Ferenc Kazinczy
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Ferenc Kazinczy (in older English: Francis Kazinczy, October 27, 1759 – August 23, 1831) was a Hungarian author, poet, translator, neologist, an agent in the regeneration of the
Hungarian language Hungarian () is an Uralic language spoken in Hungary and parts of several neighbouring countries. It is the official language of Hungary and one of the 24 official languages of the European Union. Outside Hungary, it is also spoken by Hungarian ...
and literature at the turn of the 19th century. Today his name is connected with the extensive
Language Reform Language reform is a kind of language planning by widespread change to a language. The typical methods of language reform are simplification and linguistic purism. Simplification regularises vocabulary, grammar, or spelling. Purism aligns the langu ...
of the 19th century, when thousands of words were coined or revived, enabling the Hungarian language to keep up with scientific progress and become an official language of the nation in 1844. For his linguistic and literary works he is regarded as one of the cultural founders of the Hungarian Reform Era along with Dávid Baróti Szabó, Ferenc Verseghy, György Bessenyei, Mátyás Rát and János Kis.


Life


Early years

Ferenc Kazinczy was born in Érsemjén,
Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...
,
Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
(today Șimian,
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
). His father, József Kazinczy de Kazincz (1732-1784) came from an old noble family and worked as a magistrate at
Abaúj County Abaúj ( la, comitatus Abaujvariensis, sk, Abov, german: Neuburg or ) is a historic administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. In parts of the 19th century, and in the beginning of the 20th century, it was united with Torna Coun ...
. His mother was Zsuzsanna Bossányi de Nagybossány (1740-1812). Ferenc had four brothers and four sisters. Until the age of eight he was brought up by his maternal grandfather, Ferenc Bossányi, the notary of
Bihar County Bihar was an administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary and a county of the Eastern Hungarian Kingdom and Principality of Transylvania (since the 16th century, when it was under the rule of the Princes of Transylvania). Most of ...
and parliamentary ambassador, where he did not hear any foreign word during his first seven years. He wrote his first letters in December 1764 to his parents who lived in Alsóregmec at that time. In 1766 his aunt got sick, therefore they moved to
Debrecen Debrecen ( , is Hungary's second-largest city, after Budapest, the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar County. A city with county rights, it was the largest Hungarian city in the 18th century and ...
for three months for the healing treatment. Kazinczy studied during that time at the College of Debrecen. After the death of his aunt he returned to his parents where he learnt
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
and German from a student of the College of Késmárk (today
Kežmarok Kežmarok (german: Kesmark or ; hu, Késmárk, yi, קעזמאַרק, Kezmark, pl, Kieżmark) is a town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia (population 16,000), on the Poprad River. Prior to World War I, it was in Szepes county in the ...
,
Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
). His well educated and enlightened father, experiencing rare susceptibility, was delighted with his son, so he also taught him and communicated with him in Latin and German. Kazinczy continued his language studies in Késmárk in 1768 in a preparatory class. His father, József Kazinczy, initially wanted Ferenc to become a soldier, but Ferenc's resistance and the development of his other especially literary talents diverged him from his intent, and then he wanted to see his son as a writer. However the father, as a pietistic educator, understood under the profession of a writer a religious one, and therefore ordered his fourteen-year-old son to translate
Christian Fürchtegott Gellert Christian Fürchtegott Gellert (4 July 171513 December 1769) was a German poet, one of the forerunners of the golden age of German literature that was ushered in by Lessing. Biography Gellert was born at Hainichen in Saxony, at the foot of th ...
's dissertations on religion from
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
to Hungarian. Otherwise, the father provided his son advanced education: Ferenc was educated in foreign languages, could practice fine art and music, and for seeing the world, he brought him to county assemblies and for the lunch of the emperor,
Joseph II Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 un ...
when the ruler visited
Sárospatak Sárospatak (german: Potok am Bodroch; la, Potamopolis; sk, Šarišský Potok or ; ) is a town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, northern Hungary. It lies northeast from Miskolc, in the Bodrog river valley. The town, often called simply ''Pa ...
. In 1774 the father urged his son to continue his translations, but Ferenc preferred to spend time reading György Bessenyei's Ágis tragédiája (1772), Ignác Mészáros's Kártigám (1772) and other belles-lettres works. He broadened his knowledge with the idylls of
Salomon Gessner Salomon Gessner (1730–1788) was a Swiss painter, graphic artist, government official, newspaper publisher and poet; best known in the latter instance for his ''Idylls''. Biography His father, Hans Konrad Gessner (1696–1775), was a printer, ...
and the poems of Vergilius, Horace,
Anacreon Anacreon (; grc-gre, Ἀνακρέων ὁ Τήϊος; BC) was a Greek lyric poet, notable for his drinking songs and erotic poems. Later Greeks included him in the canonical list of Nine Lyric Poets. Anacreon wrote all of his poetry in the ...
.Kazinczy Ferenc - Pályám Emlékezete published by Debreceni Egyetemi Kiadió 2009
/ref> He did not neglect his theological studies, and even at home they frequently debated over theological topics during lunch and dinner. After his father's death in 1774, he continued to pursue the translation of
Christian Fürchtegott Gellert Christian Fürchtegott Gellert (4 July 171513 December 1769) was a German poet, one of the forerunners of the golden age of German literature that was ushered in by Lessing. Biography Gellert was born at Hainichen in Saxony, at the foot of th ...
's ''De religione'' until his teacher of theology dismissed him to do it because he found Gellert's works too difficult to interpret. Ferenc turned slowly from theological to more secular and national topics and prepared a short geographical description of the country. István Losonczi Hányoki's ''Three Small Mirrors'' served as an example for his work. It was a childish compilation with the title ''Geography of Hungary...'' , which he later described as "suddenly scribbled" and was published in Kassa,
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
(today Košice,
Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
) at his mother's expense in 1775.


