Arrabona - Múzeumi közlemények 35/1-2. (Győr, 1997)

Tanulmányok - Tóth László: Some Particulars on János Xántus’s Connections to Győr

László Tóth Some Particulars on János Xántus's Connections to Győr Ignác Xántus, had his son, János, matriculated in the well-known Benedictine grammer-school in Győr, so the great traveller finished the first year of his secondary studies in this town. During his exile in America, thhe members of the Xántus family who remained in Hungary (the mother, Mrs. Terézia Xántus, born Wunderlich, together with the brother and sister of János: Gyula and Amália), moved in 1856 from the village Csokonya to Győr. The reason for this was that after the death of the mother's sister, Mrs. Ferenc Kovács, born Franciska Wunderlich, her house and all her goods devolved upon her younger sister. This house still exists in perfect condition (Győr, Rákóczi Ferenc u. 19.). It was to this address that Xántus sent his letters from America, which were published by István Prépost in 1858 with the title "Letters from North America" ("Levelek Éjszakamerikából"). Xántus came home to Győr to his family for the first time on November 18, 1861. He was given the warm reception due to a national hero. In his lectures he spoke about the advantages of American civil life and argued enthusiastically for the adaptation of foreign economic experiences in Hungary. He returned to the United States on June 22, 1862 to send home colourful and interesting travelogues about his journeys, which were published in the periodical "Győri Közlöny" in several instalments. During his stay in Mexico (Manzanillo), he fell seriously ill. This illness, along with the failure of his endeavours, compelled him to come home once more. On July 1 6, 1 864 he was in Gy[r again, pulled down by disease. After his recovery, he purchased steam-tugs in Fiume (Rijeka) on behalf of the Győr Steamship Company, and on his way home he made a tour through the Turkish parts of Asia Minor. Returning to Győr, he launched a series of articles with the title "In the Interest of Steamboating in Hungary". Xántus came home to Győr to his family for the first time on November 18, 1861. He was given the warm reception due to a national hero. In his lectures he spoke about the advantages of American civil life and argued enthusiastically for the adaptation of foreign economic experiences in Hungary. He returned to the United States on June 22, 1862 to send home colourful and interesting travelogues about his journeys, which were published in the periodical "Győri Közlöny" in several instalments. During his stay in Mexico (Manzanillo), he fell seriously ill. This illness, along with the failure of his endeavours, compelled him to come home once more. On July 1 6, 1 864 he was in Gy[r again, pulled down by disease. After his recovery, he purchased steam-tugs in Fiume (Rijeka) on behalf of the Győr Steamship Company, and on his way home he made a tour through the Turkish parts of Asia Minor. Returning to Győr, he launched a series of articles with the title "In the Interest of Steamboating in Hungary". His restless and rigorous personality moved him to criticise severely the conditions he found in his home country. Although County Győr asked him to be a representative at the Parliament, he refused to accept this honour. During the autumn 1865 he moved from Győr to Pest where he took over the directorate of the Zoo. While he was the keeper of the ethnography collection of the Hungarian National Museum, he often paid visits to Győr to see his beloved mother and his younger brother Gyula, and it was in the Xántus-house where he recovered from his nervous breakdown. After his mother's funeral in Győr in 1877, he seldom visited this town: his brother ARRABONA 35/1-2.