A Herman Ottó Múzeum Évkönyve 46. (2007)

Fazekasné Majoros Judit: Kossuth-kultusz Miskolcon

VAYER Lajos 1952 Kossuth alakja a egykorú művészetekben. (Emlékkönyv Kossuth Lajos születésének 150. évfordulójára), Bp. ZSILINSZKY Mihály 1868 Kossuth a magyar nép szívében és népköltészetében, Pest FORRÁSOK Szűcs Sámuel naplója I-XIII. Herman Ottó Múzeum Helytörténeti gyűjtemény 53.43901-53.439013. THE CULT OF KOSSUTH IN MISKOLC Lajos Kossuth was one the outstanding personalities of 19th century Hungárián history. Evén though the political situation of a particular period most certainly coloured the attitudes of the population of Miskolc to this remarkable man, we may say that the town and its broader environs generally supported Kossuth and advocated his ideals. Kossuth's name was known in the town and in County Borsod since the Age of Reform. The popularity of the leading politician of the 1848 Revolution grew continuously during the struggle for independence and did not diminish evén after the revolution was brutally crushed. In fact, a distinct cult evolved around his person. Kossuth, the champion of the reforms, the martyr of a noble cause, and the leader of the revolution, was now an exile banished from his homeland. His name embodied thc heart-íelt sentiments of the Hungarians towards him and the holy cause of the struggle for freedom. The cult of Kossuth was inseparable from the cult of the revolution, and the respect for him incorporated all the emotions that people had felt during the days of the revolution and the ensuing repression. Although the Compromise of 1867 meant the crushing of the Hungárián strive for independence, Kossuth's popularity did not decline. On the contrary, respect towards him and his reputation as a legendary, exiled patriot, who would not give up his principles, grew immensely. This sympathy benefited the Independence Party, which consciously cultivated the cult of Kossuth. The ideals of 1848 and of national independence remained popular in Miskolc and County Borsod during the Age of Dualism too, and thc deputies from Miskolc, such as Lajos Mocsáry and Ottó Herman, who played an important role in national politics, pro fessed their acceptance of Kossuth's political views. The town's leadership too championed Kossuth's cause and there were few Hungárián towns, which spent more on expressing their respect and admiration for him. Several delegations visited the "Hermit of Turin", and the town evén commissioned two paintings by Miklós Barabás in the 1880s. Kossuth was elected an honorary citizen, a Street was named after him and the first full-figure public statue of Kossuth was unveiled in this town. Although the popularity of independence ideals waned during the interwar period, the respect for Kossuth did not. The post-war Communist governments exploited these popular sentiments, which portrayed the politician fighting for his homeland until the very end as a leader of the people. Miskolc, which was rapidly growing intő the country's second largest city, was designated as one of the main settings of Kossuth's cult. Evén though the enforced, official cult ceased after 1956, the city has preserved Kossuth's memory. Since the renowned patriot was born in this county, the region too remains one of the major centres cherishing his cult. Judit Majoros Fazekasné 407