Sárospatak (1769-1779)

On September 11, 1769, he became a student at the College of
Sárospatak Sárospatak (german: Potok am Bodroch; la, Potamopolis; sk, Šarišský Potok or ; ) is a town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, northern Hungary. It lies northeast from Miskolc, in the Bodrog river valley. The town, often called simply ''Pa ...
where he taught himself
Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...
. He studied philosophy and law during his first years. In 1773 he started to learn rhetoric. Even in the same year December he greeted General Count Miklós Beleznay as a member of the thanksgiving delegation of the college in Bugyi on a special reception for donating money toward the construction of the college. Then Kazinczy saw Pest for the first time. Until 1775 he attended the theology courses at the college and from a French soldier who came to
Sárospatak Sárospatak (german: Potok am Bodroch; la, Potamopolis; sk, Šarišský Potok or ; ) is a town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, northern Hungary. It lies northeast from Miskolc, in the Bodrog river valley. The town, often called simply ''Pa ...
learnt French. He translated György Bessenyei's short story written in German, ''Die Amerikaner'', to Hungarian and published it in 1776 in Kassa with the title ''Az amerikai Podoc és Kazimir keresztyén vallásra való megtérése'' ('' en, The conversion of American Podoc and Kazimir to the Christian religion''). He recommended his translation to his mother. This work informed him about Deism and the principle of religious tolerance. In his translation Kazinczy used the word ''világosság'' (meaning ''clarity'', ''lucidity'') the first time in the history of the
Hungarian language Hungarian () is an Uralic language spoken in Hungary and parts of several neighbouring countries. It is the official language of Hungary and one of the 24 official languages of the European Union. Outside Hungary, it is also spoken by Hungarian ...
. Bessenyei welcomed it and his response was inspirational for Kazinczy. Kazinczy understood Bessenyei's response as a liberating letter for the profession of an author. He was happy finding the contact with one of the most prominent authors in
Hungarian literature Hungarian literature is the body of written works primarily produced in Hungarian,
of that time. But Kazinczy did not become a follower of Bessenyei, because Bessenyei as a culture politician and philosopher did not mature his works so much so that he could create a literary school. Ferenc's uncle was a member of the delegation of
Zemplén County Zemplén ( hu, Zemplén, sk, Zemplín, german: Semplin, Semmlin, la, Zemplinum) was an administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. The northern part of its territory is now situated in eastern Slovakia ( Zemplín region), while ...
in
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
at the royal court and he took the young Kazinczy along. This trip made a huge impact on him. It was the first time that Kazinczy saw the emperor's city, whose magnificent collections, especially his pictures, completely enthralled him.Kazinczy Ferenc - Pályám emlékezete published by Debreceni Egyetemi Kiadó, 2009
/ref> At that time Kazinczy followed the thoughts of
Salomon Gessner Salomon Gessner (1730–1788) was a Swiss painter, graphic artist, government official, newspaper publisher and poet; best known in the latter instance for his ''Idylls''. Biography His father, Hans Konrad Gessner (1696–1775), was a printer, ...
, Christoph Martin Wieland and Dávid Baróti Szabó. Later he got Sándor Báróczi's translation of Jean-François Marmontel's ''Contes Moraux'' ('' en, Moral tales'') from the librarian of
Sárospatak Sárospatak (german: Potok am Bodroch; la, Potamopolis; sk, Šarišský Potok or ; ) is a town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, northern Hungary. It lies northeast from Miskolc, in the Bodrog river valley. The town, often called simply ''Pa ...
, which became his favourite book and he later took it along with him to the prison. So he decided to find a way to lay a wreath on Báróczi's works. What fascinated him was the beautiful new style, the rhythmically arranged packing of sentences, the rigidity and purity of the language with a dramatic compactness, and the French strangeness which made the translation truly incomprehensible for amateur readers. It showed Kazinczy a sample for the cultivation of Hungarian belles-lettres. Thus after being primarily inspired by Bessenyi he discovered a life goal as a translator and cultivator of the Hungarian language.


Kassa (1779-1780)

After finishing his studies he travelled to Kassa on September 9, 1779, to meet Sámuel Milecz, the prosecutor of Tolna County, where he did his law degree and first met his young love, Erzsébet Rozgonyi and one of his role models, Dávid Baróti Szabó. He stayed there until October 18. His world-view crises occurred during his stay in Kassa. He turned his back on the religious thesis and "useless" theological studies. Between 1779 and 1781 Kazinczy joined the laic, deist perception of religion which was free of dogmas. The artistic cult of beauty replaced the lost religious experience. His enthusiasm for beauty became his passion, consuming his whole personality and worldview. Sometime in 1780 he started his first major literary work, the translation of
Salomon Gessner Salomon Gessner (1730–1788) was a Swiss painter, graphic artist, government official, newspaper publisher and poet; best known in the latter instance for his ''Idylls''. Biography His father, Hans Konrad Gessner (1696–1775), was a printer, ...
's writings among others. Soon after that he published the Hungarian version of ''Siegwart'' in 1783. Because of his translations he came in contact with several foreign authors and corresponded with Gessner,
Johann Kaspar Lavater Johann Kaspar (or Caspar) Lavater (; 15 November 1741 – 2 January 1801) was a Swiss poet, writer, philosopher, physiognomist and theologian. Early life Lavater was born in Zürich, and was educated at the '' Gymnasium'' there, where J. J. Bo ...
and Daniel Chodowiecki. His connection with renowned European scholars made him feel chosen. So after Rousseau he stated his own conscious separation from ordinary people. Meanwhile, in 1779, he met Miklós Révai in
Nagyvárad Oradea (, , ; german: Großwardein ; hu, Nagyvárad ) is a city in Romania, located in Crișana, a sub-region of Transylvania. The county seat, seat of Bihor County, Oradea is one of the most important economic, social and cultural centers in the ...
,
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
(today Oradea,
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
). Révai was a grammarian who acclimatized the analysing of words according to the rules of
morphology Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to: Disciplines * Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts * Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies ...
in the
Hungarian language Hungarian () is an Uralic language spoken in Hungary and parts of several neighbouring countries. It is the official language of Hungary and one of the 24 official languages of the European Union. Outside Hungary, it is also spoken by Hungarian ...
. They became friends and often shared their own ideas about literature and grammar with each other.


