Mocsary Lajos

* Fülekkovácsi–Kurtány, 26 October 1826 – † Andornak, 7 January 1916 / public writer, politician, ethnic studies researcher ; ; He spent his childhood in the family mansion in Kurtánypuszta. His father was a multilingual, well-informed, but reserved man, and died at the age of 42. Lajos Mocsáry graduated from the Prešov Gymnasium in 1841, after which he studied history, algebra, philosophy and aesthetics at the University of Pest. Due to a lingering leg tumor, he spent a long time undergoing medical treatment at the Gräfenberg spa near Jeseník – then known as Freiwaldau – in the Czech Republic, where he was treated with the hydrotherapy method of the famous doctor Vinzenz Priessnitz (1799–1851). It was then that he met Baron Miklós Wesselényi and Anna Lux, who became Wesselényi's wife, and then, after being widowed, in 1851 married Lajos Mocsáry, who raised Miklós Wesselényi's two sons with great love. He had been preoccupied with social issues since the 1850s and placed particular emphasis on the problem of Hungarian nationalities. Almost like Cassandra, he warned his contemporaries about the importance of resolving the national issue, but there was no response, although he formulated ideas about additional rights for minorities that still sound very modern today. Although he considered it unthinkable that non-Hungarian-speaking state formations would be established in the territory of Hungary, he also rejected efforts to Magyarize. He did not participate in the preparation of the 1867 Compromise, considered Ferenc Deák's policy to be compromising, and repeatedly expressed his opinion that Vienna was pursuing a two-faced policy. In later years, he was elected as a member of parliament several times, and even became the leader of the Independence Party, but his own party members often disagreed with him on the nationality issue. His last seat in parliament was as a representative of the Romanian National Party, which caused great scandal among many and he was accused of treason. From the 1890s, he completely withdrew from daily politics, and there were even rumors of his death. ; ; His main works: ; Hungarian Social Life, 1855, ; Nationality, 1858, ; Some words about the nationality issue, 1886, ; State Administration, 1890, ; Final Account of the Public Administration System, 1902, ; The Crisis. Keynote Policy. Nationality Issue, 1905.