately placed in front of the altar in the church. The funeral service began in the church at 4 o'clock the next day. The large, spacious church was completely filled with mourners. The city authorities, the district court, the tax and salt office, the officers of the 67th regiment's battalion stationed there, the church presbytery, the teaching staff, the student-youth in full, members of the parish in very large numbers and many delegates from the rural churches. The funeral sermon was delivered in Hungarian by the Rev. István Linberger, in touching words, remembering the great merits of the deceased. After the funeral sermon, 6 teachers carried the coffin to the hearse waiting in front of the church. The procession was opened by the lyceum youth who had marched in full, with the school mourning banner at the head, after the rows of student-youth the hearse followed, on both sides of which 6-6 eighth grade students walked with wide atlas ribbons on their shoulders, directly behind the car went the lyceum patronage, the teachers and a large number of mourners. At the grave, after the touching, solemn funeral song of the lyc. youth choir and the prayer of the pastor, the lyceum director Frigyes Scliolcz and teacher Sándor Zvarínyi recited their poems praising Jóny's merits. On behalf of the lyceum youth, István Harsányi, an 8th grade student, gave the farewell address. The mourning ceremony ended with the singing of the song circle and we handed over the ashes of the glorified one to the motherland. In view of the mourning ceremony, teaching in the lyceum was suspended for the whole day. " ; The ceremonial inauguration of the memorial column erected on the grave of Tivadar Jóny took place that same year, on December 17, 1889. The following poem was also recited at the ceremony: ; ; Sándor Zvarínyi: In front of the memorial column of Tivadar Jóny. ; ; The Carpathian valley is where you were born, ; But a mirage is where you lived. ; You died there, but gratitude and love ; They brought a urn of ashes to your native land. ; And now here we have come to your grave again, ; Now also with gratitude and love, ; But we will no longer disturb your peace, ; Sleep! rest your earthly labor. ; We have come only because of you, Jóny! because they call you; In a holy place they erect a memorial column. ; The memory already stands, but he, ; He has gained more glory — and for the school. ; Our memory is only dust and fleeting, ; His memory is more lasting than bronze. ; They say he is dead! Jóny cannot die, ; This grave can only cover earth and dust, ; But this does not hide his spirit within himself, ; The spirit is there, in the land of the heavens. ; Although we have buried him and we see him no more, ; But in your great work we see him forever. ; They say he was a fool?! He was wise, he showed it, ; Because he gave everything to an institution, ; So that his thoughts may be sober, ; The beating of a Hungarian and Protestant heart. ; You sacrificed on the altar of our country and the church, ; The sacrifice you brought was royal. ; We will soon leave this place, ; Remembering your noble breast. ; But departing, we take a holy oath, ; That we will be Hungarians and Protestants. ; May your spirit hover like a guardian angel ; Over our ancient school, which is your sweet child. ; God be with you, be blessed below! ; May the hallowed Siri Hant be easy!