Eperjes (1781-1782)

Between January 11, 1781 and June 2, 1782, he continued his practice of law in Eperjes,
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
(today Prešov,
Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
). Besides his job he spent a lot of time with arts, too: dancing, playing the flute, drawing, painting and reading. His favourites were especially the German writers. During this time in Eperjes he fell in love with an "educated girl", the daughter of Ninos Steinmetz, who had a great influence on him.


Pest (1782-1783)

He continued his practice of law in August 1782 in Pest where he was sworn in as a hired clerk of József Bernáth. During his time in Pest he came in contact with two older, prominent authors, Lőrinc Orczy and . Ráday introduced him even more to knowledge of Western literature, but also to an appreciation of the old Hungarian writers, especially
Miklós Zrínyi Miklós Zrínyi ( hr, Nikola Zrinski, hu, Zrínyi Miklós; 5 January 1620 – 18 November 1664) was a Croatian and Hungarian military leader, statesman and poet. He was a member of the House of Zrinski, a Croatian- Hungarian noble family. ...
. This friendship greatly developed Kazinczy's aesthetic sense and broadened his horizons. Kazinczy was still working on the translations of
Salomon Gessner Salomon Gessner (1730–1788) was a Swiss painter, graphic artist, government official, newspaper publisher and poet; best known in the latter instance for his ''Idylls''. Biography His father, Hans Konrad Gessner (1696–1775), was a printer, ...
's idylls and showed them to Ráday and Báróczi. Their enthusiastic acknowledgement greatly enhanced his writer ambition. The fact that Kazinczy was working a lot on the translations of Gessner's maudlin, sentimental idylls, was partly brought by the sentimental trend at the time, but on the other hand, Kazinczy intended to practice the Hungarian prose in the depiction of emotions and expression of fond moods. He found himself soon in a more lively intellectual and political life in Pest and became interested in the church policies of
Joseph II Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 un ...
which were born in the spirit of absolutism. Miklós Beleznay, József Teleki, Gedeon Ráday and László Prónay were working on the preparation of the
Patent of Toleration The Patent of Toleration (german: Toleranzpatent) was an edict of toleration issued on 13 October 1781 by the Habsburg emperor Joseph II. Part of the Josephinist reforms, the Patent extended religious freedom to non-Catholic Christians livi ...
in 1781 just when Kazinczy became their trustworthy man. As a
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
Kazinczy was glad to be so close to the "champions of Protestant freedom". The policies of the emperor on religious tolerance, on the press, and on the permission for Protestants to hold office strengthened his beliefs in his
Freemasonry Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
convictions of believing in the illusion of the "brightness" coming from above. Already in
Miskolc Miskolc ( , , ; Czech language, Czech and sk, Miškovec; german: Mischkolz; yi, script=Latn, Mishkoltz; ro, Mișcolț) is a city in northeastern Hungary, known for its heavy industry. With a population of 161,265 (1 Jan 2014) Miskolc is the ...
, he became a member of the secret society in early 1784 which generally supported the civilization process. It had a major role in the refinement of morals and tastes, unlike the former religiosity, it captured rather the recently alienated members of the biblical religions with a mystical, mostly naturalistic mysticism. Kazinczy later, in the beginning of the 1790s, started to sympathize with the ideas of the
Illuminati The Illuminati (; plural of Latin ''illuminatus'', 'enlightened') is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically, the name usually refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on ...
order, and wrote about them enthusiastically to György Aranka: "their goals are... evertere superstitionem, opprimere Tyrannismum, benefacere ( la, liquidation of superstitions, collapse of the tyranny, benefaction)... is it not the sweetest happiness of life?".


Legal career (1783-1785)

In 1783 he returned to his mother in Alsóregmec, who encouraged him to travel to
Tarnaörs Tarnaörs is a village (község) in Heves County, Northern Hungary Region, Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, ...
to Baron Lőrinc Orczy to accept a job as honorary clerk. On October 13, 1784, he was appointed to this job and then in the same month to
magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judic ...
in
Abaúj County Abaúj ( la, comitatus Abaujvariensis, sk, Abov, german: Neuburg or ) is a historic administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. In parts of the 19th century, and in the beginning of the 20th century, it was united with Torna Coun ...
. On November 29, he also gained a post of vice-notary in
Zemplén County Zemplén ( hu, Zemplén, sk, Zemplín, german: Semplin, Semmlin, la, Zemplinum) was an administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. The northern part of its territory is now situated in eastern Slovakia ( Zemplín region), while ...
, but he had a disagreement with the chief notary and therefore almost immediately lost his position. Count Lajos Török, the father of Ferenc's prospective wife, was Director-General of the Kassa School District and the Grand Master of the
Masonic lodge A Masonic lodge, often termed a private lodge or constituent lodge, is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also commonly used as a term for a building in which such a unit meets. Every new lodge must be warranted or chartered ...
of
Miskolc Miskolc ( , , ; Czech language, Czech and sk, Miškovec; german: Mischkolz; yi, script=Latn, Mishkoltz; ro, Mișcolț) is a city in northeastern Hungary, known for its heavy industry. With a population of 161,265 (1 Jan 2014) Miskolc is the ...
and a friend of Kazinczy. On January 16, 1784, Lajos took Kazinczy among the members of the lodge. As a freemason, Kazinczy got to know several intellectuals like Angelo Soliman and Ignaz Born.


Inspector of education (1785-1790)

