Politicians

Dezső Baron Bánffy de Losoncz (1843-1911)

Lajos Batthyány

Lajos Batthyány (1807-1849) was member of one of the most prominent hungarian families and a very influencial personality. In 1848 he was appointed first prime minister of the new parliamentary government of Hungary. During the revolution he decided to be a leader of the rebels and was executed after the revolution failed. The grave has been robbed several times because it was suspected that valuable goods were to find inside. Surrounded by trees and small cypresses the building evokes the bright impression of an italian renaissance park.

Study in black and white

For a short period of time I owned a nice "4X5" TOYO Field camera, which was a very good tool. However I didn`t have enough time to give the necessary attention to work in big format it. So I sold it after a year already. There are not many photographs left and only very few were made on the Kerepesi Temetö. This is a study in black and white on Polaroid film P/N55. In summer there is always an interesting play between light spots and dark shade on the cemetery,which can add a lot of drama to the many sculptures there. This one has a bit of a hellenistic touch, the tomb of Rubinek Gyula,who must have been a very successfull politician and studied farmer. He was engaged in the hungarian agriculture association and later became a minister of trade. Obviously the sculptures arund the tombstone with a coffin on top symbolise a sowing farmer and two women bringing in the harvest a very positive representation of human life on earth.

Kossuth mausoleum

The cemetery was opened on June 15.,1847 in difficult times shortly before the failed revolution of 1848/49. In 1885 the cemetery became national pantheon open only for important and famous personalities. Lajos Kossuth has become a national symbol for the struggle for freedom and independance of the hungarians during the times of revolution and later. Kossuth had incredible qualities as a speaker and could "set the crowd on fire". After the failed revolution he had to flee first to Turkey,but soon in 1851 he was freed by the frigate "Missisippi". As hero of freedom the ports of Italy, France and Englands were open for him and his arrivals were celebrated like a triumph. His trip through the U.S. from December 1851 til Juli 1852 was unbeaten. On his receptions in New York,Philadelphia and Boston he was celebrated as a new Demosthenes, as the hungarian Washington. Since La Fayette Kosstuh was the first foreigner to be recepted by the senat and the house of representatives. In both houses he made a speech requesting support to gain freedom for hungaria. But his wishes came not true. Over years Kossuth was involved in hungarian politics from an exile position. He tried the utmost to avert the so called "Ausgleich" with Austria. After 45 years living outside of Hungary Kossuth died in Turin,Italy on march 20. 1894. His funeral was a powerful national demonstration.

The monument was designed by Kálmán Gerster with sculptures by Alajos Stróbl. Kossuth`s body was transferred from Turin to Budapest and 400 000 gold crowns were collected to finance the monument. Gerster won the competition and in 1909 the monument in eclectic style was finished. On top of the roof on 8 columns there is a genius and lion which represent the revolution and below there is the sarkophag. The entrance is guarded by 2 leopards. Inside is a famous mosaic by Miksa Róth after a fresco by Dezsö Kolber.

This is a detail of the monument showing the big sitting sculpture by Alajos Stróbl (1856 - 1926). The sitting figur "Hunnia" represents the hungarian people.