Kisfaludy László: A kisfaludy Kisfaludy család története (Régi magyar családok 2. Debrecen, 2004)
Abstract
17th century that one of the Kisfaludy-s got to be more widely known. At that time, Balázs Kisfaludy was appointed deputy-lieutenant of Vas County. This resulted not only in an increase in the quantity of real estates and in the overall enhancement of family wealth but it also made it almost customary for long decades among family members to participate in the county-level administration. As regards family history, Balázs is of notable importance from another aspect as well, since it was through his children that the family split into two separate branches. His son, Mihály, is considered to have been the ancestor of what genealogical terminology identifies as the older branch, while István is regarded to have been the forebear of the so-called younger branch. The 16th-17th centuries in Hungary were marked by a ceaseless struggle against the Turkish conquerors, and the Kisfaludy-s, too, took a share of it. Among the family members who were involved in the fights against the Turks, the most famous was László Kisfaludy, a castellan of Győr, whom his wife ransomed from Turkish captivity. Unfortunately, our country could not breathe freely even after the Turks had been driven out, as the weight and influence of the Habsburg Empire got stronger and stronger. As many as three Kisfaludy-s took an active part in the insurrection against Austrian rule led by Ferenc Rákóczi I, two of which held the rank of brigadier general, as members of the top commanding military body (which rank would equal that of a brigade commander today). At the beginning of the 1800s, two brothers made the name of the Kisfaludy-s well-known again across the nation. Sándor and Károly Kisfaludy were excellent poets. Sándor Kisfaludy emerged as a forerunner of romanticism with his poem called Himfy szerelmei [Himfy 's Loves] . Nonetheless, the huge volume of organizing work that he devoted to the development of the region of Balaton-felvidék [the plateau at Lake Balaton] of Dunántúl [Transdanubia] is considered today of at least the same value as his literary efforts of recently often criticized quality. Among other things, he is remembered for the construction of the first permanent provincial theater in Balatonfüred and for the establishment of the casino in Sümeg. His junior brother, Károly, belongs to the pantheon of Hungarian romanticism. Apart from his plays, several of his