In August 1785, he traveled to Vienna to introduce himself to the Minister of Public Education,
Gottfried van Swieten Gottfried Freiherr van Swieten (29 October 1733 – 29 March 1803) was a Dutch-born Austrian diplomat, librarian, and government official who served the Holy Roman Empire during the 18th century. He was an enthusiastic amateur musician and is be ...
, and to request the inspectorate of the county schools of the following Counties:
Szepes Szepes ( sk, Spiš; la, Scepusium, pl, Spisz, german: link=no, Zips) was an administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary, called Scepusium before the late 19th century. Its territory today lies in northeastern Slovakia, with a very small are ...
, Sáros, Zemplén, Ung, Bereg, Gömör, Torna, Abaúj, Borsod,
Heves Heves is a small town in eastern Hungary. About 100 km east of Budapest, Heves lies at the northern extreme of the Great Hungarian Plain, just south of the Mátra and Bükk hills and west of the Tisza River. Heves gave its name to the Heves ...
and the autonomies of
Jászság Jászság ("Jaszygia", la, Jazigia) is a historical, ethnographical and geographical region in Hungary. Its territory is situated in the north-western part of the Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county. The main town in the region is Jászberény. Já ...
és
Kiskunság Kiskunság ("Little Cumania", la, Cumania Minor) is a historical and geographical region in Hungary situated in the current between Kalocsa and Szeged. Its territory is 2,423 km2. Like other historical European regions called Cumania, it is na ...
. On November 11 he was nominated for this position, which he held for five years. From 1785 to 1790 Kazinczy was known as the "apostle of renewing Hungarian education". As a supervisor he had a well paid job and a wide range of power. But even his school-organizing practice turned him against the churches and his brothers of faith whom he had been friends with during the early eighties. He lived in Kassa, travelled a lot in Upper and Eastern Hungary, established and controlled schools. His superiors were satisfied with him and his results. He took over 79 functioning schools as he started working in his position. This number rose rapidly to 124 of which 19 were common schools where pupils belonging to different denominations received state-funded joint education. Finally he finished the translations of
Salomon Gessner Salomon Gessner (1730–1788) was a Swiss painter, graphic artist, government official, newspaper publisher and poet; best known in the latter instance for his ''Idylls''. Biography His father, Hans Konrad Gessner (1696–1775), was a printer, ...
's idylls and published them in one book with the title ''Gessner Idylliumi'' in 1788 in Kassa. Its preface dates back to summer 1785 and was written to Gedeon Ráday. During his demanding works on the book, which he did with great care, he could count on the help of the author, Salomon Gessner and, after his death, on the help of his widow. It was Kazinczy's first world-famous translation and brought him recognition and appreciation abroad. He paid particular attention to the content and stylistic fidelity, accuracy, and musical rhythm of the language. Gessner's classical idyllic world expresses
Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock (; 2 July 1724 – 14 March 1803) was a German poet. His best known work is the epic poem ''Der Messias'' ("The Messiah"). One of his major contributions to German literature was to open it up to exploration outside ...
's sentimentality in a pseudo environment. His middle-class optimism keeps all disturbances away from its reader. Its
Roccoco Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...
emotions are remotely related to
Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolu ...
's world of thoughts, but it is rather a sweeter and simpler happiness offering version of that. By turning away from civilization and retreating into the ''ancient beautiful'' times, Gessner criticizes society, but at the same time brings us into a middle-class ideal world. As an enlightened, emotionally educated young man, this feeling of life was no stranger to him, but he was particularly delighted with the sophisticated style of the work. His emotional world was refined by the saloon life of Kassa, whose social pleasures he felt as delightful as the Freemasonry ceremonies which he often attended. His desires were tense between Teréz Radvánszky and Zsuzsanna Kácsándy. For the "nice companies" gathered in the saloons of the Török, Kácsándy and Bárcsay families and for female members of the
Freemasonry Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
he addressed his ( en, Collected letters of Bácsmegyey) in 1789. It was a translation of Albrecht Christoph Kayser's ''Adolfs gesammelte Briefe'' which was a pastiche of
Werther ''Werther'' is an opera (''drame lyrique'') in four acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet and Georges Hartmann (who used the pseudonym Henri Grémont). It is loosely based on Goethe's epistolary novel '' Th ...
. This form of translation, which differs from the principle of faithful translation followed during his works on the ''Gessner Idylliumi'', was common in
Hungarian literature Hungarian literature is the body of written works primarily produced in Hungarian,
at that time, but not in such a way as Kazinczy did in his . He moved the figure and scene of Kayser's original novel into the role of his friends and into the scenes of their frequent gatherings which showed a rare example of personal self-expression in translation. In some cases his protagonist openly attacks the
estates of the realm The estates of the realm, or three estates, were the broad orders of social hierarchy used in Christendom (Christian Europe) from the Middle Ages to early modern Europe. Different systems for dividing society members into estates developed an ...
as a limitation of freedom for humans and emotions. The first edition was indeed a great success in Hungarian public life. Ádám Pálóczi Horváth, János Földi, Mihály Csokonai Vitéz,
Sándor Kisfaludy Sándor Kisfaludy (27 September 1772 – 28 October 1844) was a Hungarian lyric poet, ''Himfy's Loves'' his chief work, was less distinguished as a dramatist. He is considered to be the first romantic poet from Hungary. He was the brother of ...
, Mihailo Vitković and Benedek Virág enthusiastically welcomed it. However Kazinczy also received criticism from conservative writers and from his teachers in
Sárospatak Sárospatak (german: Potok am Bodroch; la, Potamopolis; sk, Šarišský Potok or ; ) is a town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, northern Hungary. It lies northeast from Miskolc, in the Bodrog river valley. The town, often called simply ''Pa ...
. On November 13, 1787 Kazinczy together with Dávid Szabó Baróti and
János Batsányi János Batsányi (9 May 1763 in Tapolca – 12 May 1845 in Linz) was a Hungarian poet. In 1785, he published his first work, a patriotic poem, "The Valour of the Magyars". In the same year he obtained a job as clerk in the treasury of the Hung ...
in order to organize the literary movements of the Hungarian literature of that era established the ''Magyar Museum'' periodical. This was the first literary magazine in
Hungarian language Hungarian () is an Uralic language spoken in Hungary and parts of several neighbouring countries. It is the official language of Hungary and one of the 24 official languages of the European Union. Outside Hungary, it is also spoken by Hungarian ...
. But already after the first edition Kazinczy got into a debate on what kind of direction do they want to give to their periodical. Kazinczy recommended the title ''Magyar Parnassus'' instead of ''Magyar Museum'' and thought of a belles-lettres-like magazine with translations and critics. Batsányi wanted to create a more general and practical journal. Their political disagreement was deepened by the debate. Kazinczy was a Josephinist, a follower of
Joseph II Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 un ...
. Unlike Batsányi who was known as a member of the reform movement. Kazinczy soon left the editorial of the periodical. One of the most difficult time of his life came as Kazinczy became so seriously ill that on May 31, 1789 he had abandoned his life. In Kassa people already talked about his death. But he suddenly got better and quickly recovered. In November 1789 Kazinczy established his own periodical and titled it ''Orpheus'' after his own Freemason name. During its operation between 1789 and 1792 only 8 numbers were published in 2 volumes. He wrote his essays under the name ''Vince Széphalmy''. Kazinczy faced two problems that threatened the existence of his journal and led to its closure. Firstly beside his aim to improve the Hungarian language on a perfect level he also popularised the ideas of
Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity—es ...
and other Freemason philosophers. Secondly, his ''Orpheus'' was not so popular as the ''Magyar Museum'' and was financially unsustainable in the long run. Two years after the ''Orpheus'', the ''Magyar Museum'' also ceased in 1794 because of its editors were accused being members of the Jacobin movement of
Ignác Martinovics Ignác Martinovics ( sh, Ignjat Martinović, Игњат Мартиновић; 20 July 1755 – 20 May 1795) was a Hungarian scholar, chemist, philosopher, writer, secret agent, Freemason and a leader of the Hungarian Jacobin movement. He was ...
. The
Holy Crown The Holy Crown of Hungary ( hu, Szent Korona; sh, Kruna svetoga Stjepana; la, Sacra Corona; sk, Svätoštefanská koruna , la, Sacra Corona), also known as the Crown of Saint Stephen, named in honour of Saint Stephen I of Hungary, was the c ...
was brought to Hungary in 1790. Kazinczy was a member of the Crown Guard. In the crown's room, as a member of the Honor Guard of
Abaúj County Abaúj ( la, comitatus Abaujvariensis, sk, Abov, german: Neuburg or ) is a historic administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. In parts of the 19th century, and in the beginning of the 20th century, it was united with Torna Coun ...
, he translated Friedrich Ludwig Schröder's ''Hamlet'' and wrote his letter to László Prónay,
Ispán The ispánRady 2000, p. 19.''Stephen Werbőczy: The Customary Law of the Renowned Kingdom of Hungary in Three Parts (1517)'', p. 450. or countEngel 2001, p. 40.Curta 2006, p. 355. ( hu, ispán, la, comes or comes parochialis, and sk, župan)Kirs ...
of Csanád, in which he spoke in favor of Hungarian acting. He went to Kassa, and later to Buda when the efforts of Hungarian acting intensified there. Between September and October in 1790 he started to organize with the help of Pál Ráday the acting in Buda in Hungarian language. However, he had to travel home due to his official affairs. enő Andrássy : Kazinczy Ferenc életrajza. Pozsony, 1883./ref> In his ''Hadi és Más Nevezetes Történetek'' ('' en, Military and Other Remarkable Stories'') he took side against the ''student language'' (Latin language) and later published an impulsive article in favour of the introduction of the Hungarian language in schools and public life. After the death of
Joseph II Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 un ...
the earlier system collapsed. The next emperor, Leopold II abolished the ''common schools'' in 1791 and Kazinczy's office was cancelled. He lost his job for the reason that "''I am not a Roman Catholic''", he wrote later in a letter. He did not want to apply for a job as an officer again. But on request of his mother and his uncle, András Kazinczy, he travelled to
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
on May 7 to meet the emperor who was then unfortunately in Pisa. Kazinczy returned to Pest on a ship, and after ten days he went to Székesfehérvár to meet Benedek Virág and Ádám Pálóczi Horváth. From there he came back to Vienna, where he was welcomed by the Crown Prince Francis on August 15, but his request was not heard. In Vienna Kazinczy made a friendship with József Hajnóczy. Kazinczy arrived home on September 10 and spent the winter in Alsóregmec.


