Folia Historica 34. (Budapest, 2019)

I. TANULMÁNYOK - Varga Lujza: Ferenc József utolsó diplomatája - Hevesy Pál

élvezve a magányt és a nyugalmat, korábbi életmódommal szöges ellentétben? Nem önként mondtam le a világi javakról, hanem megfosztottak tőlük. Azonban alázattal és lemondással elfogadtam a végzetemet. Talán ez egy álcázott áldás, mivel a kemény munka kétségtelenül fitten tart engem. Megtanultam, hogy még a bajokat is csak küzdelmes javadalomként lássam."109

FRANZ JOSEPH'S LAST DIPLOMAT - PAUL DE HEVESY

Summary

Paul de Hevesy was a professional diplomat, who served at the London, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Constantinople, Beme, Washington DC, Lisbon, Madrid and Paris embassies. He was Hungary's permanent delegate at the League of Nations and the International Labour Office, whilst he led the Hungarian representation in Geneva as well. He sought to reform the League of Nations with concrete proposals. He published extensively in Hungarian, English, French and German - the subjects of his researches were the creation of a more peaceful, united world, and Europe's economic unit. In recognition of this, he became vice president of the International Wheat Council in London and a member of the Royal Institue of International Affairs.

Bom in 1883 he began his diplomatic career during the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, and after World War I he joined the newly set up independent Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Born in a christianized Jewish family he retired from active diplomatic service in 1942, after which he lived in London, Switzerland and Austria and worked in various organizations dealing with international issues. He's main fields of interest were still the possible European and specifically Central European economic units. He died at the age of 104, in 1988.

This talented man, whose relatives and contacts transcended borders, was able to adapt to the possibilities of different eras, while he did not change his views. As an idealist he really believed in international organizations and their principles while realistically seeing their operational shortcomings.

109 Hevesy Pál levele Allan Dullesnak. 1960. https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA- RDP80B01676R003600070001-7.pdf (2017. április 2.)

74