Boundless History: 1825 – Count István Széchenyi’s donation to the National Assembly for the establishment of the Hungarian Learned Society

When the Diet convened on 12 September 1825 after a hiatus of more than ten years, proceedings began, in accordance with established custom, with a discussion on constitutional grievances and other major concerns, while new issues were added to the agenda each day. In early November, two closely related topics came under debate: on 2 November, national education, and on 3 November, the Hungarian language. In this context, the idea – voiced at the 1807 National Assembly but never enacted into law – of establishing a learned society dedicated to the cultivation of the Hungarian language was raised. In his remarks on the topic, Count Pál Felsőbüki Nagy explained that the national language could not flourish without financial support and that the country’s leading figures should therefore be called upon to make donations.

“I have no standing here; I am not one of the country’s greats, but I am a landowner, and if such an institute is established that promotes the Hungarian language and thereby aids in the education of our compatriots as Hungarians, I shall sacrifice one year’s income from my estates for this purpose. I make this pledge after careful consideration, and I therefore request that appropriate oversight be ensured so that the sum offered to the nation should not be wasted in vain.” This is how the poet Gábor Döbrentei, the Academy’s first secretary, quoted István Széchenyi from his speech in response to Nagy’s address.

In addition to the goal already mentioned, Széchenyi had other motivations for making this donation. One was the intellectual legacy left to him by his father, Count Ferenc Széchenyi, founder of the National Museum. Another was that the count had, by this time, found the cause to which he would dedicate his life: the revitalisation of Hungary’s economic, social and cultural life. Such a gesture provided him with an excellent entry point into the reawakening scene of Hungarian public and political life. Of course, the fact that he wanted to impress the lady of his heart, Countess Crescence Seilern, who was at that time still the wife of Count Károly Zichy, cannot be overlooked either.

In his speech, Széchenyi offered the annual income from his estates – which at that time amounted to 60,000 forints – for the establishment of an institution dedicated to the cultivation and preservation of the Hungarian language. Others followed his lead: Counts Ábrahám Vay, György Károlyi and György Andrássy were the first to join him, and thus the four of them are considered the founders of the Academy. It is a phenomenon unique in Europe that a learned society was established not as part of state science policy and with state funding, but through a social initiative and donations. Article 12 of the 1827 Act commemorates those who made contributions toward the establishment of the Hungarian Learned Society. In practice, the contribution meant that the supporters paid the annual interest on the amounts they had donated into the Society’s treasury.

The Hungarian Academy of Sciences considers 3 November 1825 as its founding date. In 2003, the Hungarian Parliament designated this day as the Day of Hungarian Science.