Statue of Josef Eotvos (Budapest)

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Josef Eotvos, baron, a Hungarian author and statesman, born in Buda, Sept. 3, 1813, died in Pesth, Feb. 2,1871. His education was completed at the university of Pesth, and at the age of 17 he commenced his literary career by a translation of Goethe's Gbtz von Ber-lichingen. This was followed by two original comedies and a tragedy. In 1836 he travelled through Germany, Switzerland, France, and Great Britain. In 1838 he became the editor of the Budapesti drvizkonyv, a work in which the most eminent Hungarian men of letters took a part. He contributed to it a novel entitled "The Carthusian," which made him at once the favorite of the Hungarian public. A pamphlet issued by him on prison reform produced a deep impression. His eloquent defence of the "Emancipation of the Jews" was still more remarkable. In the great controversy about Kossuth's Pesti Hirlap, Eotvos espoused his cause, and published a pamphlet in 1841 defending him against the conservative leader Sz6chenyi. As one of the leaders of the opposition in the upper house of the Hungarian diet, Eotvos achieved a.distinguished position. But whatever may have been his merit as an orator and a politician, it was eclipsed by his fame as a novelist.

His novel A falu jegyzoje (" The Village Notary," 3 vols., 1844-'6), in which he boldly exposed the abuses connected with the rule of the nobles in the counties, had a marvellous success, and was translated into German and English. In 1847 he produced a new novel on the revolt of the peasantry in 1514, entitled Magyarorszdg 1514:-ben ("Hungary in 1514"). During this time he also exerted great influence through the newspaper press. His articles in the Pesti Hirlap, now edited by his friend Szalay, especially on centralization, of which he became the champion, while Kossuth defended the autonomy of the counties, were collected in 1846 in a volume at Leipsic under the title of " Reform." After the outbreak of 1848 Eotvos was appointed minister of worship and public instruction under the Batthyanyi administration. He brought forward a comprehensive measure for the improvement of education, which was strenuously opposed on sectarian grounds, but was warmly supported by Kossuth and adopted by the diet.

Eotvos, however, withdrew from the cabinet on the assassination of Count Lamberg, and retired to Munich, but returned to his native country in 1851. During the period of the suspension of the Hungarian constitution he published his work on "The Influence of the Leading Ideas of the 19th Century on the State " (2 vols., 1851 and 1854, Hungarian and German by the author), and several political pamphlets. In 1856 he was elected vice president and in 1866 president of the Hungarian academy. In 1861 he became a member of the lower house of the Hungarian diet as representative of the city of Buda, from which time he actively cooperated with Deak for the restoration of the constitution; and on the creation of the Andrassy cabinet in 1867 he entered it as minister of worship and education. This office he held till his death.