Magyar News, 2003. szeptember-2004. augusztus (14. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2004-04-01 / 8. szám
STETHOSCOPE MD HALO László Batthyány-Strattmann They called him “Doctor of the Poor” At a time when the medical profession was not considered suitable for a man of his standing, Count László Batthyány- Strattmann used his considerable family fortune to set up two hospitals and devoted his whole life to treating the poor for free. László Batthyány was a man of our times. Bom in Dunakiliti in 1870, he was only eight years old when his father left his ailing mother .As in a modem soap opera, she found out from the newspapers that he had become a Lutheran and married someone else. László was sent to a Jesuit boarding school in Austria. He was not a model student; if there was any mischief afoot, he was certain to be involved. His mother died when he was 12, and his father brought him back to Hungary to put him in a boarding school in Kalocsa. As any teacher will testify, children from broken homes act out. So did László. Close to graduating from high school, he was expelled for being fresh to a teacher .Finally he did get his high school diploma at another school. He wanted to become a doctor, but his older brother had died, and he was expected to take over direction of the family estates. For this reason, his father wanted him to study economics and agriculture. Enrolled at the University of Vienna, László lasted one semester , and then started attending lectures in chemistry , philosophy and astronomy instead -subjects in which he was interested. He enlisted for and completed his compulsory one-year military service. Around this time, he became embroiled in an affair , and had a child out of wedlock. But he sincerely regretted this missteps and supported the child and its mother for the rest of his life. One of his professors suggested that he enroll in medical school, despite his father's opposition, and László followed his advice. However, when his father Count László Batthyány-Strattmann became gravely ill, he went home to care for him, and his devoted nursing finally won his father over. He gave László his blessing on his chosen profession, and on his deathbed made his peace with God. László inherited the vast Batthyány estates. While still in medical school, in 1898, László Batthyány married a Iady-inwaiting at the court in Vienna, the Countess Maria Terezia Coreth . Their first child, Ödön, was bom in 1900, the year László received his medical degree. The following year , he built a fully equipped 24-bed hospital in Köpcsény , his family home in western Hungary, where he treated only poor people. "If you can afford to pay , go to someone else," he would say. After the outbreak of World War I, he volunteered to take the place of the district medical officer, who had been drafted. He was totally available to his patients, cheerfully getting up even in the middle of the night. As wounded soldiers began to return, Dr. Batthyány added a second story to accommodate them. He set up a day care for the children of soldiers, with his wife as caretaker, 50 their mothers could go to work. Not endowed with a strong constitution, Dr .Batthyány often repeated that, out of love of God, he gladly accepted the fatigue involved in his medical vocation. His frantic work pace soon brought on heart symptoms. For the sake of his own health, at the urging of friends, Dr. Batthyány decided to specialize in ophthalmology. In 1915, his uncle Ödön Batthyány- Strattmann died without heirs, 50 László inherited the Strattmann name as well as the title of "Prince". Despite his exalted social standing, he shunned all luxury, living and dressing simply, sometimes even shabbily. At times his children refused to go with him until he changed into more respectable clothes. He was always cheerful. He said, "I'm glad I am wealthy, because it allows me to do good." Beyond taking care of his family , he spent the rest of his substance on helping the poor, so much so that sometimes his wife had to restrain him. After World War I, Dr .Batthyány lost his estate and hospital when Köpcsény became part of Austria, He settled with his family on his estate in Körmend, also located in western Hungary. He no longer had the means to build another hospital, but set up his second hospital in some existing buildings. This one was dedicated specifically to the treatment of eye patients. His wife became his assistant in the operating room. There, he examined and prayerfully treated four to five thousand people a year .On occasion, the railroad company would run special "hospital trains" to bring patients to him. Although he was considered one of the top three ophthalmologists in Europe, he always remained humble, considering himself only an instrument. "I operate; God heals", he would say. In a notebook, Dr .Batthyány- Strattmann listed the poor people in the area, with a brief description of their situation, and regularly provided them with food, clothing and fuel, all in secret. He and his wife would visit them personally, and they would never go empty-handed. He made available 200 housing lots, for free; in other cases, he provided land for minimal rent. He often halved even that small amount, telling them to give the other half to others in need. The Batthyány's first child, Ödön, was followed by 12 other children. Three of them died in infancy. Ödön died of a ruptured appendix at the age of 20. His death was a great shock to them all, yet Dr .Batthyány was able to tell the family when the boy died, "Come, let us go to the chapel, and thank the Lord for letting us have Ödön for 20 years!" He was a model family man who set aside time each day to have a "conference" Dr. Batthyány in surgery. He is assisted by his wife, Maria, standing on his left Page 2