Alsóregmec (1791-1794)

After the death of Leopold II his successor, Francis I, came to the throne. He convoked the National Assembly in Buda. In May 1792 Kazinczy sat in the Lower Chamber as an envoy of Baron Ferenc Vécsey. On June 17 he went to the emperor to apply for the secretary position of the chamber of the royal court. But this office was already reserved by József Hajnóczy. After the end of the National Assembly Kazinczy returned home and worked in Alsóregmec for a year and a half until 1794. This time of his life was especially productive. He published one after another his translated and original pieces: ''Helikoni virágok 1791. esztendőre'' ( en, Flowers of Helicon for the year 1791, Pozsony 1791), ''Lanassza'' (tragedy in 4 acts, after Lemierre, Pozsony 1793), ''Sztella'' (drama 5 acts, after
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as t ...
's work, Pozsony 1794.) ''A vak lantos'' (after Leonhard Wächter's work). In addition, he published the tales of Gotthold Ephraim Lessing in the translation of his friend János Aszalai with his own adaptation at his own expense. He translated also: ''Helikoni virágok'' volume 2, first 10 songs of
Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock (; 2 July 1724 – 14 March 1803) was a German poet. His best known work is the epic poem ''Der Messias'' ("The Messiah"). One of his major contributions to German literature was to open it up to exploration outside ...
's ''
Der Messias ''Der Messias'', K. 572, is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's 1789 German-language version of ''Messiah'', George Frideric Handel's 1741 oratorio. On the initiative of Gottfried van Swieten, Mozart adapted Handel's work for performances in Vienn ...
'' in prose, one part of Christoph Martin Wieland's ''Die Gratien'', Gotthold Ephraim Lessing's '' Emilia Galotti'',
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's '' Macbeth'',
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as t ...
's ''Brüder'', '' Egmont'' and '' Clavigo'', two plays from
Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and worl ...
: ''Le Mariage forcé'' and ''Le Médecin malgré lui'',
Pietro Metastasio Pietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi (3 January 1698 – 12 April 1782), better known by his pseudonym of Pietro Metastasio (), was an Italian poet and librettist, considered the most important writer of ''opera seria'' libretti. Early life Met ...
's ''Temistocle''; idylls from
Salomon Gessner Salomon Gessner (1730–1788) was a Swiss painter, graphic artist, government official, newspaper publisher and poet; best known in the latter instance for his ''Idylls''. Biography His father, Hans Konrad Gessner (1696–1775), was a printer, ...
's 15 times revised and a philosophical play from Samuel Christian Hollmann ''Die Oekonomie der Natur''. During that time he experienced that several enlightened policies of
Joseph II Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 un ...
which were born in the spirit of Absolutism had been repealed and he thought that the system shifted in the wrong direction. He made an intense attack on the existing order in his translation of Christoph Martin Wieland's ''Sokrates mainomenos oder die Dialoge des Diogenes von Sinope'' which was published in 1793. His dominant worldview reflects in the book with the arrogance of the clerics, the abandonment of the existing society, and the escape from this world. It was quickly banned. Menyhért Szulyovszky, a member of
Ignác Martinovics Ignác Martinovics ( sh, Ignjat Martinović, Игњат Мартиновић; 20 July 1755 – 20 May 1795) was a Hungarian scholar, chemist, philosopher, writer, secret agent, Freemason and a leader of the Hungarian Jacobin movement. He was ...
's Jacobin movement, handed over to him the ''Forradalmi Káté'' ( en, Revolutionary Doctrines) during the county assembly. On the inauguration of the chief-
ispán The ispánRady 2000, p. 19.''Stephen Werbőczy: The Customary Law of the Renowned Kingdom of Hungary in Three Parts (1517)'', p. 450. or countEngel 2001, p. 40.Curta 2006, p. 355. ( hu, ispán, la, comes or comes parochialis, and sk, župan)Kirs ...
of Nagykároly (today
Carei Carei (; , ; /, yi, , ) is a city in Satu Mare County, northwestern Romania, near the border with Hungary. The city administers one village, Ianculești ( hu, Szentjánosmajor). History The first mention of the city under the name of "Karul ...
,
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
), Ferenc Kazinczy and his brother Dienes Kazinczy disputed, together with Ferenc Szentmarjay and György Szlávy, joining
Ignác Martinovics Ignác Martinovics ( sh, Ignjat Martinović, Игњат Мартиновић; 20 July 1755 – 20 May 1795) was a Hungarian scholar, chemist, philosopher, writer, secret agent, Freemason and a leader of the Hungarian Jacobin movement. He was ...
's Jacobin movement. In the beginning Kazinczy felt insecure to copy the ''Forradalmi Káté'', but Szentmarjay dispelled his concerns. Kazinczy liked the idea of the "bloodless revolution" which the movement propagated.


