Sándor Pet?fi

Sándor Pet?fi (1823 - 1849) was a Hungarian national poet and a key figure in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848.

The Hungarian Revolution of 1848

March 15, 1848 was Pet?fi's day. Among the various leaders of the revolution - called márciusi ifjak ("Youths of March") - Pet?fi was the key member in starting the revolution in Pest, and co-author resp. author of the two most important written (and recited) documents: the 12 pont ("12 points", ie. demands) and the Nemzeti Dal.

Related Topics:
March 15 - 1848 - Nemzeti Dal

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When the news of the revolution of Vienna reached them on the 15th, Pet?fi and his friends decided to change the date of the "national assembly" they planned (they just planned a rally where a petition to the Hungarian noblemen's assembly would have been approved by the people) from the original March 19th to the 15th. (Which was a lucky decision, for the authorities knew about their plans and planned to arrest the revolutionaries on the 18th.)

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On the morning of the 15th, the revolutionary youth around Pet?fi began to march around the city of Pest, reading the poem and the 12 points around to the people, gathering a crowd of thousands in the process. Thereafter, they visited presses, where they declared the end of censorship, and had Pet?fi's poem and the 12 pont printed. The major was also pressed to sign the 12 pont by the protesters. Later on, a mass demonstration was held in front of the newly built National Museum, from which the masses left for the other bank of the Danube: to Buda. When the crowd rallied in front of the imperial governing council's seat, the representatives of the Emperor felt they have no choice but to sign the 12 points. As one point was freedom for political prisoners, the crowd then moved on to greet newly freed revolutionary poet Mihály Táncsics.

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Pet?fi's popularity waned as the memory of the glorious day started to fade, and the revolution went on by the ways of high politics: with the leadership of the nobles. The nobles in the noblemen's assembly (seated in Pozsony/Bratislava) in fact have been pushing for slow reforms at the same time, delivering a list of demands to the Emperor on the 13th, but events overtook them - yet they managed to get back in control. Pet?fi disagreed with the decisions of the assembly, and criticised the way they imagined the goals and ways of the revolution. (It wasn't just him: in fact, his collague Táncsics was imprisoned again by the new government!) In general elections, he nominated himself in his native area, but wasn't elected. At this time, he wrote his most serious poem, the epic Az Apostol (The Apostle, an epic about a fictional revolutionary who after much suffering attempts to assassinate a fictious king, but fails.)

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Pet?fi joined Polish revolutionary general Bem's Transsylvanian army. That army fought a successful campaign against Habsburg troops, Romanian and Transsylvanian German militias, but was defeated repeatedly when the Russians intervened to aid the Austrians. He was seen last time in the battle of Segesvár (Sighi?oara), July 31, 1849. The circumstances of his death are mysterious and debated. Mainstream opinion is that he died in the battle, but some believe he was captured and brought to Russia where he was killed, or died naturally.

Related Topics:
Bem - Sighi?oara - July 31 - 1849

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After the Revolution was crushed, Pet?fi's memory again began to shine, his poems were popular, and his rebelliousness served as role model for Hungarian revolutionaries and would-be revolutionaries of every political colour ever since.

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Today hundreds of streets are named after him throughout Hungary (perhaps one in every village), beside a national radio station and a bridge in Budapest.

Related Topics:
National radio station - Bridge - Budapest

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External links

• Some poems in English