Pethő Sándor találkozása Görgei Artúrral
Sándor Pethő’s encounter with Artúr Görgei

Summary/Abstract: Sándor Pethő was one of the most important publicists of the period between the two World Wars. He is part of the national memory as the founder and editor in chief of the anti- Nazi newspaper Magyar Nemzet (Hungarian Nation). He received a thorough education in history as a student of Sándor Márki and the recipient of a state scholarship, his historical works drew a lot of attention in the 1920s and 30s. Pethő quickly developed sympathy for Artúr Görgei, the great figure of 1848-49, and he even visited him personally at Visegrád. From that point on he constantly studied the deeds and personality of the general of the War of Independence for more than 20 years in more and more accurate and deep works, until he wrote the– even to this day – only full biography of Artúr Görgei in 1930. While examining Pethő’s works on Görgei we can find connections to historiographic antecedents, as well as contemporary evaluations, and we can learn a lot about the changes in Görgei’s public image. As a supporter of independence, in the final years of dualism Pethő joined the moderate opposition based on the Austro-Hungarian compromise of 1867, the circle of Gyula Andrássy the Younger. After 1920 as a follower of Andrássy he was a legitimist, hoping for the restoration of the unity of the Danube basin. This is important to mention, because, sadly, the perception of Görgei has been influenced by the conflicts between political parties, and these changes and discrepancies can be seen in Pethő’s works as well.

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