In captivity (1794-1801)

He was arrested on December 14, 1794, at his mother's house in Alsóregmec. He was brought to Buda and had to wait for the judgement in the Franciscan monastery of Buda. On May 8, 1795, the blood court sentenced him to death and his cattle had to be taken away. The decision was confirmed by the seven-person board. For three weeks he lived in the shadow of a sure death. Then partly by the intervention of his relatives, the emperor changed his sentence to imprisonment for an uncertain time. He stayed in Buda until September 27. Then he was taken to
Brünn Brno ( , ; german: Brünn ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 380,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic ...
(today Brno,
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
), in the prison of the Špilberk Castle where he arrived on October 7. He lived in a damp, underground jail and got so sick that he could not get up from his bed. Sometimes his stationery were taken away from him; then he wrote with rust paint and rarely with his own blood. He used as pen a kneaded tin piece from the window. When he was allowed to use pen and ink he sat at his table and corrected his earlier translations or was working on new ones. Later his life conditions became better. On the order of Archduke Joseph he was placed on an upper floor on December 21 where he could live at his own expense and could use his books. On January 6, 1796, he was brought to the Prison of Obrowitz (today Zábrdovice, Czech Republic) near Brno, and on June 22, 1799, he was transferred further to
Kufstein Fortress The Kufstein Fortress (german: Festung Kufstein) is the main landmark of Kufstein, a town in Tyrol, Austria. It is sometimes wrongly referred to as ''Geroldseck Fortress''. It is on a hill commanding Kufstein proper. Kufstein Fortress is above sea ...
. On June 30, 1800, his captors fearing the approaching French armies, he was taken first to Bratislava and then to Pest and finally to
Munkács Mukachevo ( uk, Мукачево, ; hu, Munkács; see name section) is a city in the valley of the Latorica river in Zakarpattia Oblast (province), in Western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of Mukachevo Raion (district), the city ...
(today
Mukachevo Mukachevo ( uk, Мукачево, ; hu, Munkács; see name section) is a city in the valley of the Latorica river in Zakarpattia Oblast (province), in Western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of Mukachevo Raion (district), the city ...
,
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
). On June 28, 1801, Kazinczy received amnesty from the king, who set him free and allowed him to return home. He spent a total of 2387 days (roughly 6½ years) in prison. He eternalized this part of his life in his book ''Fogságom naplója'' ('' en, Diary of my captivity'').


Later years

Following his release from captivity his fellow writers welcomed him gladly. But Kazinczy withdrew from the public. When he was imprisoned, the value of his property was about twenty thousand forints, of which a significant part was spent on the cost of his captivity. He had nothing more than his grapefield and his hill in Kisbányácska near
Sátoraljaújhely Sátoraljaújhely (; archaic german: Neustadt am Zeltberg ; sk, Nové Mesto pod Šiatrom; yi, איהעל, Ihel, or ) is a town located in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county in northern Hungary along the Slovak border. It is east from the county ...
which he called ''Széphalom'' ('' en, Nice Hill''). In the winter of 1804 he again became seriously ill, but was luckily cured by József Szentgyörgyi, the chief doctor of
Debrecen Debrecen ( , is Hungary's second-largest city, after Budapest, the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar County. A city with county rights, it was the largest Hungarian city in the 18th century and ...
, in the same year. Szentgyörgyi became his friend and so they corresponded a lot in later years. In 1806 he settled in Széphalom, where only three rooms were ready from the new mansion. The love of his mother and her joy in the growing family somewhat compensated for the sufferings that had not come to an end with his release. He was constantly struggling with financial difficulties, since after his imprisonment, he had to clear the accounts he was charged with, and later he had to raise his children. Shortly afterwards he married , daughter of his former patron, and retired to his small estate at Széphalom or "Fairhill", near
Sátoraljaújhely Sátoraljaújhely (; archaic german: Neustadt am Zeltberg ; sk, Nové Mesto pod Šiatrom; yi, איהעל, Ihel, or ) is a town located in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county in northern Hungary along the Slovak border. It is east from the county ...
(Széphalom is already a part of Sátoraljaújhely), in the county of Zemplén. In 1828 he took an active part in the conferences held for the establishment of the Hungarian academy, in the historical section of which he became the first corresponding member. He died of cholera at Széphalom.


