Life and Afterlife
Life and Afterlife

Summary/Abstract: Széchenyi fretted over the immortality of the soul throughout his life. A devout Christian, the Count worried about the boundary between salvation and damnation. How can you act decisively in a state of constant uncertainty? Choose the wrong road and risk your salvation. Széchenyi’s solution was to struggle for the salvation and happiness of his fellow men: a major driving force of his exceptionally active life was hope of heavenly immortality. But Széchenyi also strove to ensure his immortality on earth. Property was central to his plans for the afterlife. Before 1848 it had not been customary to prepare a will in Hungary: the estates of aristocrats remained in the family and reverted to the Crown if the family died out. In theory bought property could be bequeathed, but this happened rarely. The next of kin, usually the children, automatically inherited goods and chattels and it was up to them to divide them up. Széchenyi chided his fellow countrymen for their lackadaisical attitude to death, which, he maintained, was an important topic for reflection. Death could strike at any time and writing a will was vital preparation.

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