Let us tell you about the story of the Count Teleki family which opens quite an interesting life path in front of us.
Geologist, politician. Teleki Pál’s son. university teacher in Kolozsvár, Minister of Religion and Education (1944-1945). Emigrated to the USA (1949).
He gained international fame before World War I with his scientific accomplishments. Foreign minister in 1920, prime minister between 1920-1921. He accepted the Treaty of Trianon, he took a stand against the abuse of the picket of officers, he adopted a French-friendly policy. He created the Hungarian Revisional League. The mouthpiece of the Hungarian revisional efforts, but he recognised the dangers of its creation with the help of Nazi Germany. He prevented the march of German troops against Poland through Hungarian territory and he accommodated the Polish refugees. In 1940, he joined the Tripartite Pact and signed the Treaty of Friendship with Yugoslavia.
He became the captain of Kővárvidék in 1848. He fought in many battles of the War of Independence from June of 1849 as a colonel. Due to the failure of the war, he escaped from the oubliette of Arad and took refuge in Turkey. He was sentenced to death while he was away. Afterwards, he lived in Paris, then on the islands of Jersey and Guernsey. In 1859 he fought in the army of Garibaldi in Italy. After the compromise he returned home and became the captain of Kővár again.
He explored Lake Turkana (Rudolf) and Lake Chew Bahir (Stefania) and Teleki Volcano. He travelled through Sudan, India and the Archipelago of Eastern India.
He was one of the leaders of the upper opposition in the national assembly of 1843-1844. He was the legate of the rebel government of Pars from the September of 1848. After the failure of the War of Independence he didn’t return home, during his emigration he spoke up about the creation of an alliance between the different Hungarian folks and nationalities. During the visit of Drezda (1860), he was captured and delivered to the Austrians by the Saxon police. He was let free for promising that he would stay away from politics. After some time, he was chosen as representative and then became the leader of the so called ’resolution party’ in the Parliament.
The national spirited pioneer of the Hungarian woman education, representative of civilian woman emancipation. She founded a women’s education institute in 1846 in Pest. She was sentenced 10 years in prison for activities in the national resistance, of which she spent 5 years in Brno, in Olomouc and in Kufstein.
Governor of Transylvania (between 1842-48), who was historian, author and politician at the same time. The first president of MTA (Hungarian Scientific Academy). He donated his library with 25 thousand volumes to the MTA.
Transylvanian nobleman, captain of Kővárvidék from 1692, joined Rákóczi in 1704, Transylvanian senator in 1707. Captain of Kővár again from the October of 1715.
Chancellor during the principality of Apafi Mihaly, actual lord of Transylvania. Played a big part in the Wesselényi-conspiracy, but he still transitioned to the side of Porta, where he gave up Transylvania to the Hapsburgs in 1685. 5 years later, the sultan sent Thököly against him and he died in the battle of Zernyest.
Learn more about the history of the Degenfeld family and the castle!
