Let us tell you about the Count Degenfeld family that opens up quite an exciting career of a lineage with a long history.
It’s an old German aristocratic family whose ancestors immigrated from the Swiss canton Aargau into the Swabian land and bought a castle and a property in the neighbourhood of Gmunden around 1280.
As he finished his studied. he farmed on his properties in Nógrád county and took part in the management of the public affairs. In 1872, the district of Szirák selected him to join the Parliament, where he was a part of the centre-left party, then he became the representative of the Darda district in 1875. Between 1866 and 1887, he was chosen as the representative of the second district in Debrecen with a liberal programme, finally he was named as count of Nógrád county.
Between 1867 and 1871, he was a draftsman in the ministry of agriculture, then he began farming on his properties in Szatmár county. He was vice president of the Széchenyi association in Szatmár county. He was chosen as count of Hajdu county in 1883. He was member of many charitable associations and one of the most influential worldwide representatives of the Calvinist Diocese beyond the Tisza-river.
His father, Count Degenfeld Imre, was main janitor of the Calvinist Diocese beyond the Tisza-river. He undertook part in the political life very early, he was representative of the Nagykalló district in 1861. Between 1865-69, he was member of the House of Representatives.
He was raised for a military career and he was chosen as lieutenant in the Anspach regiment when he was 15 years old. He was a captain during the French war, colonel in 1805, then he proved his valour in Austerlitz. He fought in the revolution against Napoleon in 1813 and he was colonel in Koburg-Koháry’s corps at the siege of Mainz in 1814. Later, he became major general, then a few years after the Treaty of Paris, he left the army.
He took part in the campaign of 1815 as an officer, then he served as a major general during the revolution of 1848. He was placed in the ministry of war. After the battle next to the Magenta, he was chosen as the commander of the shore of Lake Velence, and after the Treaty of Villafranca, he became the lieutenant-general of the second corps. Later he was chosen as general of artillery, between 1860 and 1864 he was minister of war.
Learn more about the history of the Teleki family and the castle!
