István Széchenyi volumes in the Hungarian Electronic Library

The 225th anniversary of the birth of István Széchenyi was celebrated in 2016. The “greatest Hungarian” was born at 5 Herrengasse, Vienna on September 21, 1791. Count István Széchenyi was called the “greatest Hungarian” by his greatest political rival Lajos Kossuth, and we often refer to him using Kossuth’s words, but seldom do we think about their deeper meaning. The expression also means that István Széchenyi's historical persona as well as his creations and works are highly appreciated by posterity. Széchenyi is the basis, to which “two quarrelling Hungarians" can always return.

MEK, the Hungarian Electronic Library is committed to these works not only on festive occasions such as the 225th anniversary of the birth of István Széchenyi. The Count’s three major works – Hitel (Credit), Világ (World) and Stádium (Stage) – have long been accessible in MEK. Nowadays, the Hungarian Electronic Library contains 37 works written by Széchenyi, which can be downloaded in various formats. By the anniversary, great works including, among others, works by István Széchenyi were added to our collection. Gap-filling works belonging to classic literature on Széchenyi were also added. Out of the recently added Széchenyi works, Kelet népe (People of the East), Blick (One Look) published in Hungarian in 1870, and the German-language edition of the same work deserve special attention. Novelties include the selected letters of Széchenyi (4 volumes) and a collection of his newspaper articles (2 volumes).

Currently, a total of 45 Széchenyi-related works can be accessed, all of which are recommended for reading. The majority of these works were recommended for digitalization by Károly Kokas, Deputy Director-General of the Klebelsberg Library of the University of Szeged.

Works on and by István Széchenyi in the Hungarian Electronic Library [1] (MEK) are the following:

• Albert Berzeviczy: Gróf Széchenyi István [2] (Count István Széchenyi)
• István Friedreich: Gróf Széchenyi István élete (1-2. kötet) [3] (The Life of Count István Széchenyi. Vol.1-2)
• Ferenc Komlóssy: Széchenyi István gróf élete [4] (The Life of Count István Széchenyi)
• Miksa Falk: Széchenyi István gróf és kora [5] (Count István Széchenyi and his Age)
• Lóránt Hegedüs: Gróf Széchenyi István regénye és éjszakája [6] (The Novel and Night of Count István Széchenyi)
• Aurél Kecskeméthy: Gróf Széchenyi István utolsó évei és halála: 1849-1860 [7] (The Last Years and Death of Count István Széchenyi: 1849-1860)
• Mór Ballagi: Gróf Széchenyi István : emlékbeszéd [8] (Count István Széchenyi: Memorial Speech)
• Imre Sándor: Széchenyi születésének 150 éves évfordulójára – a Kájoni János Megyei Könyvtártól (Csíkszereda) érkezett [9]  (Arrived from the The Kájoni János Library of Harghita County, Miercurea Ciuc – on the 150^th Anniversary of the Birth of Széchenyi)
• Pál Nyesti (Ed.): Gróf Széchenyi István emlékkönyv [10] (Count István Széchenyi Memorial Book)
• Gróf Széchenyi István emlékkönyv [11]  (Count István Széchenyi Memorial Book, Vol. 1-2)
• Géza Tasner: Széchenyi szellemi hagyatéka és Tasner Antal végrendelete : emlékirat [12] (Széchenyi’s Intellectual Heritage and the Will of Antal Tasner: Memoir)
• Dávid Angyal: Gróf Széchenyi István történeti eszméi [13] (Count István Széchenyi’s Ideas on History)
• Jenő Gaál: Gróf Széchenyi István nemzeti politikája [14] (National Policy of Count István Széchenyi, Vol. 1-2)
• István Széchenyi: Politische Programm-Fragmente 1847 : aus dem Ungarischen mit Anmerkungen eines Oppositionellen [15] (Political Program Fragments 1847)
• Lajos Kovács: Gróf Széchenyi István közéletének három utolsó éve 1846-1848 (1-2. kötet) [16] (The Three Last Years of Count István Széchenyi’s Public Life 1846-1848, Vol. 1-2)
• István Széchenyi (Ed.: Árpád Károlyi, Vilmos Tolnai): Gr. Széchenyi István döblingi irodalmi hagyatéka (1-3. kötet) [17] (Count István Széchenyi’s Literary Heritage of Döbling, Vol. 1-3)
• István Széchenyi (Compiled by Antal Zichy): Széchenyi István beszédei [18] (Speeches of István Széchenyi)
• István Széchenyi (Compiled by Béla Majláth, Antal Zichy): Széchenyi István levelei (1-4. kötet) [19] (Letters of István Széchenyi, Vol.1-4)
• István Széchenyi (Compiled by Antal Zichy): Gróf Széchenyi István hírlapi czikkei (1-2. kötet) [20] (Newspaper Articles of Count István Széchenyi, Vol.1-2)
• István Széchenyi: Kreditwesen [21] (Credit, studies)
• István Széchenyi: Ein Blick auf den anonymen "Rückblick" [22] (One Look)
• István Széchenyi (Published by Miklós K. Papp): Gr. Széchenyi István "Blick"-je [23] (“One Look” by Count István Széchenyi)
• István Széchenyi (Ed.: Zoltán Ferenczi): A Kelet népe [24] (People of the East)
• István Széchenyi: Javaslat a magyar közlekedési ügy rendezésérül [25] (Proposal for the Settlement of the Hungarian Transport Problem)
• Sándor Lipthay: Gróf Széchényi István műszaki alkotásai [26] (Technical Creations of Count István Széchenyi)
• Széchenyi István (Compiled by Antal Zichy): Gróf Széchenyi István külföldi úti rajzai és följegyzései [27] (Travel Sketches and Notes by Count István Széchenyi)
• József Ponori Thewrewk – József Orosz: Gróf Széchenyi István mint író [28] (Count István Széchenyi as a Writer)
• Mihály Réz: Széchenyi problémák : I. Széchenyi és az érzelmi politika : II. A következetesség és Széchenyi rendszere [29] (Széchenyi Problems: 1. Széchenyi and Emotional Politics : 2. Consistency and Széchenyi’s System)
• Mihály Táncsics: Széchenyi István gróf két garasára nyilatkozat [30] (Statement on the Two Mites of Count István Széchenyi)