Legacy

Kazinczy, known for possessing great beauty of style, was inspired greatly by the masterpieces of Lessing,
Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as tr ...
, Wieland, Klopstock, Ossian, La Rochefoucauld, Marmontel,
Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and worl ...
,
Metastasio Pietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi (3 January 1698 – 12 April 1782), better known by his pseudonym of Pietro Metastasio (), was an Italian poet and librettist, considered the most important writer of ''opera seria'' libretti. Early life Me ...
,
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
, Sterne,
Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the esta ...
,
Sallust Gaius Sallustius Crispus, usually anglicised as Sallust (; 86 – ), was a Roman historian and politician from an Italian plebeian family. Probably born at Amiternum in the country of the Sabines, Sallust became during the 50s BC a partisan ...
,
Anacreon Anacreon (; grc-gre, Ἀνακρέων ὁ Τήϊος; BC) was a Greek lyric poet, notable for his drinking songs and erotic poems. Later Greeks included him in the canonical list of Nine Lyric Poets. Anacreon wrote all of his poetry in the ...
, and many others. He also edited the works of (Pest, 1812, 8 vols.) and of the poet Zrinyi (1817, 2 vols.), and the poems of Dayka (1813, 3 vols.) and of John Kis (1815, 3 vols.). A collected edition of his works, consisting for the most part of translations, was published at Pest, 1814-1816, in nine volumes. original productions (''Eredeti Munkái''), largely made up of letters, were edited by Joseph Bajza and Francis Toldy at Pest, 1836-1845, in five volumes. Editions of his poems appeared in 1858 and 1863. In 1873, a neo-classicistic memorial hall ( mausoleum) and graveyard was built in Széphalom in his memory, based on the plans of the architect
Miklós Ybl Miklós Ybl (6 April 1814 in Székesfehérvár – 22 January 1891 in Budapest) was one of Europe's leading architects in the mid to late nineteenth century as well as Hungary's most influential architect during his career. His most well-known wo ...
. Today it belongs to the
Ottó Herman Museum The Ottó Herman Museum is the largest museum in Miskolc, Hungary. It holds more than 600,000 artifacts. Its main focus is on archaeology, mineralogy, arts, history, and ethnography. History The museum was founded in 1899 under the name Borsod- ...
. The Museum of the Hungarian Language is intended to be built here, whose
cornerstone The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. Over tim ...
has been laid in the park.


Personal life

On November 11, 1804, he married the daughter of his former principal, Count Lajos Török in Nagykázmér (today Kazimír,
Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
). His wife, Sophie Török, was 21 years younger than Kazinczy and came from a rich and prominent family. Kazinczy regarded himself for years not appropriate to her. He writes in his diary why he chose Sophie: Sophie married Kazinczy because of love, and her father regarded his daughter's husband as a friend of his. They lived together for almost 27 years, often struggling with serious financial problems, but according to their diaries and letters their life together was happy. They had four sons and four daughters. Unfortunately the firstborn daughter died in infancy in 1806. * Iphigenia (1805 - 1806) * Eugenia (1807 - 1903) * Thalia (1809 - 1866) * Márk Emil Ferenc (1811 - 1890) * Antal Sophron Ferenc (1813 - 1885) * Anna Iphigenia (1817 - 1890) * Bálint Cecil Ferenc (1818 - 1873) * Lajos (1820 - 1849) While Kazinczy organized the Hungarian literary life, Sophie was most concerned with housekeeping and child rearing. She also taught other children of friends beside her own. According to Kazinczy's writings she knew well the herbs and the preparation of home-made medicine and therefore she could help many infected people during the cholera epidemic of 1831. The youngest son of Kazinczy became a soldier and later an army colonel. He fought in the Hungarian War of Independence of 1848-1849 and after the defeat of the uprising he was executed. He was afterwards named the Fifteenth Martyr of Arad. Pásztor Emil: A tizenötödik aradi vértanú, Zrínyi Katonai Kiadó, 1979,


Bibliography

''Tövisek és virágok'' 1811.
''Poétai episztola Vitkovics Mihályhoz'' 1811.
''Ortológus és neológus nálunk és más nemzeteknél'' 1819.


Gallery

File:Meeting of Kazinczy and Kisfaludy in 1828.jpg, ''First meeting of Ferenc Kazinczy and Károly Kisfaludy in 1828'', based on painting by
Soma Orlai Petrich Soma Orlai Petrich, aka Soma Orlay Petrich (October 22, 1822, Mezőberény - June 5, 1880, Budapest) was a Hungarian painter, born to a Serbian father and Hungarian mother. Originally aspiring to become a writer, Orlai Petrich was a pupil of ...
File:Kazinczy Ferenc Ender.jpg File:Kazinczy ferenc thugut.jpg File:Kazinczy Ferenc.jpg File:Donát Kazinczy Ferenc 1808.jpg File:Kazinczy Ferenczné gróf Török Zsófia - Széphalom, 2014.06.19 (2).JPG File:Kazinczy Ferenc szobra Nemzeti Muzeum park.jpg File:Statue of Kazinczy Ferenc in front of Beleznay Mansion.JPG File:Kazinczi és alsóregmeczi Kazinczy Ferenc magyar író.jpg File:Košice - pam. tab. - Kazinczy Ferenc.jpg File:Kazinczy Emlékcsarnok bent.jpg File:Fogságomnaplója.JPG File:Kazinczy ferenczy izsó.jpg File:Donát Kazinczy 1812 A.jpg File:Rohn Magyar írók arcképcsarnoka.jpg File:Kazinczy Well by János Pásztor. - Budapest District I.JPG


