Ferenc Deák spent almost half a century on his estate in Kehidakustány, Hungary, where he came up with the thoughts and ideas that determined the fate of Hungary not only in the 19th century, but were also decisive for the 20th century, and still have a huge impact today, Minister of Justice Bence Tuzson of Hungary said on Friday, 18 October in Kehidakustány in Western Hungary.

The minister was speaking at a commemoration ceremony to mark the 221st anniversary of the birth of 19th-century Hungarian statesman Ferenc Deák. Deák, a professor of law, politician, and ‘the Wiseman of the Country’, as he is commonly referred to in his home country to this day, was one of the chief architects behind the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, ‘which set the country to the path of progress,’ as Minister Tuzson put it.

Deák worked to deepen and champion the values that are still most important to us today, including, above all, the freedom of the nation, the minister added. He then said: ‘He was able to fight with his pen, with his thoughts’.

‘Ferenc Deák was one of the chief architects behind the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867’

He went on to stress that Ferenc Deák also had great achievements as a lawyer, as the draft of the Criminal Code he prepared can still be considered a standard. It is a fundamental document of modern criminal law, which Hungarian jurisprudence can be originated from.

Bence Tuzson pointed out that within the walls of the Kehida mansion, documents, letters and ideas were born that linked Hungary and great men such as István Széchenyi, Lajos Kossuth, and Mihály Vörösmarty. Deák set an example for those who are active in public life, Minister Tuzson opined.

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