Bányai Balázs - Kovács Eleonóra (szer.): A"Zichy-expedíció"- Szent István Király Múzeum közleményei. A. sorozat 48. (Székesfehérvár, 2013)
The "Zichy Expedition"
JENŐ ZICHY IN PUBLIC LIFE 213 He was mostly famous for his interest in ancient Hungarian history through his travel to Asia and his many publications on the subject. The contemporary artists honoured him as one of their greatest patrons. Zichy bought the most paintings from Géza Mészöly.149 Zichy commissioned a portrait of himself and Ágoston Trefort from Alajos Strobl. He presented the latter one to the Industrial Museum.150 He bought the statue of Venus, made by Adolf Huszár, for the capital,151 and commissioned Béla Pállik to paint the equestrian portrait of his role model István Széchenyi for the National Casino,152 of whose board he was member.153 He also supported the erection of the statue of Mihály Vörösmarty in Budapest.154 He often presented the artistical treasures of his family at important national exhibitions.155 He, the wealthy nobleman, took part in the organization of charity events in Székesfehérvár and Budapest alike. Among them were pageants with the active participation of the Zichy family.156 As a respected member of the aristocracy - and as a friend of Archduke Josef - he was present at the matrimony of crown prince Rudolf and princess Stefánia in 1881 in Budapest,157 as well as at the memorial ceremony of the 25th anniversary of Franz Josef’s coronation.158 At these events he was always a grand sight either for his elegant Hungarian galadress or for his wonderful chariot. He put his ethnographical objects, which he collected in the Caucasus, on display during the millenary festivities in 1896 and he never missed any patriotic event. He even gave speeches on many of them. Such event was for example the Petőfi ceremony in Segesvár (today: Sighi^oara, Romania) in the summer of 1899159 and the exhibition of Ferenc Rákóczi’s relics in Kassa in 1903. The latter exhibition was organized under his patronage and support160 and was so successful that after Szeged, Szabadka and Székesfehérvár he became an honorary citizen of Kassa as well.161 Before closing this exhibition, at which parts of the Count’s collection were also shown, he participated in the creation of the National Association of Hungarians at the Kassa County Hall. The goal of this association was the unification of the Hungarian society to protect the interests of the nation “so that the regions of the land inhabited by Hungarians would not stay idle, while others fight on the borders against the actions that disintegrate the state."162 The Count, who sympathized with the Independence Party at that time, was elected member of the board. He tried to honour his title with his material donations and his work.163 His enthusiasm for the cause can be considered exemplary even if by today’s standards minority questions should be treated differently.