Literature

* Klasszikus Magyar Irodalmi Textológiai Kutatócsoport ( Hungarian Academy of Sciences - University of Debrecen)
Kazinczy Ferenc összes művei Elektronikus kritikai kiadás
* Ferenc Kölcsey : Emlékbeszéd Kazinczy Ferenc felett. A Magyar Tudós Társaság Évkönyvei. I. köt. Pest, 1833. *
Ferenc Toldy Ferenc Toldy (born Franz Karl Joseph Schedel, August 10, 1805, in Buda - December 10, 1875, in Budapest) was a Hungarian literary critic. Biography As a small boy, he lived with his parents, Franz Schedel and Josepha Thalherr, in Buda. He was se ...
: Kazinczy Ferenc és kora. I. köt. Pest, 1859. * Richárd Szabó : Kazinczy-album. Pest, 1860. * Antal Csengery : Történelmi tanulmányok. II. köt. Pest, 1870 *
Ferenc Toldy Ferenc Toldy (born Franz Karl Joseph Schedel, August 10, 1805, in Buda - December 10, 1875, in Budapest) was a Hungarian literary critic. Biography As a small boy, he lived with his parents, Franz Schedel and Josepha Thalherr, in Buda. He was se ...
: A magyar költészet kézikönyve. III. köt. 2. kiad. Budapest, 1876. * Pál Gyulai : Emlékbeszédek. Budapest, 1879. * Péter Gerecze : Kazinczy Ferenc vallási és bölcseleti nézetei. Pécs, 1881. * Jenő Andrássy : Kazinczy Ferenc életrajza. Pozsony, 1883. * István Nagy : Kazinczy és Debrecen. Karcagi ref. gimnázium értesítője. 1888. * Károly Széchy : Kazinczy otthon. Erdélyi Múzeumegylet Kiadványai. Kolozsvár, 1888. * Károly Széchy : Kazinczy és Döbrentei. Kolozsvár, 1889. * Zsolt Beöthy : Horatius és Kazinczy. Budapest, 1890. * Sándor Imre : Kazinczy iskolai inspektorsága. Budapesti Szemle. 1895. évf. * József Szinnyei : Magyar írók élete és munkái. V. köt. Budapest, 1897. * János Váczy : Kazinczy Ferenc. Képes magyar irodalomtörténet. Szerk. Beöthy Zsolt és Badics Ferenc. I. köt. 3. kiad. Budapest, 1906. * Jenő Vértesy : Kazinczy jelentősége. Irodalomtörténeti Közlemények, 1906. évf. * Gyula Baros : Kazinczy Ferenc és Radvánszky Teréz. A Kisfaludy-Társaság Évlapjai. Új folyam. 42. köt. Budapest, 1908. * Gusztáv Heinrich : Kazinczy Ferenc és az Akadémia. Akadémiai Értesítő. 1909. évf. * Gyula Viszonta : Kazinczy Ferenc működése az Akadémiában. U. o. 1909. évf. * Gyula Viszonta : Széchenyi és Kazinczy. U. o. 1909. évf. * János Váczy : Kazinczy Ferenc. Budapest, 1909. * Balázs Horváth : Kazinczy Ferenc kassai szereplése. Kassai premontrei gimnázium értesítője. 1910. * János Váczy : Kazinczy Ferenc ősei. Turul, 1912. évf. * János Váczy : Kazinczy Ferenc és kora. I. köt. Budapest, 1915. * Gyula Borz : Kazinczy írói összeköttetései fogsága idejéig. Esztergom, 1916. * György Kristóf : Kazinczy Erdélyben. Pásztortűz. 1927. évf. * József Perényi : Aranka György és Kazinczy Ferenc. Erdélyi Irodalmi Szemle. 1927. évf. * Géza Hegyaljai Kiss : Ismeretlen érdekességek Kazinczyról. Irodalomtörténet, 1928. évf. * Géza Hegyaljai Kiss : Kazinczy Ferenc mint levéltáros. U. o. 1928. évf. * Béla Hencze : Kazinczy és a francia felvilágosodás. Budapest, 1928. * István Harsányi : Elégették-e Kazinczy Ferenc iratait 1790-ben? Irodalomtörténeti Közlemények. 1928. évf. * Antal Meszlényi : Kazinczy Ferenc fogsága. Magyar Kultúra. 1928. évf. * Dezső Szabó : A herceg Festetics-család története. Budapest, 1928. * János Czeizel : Kazinczy Ferenc élete és működése. I. köt. Budapest, 1930. * Károly Csahihen : Pest-Buda irodalmi élete 1780–1830. * Gyula Farkas : A magyar romantika. Budapest, 1930. * Zoltán Hegedüs : Kazinczy-ünnepély 859-ben és a Kazinczy-alap története 1870-ig. Irodalomtörténeti Közlemények. 1930. évf. * János Czeizel : Kazinczy és Kölcsey. Szegedi áll. Baross Gábor reáliskola értesítője. 1931. * Béla Dornyay : Kazinczy Ferenc és Tata-Tóváros. Tata, 1931. * Albert Kardos : Ott volt-e Kazinczy a Csokonai temetésén? Debreceni Szemle. 1931. évf. * Gábor Halász : Kazinczy emlékezete. Napkelet. 1931. évf. * János Horváth : Kazinczy emlékezete. Budapesti Szemle. 1931. évf. * László Négyesy : Kazinczy pályája. Budapest, 1931. * 1932. * Rezső Gálos : Kazinczy és a győri csata emléke. Győri Szemle. 1932. évf. * Ferenc Jenei : Kazinczy útja Pannonhalmára. U. o. 1932. évf. * József Gulyás : Kazinczy mint gyüjtő. Debreceni Szemle, 1932. évf. * György Kristóf : Kazinczy és Erdély. Az Erdélyi Múzeum-Egyesület 1931. évi vándorgyűlésének emlékkönyve. Kolozsvár, 1932. * Vilmos Tolnai : Egy Kazinczy-ereklye. Irodalomtörténeti Közlemények. 1932. évf.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kazinczy, Ferenc 1759 births 1831 deaths 18th-century Hungarian poets 19th-century Hungarian poets 19th-century Hungarian male writers People from Bihor County Linguists from Hungary Language reformers People from Sárospatak Writers from Košice People from Prešov Hungarian male poets Hungarian translators Hungarian jurists Deaths from cholera Hungarian prisoners and detainees Hungarian prisoners sentenced to death Hungarian Calvinist and Reformed Christians Hungarian Freemasons 18th-century Hungarian male writers 19th-century translators