#10 Anna Kéthly: Hungarian social democratic politician, the second elected female representative of the Parliament.

I am personally involved with our next role model. My Grandma used to tell me stories about his father, my Great-Grandfather, who as a jurist and a committed social democrat would host Anna Kéthly in their apartment several times. They discussed political questions and organized the revived Social Democratic party after WW2. Despite dangers and friends urging caution, they insisted upon their values. Right after the communist takeover they shared the same fate: they both became underprivileged and persecuted. With our next post we salute their courage.

Anna Kéthly
(Budapest, 16 November 1889 – Blankenberge, Belgium 7. September, 1976)
Hungarian social democratic politician, the second elected female representative of the Parliament. Following the revival of the Hungarian Social Democratic Party during the 1956 Revolution, she became president of the Party and a minister in the new coalition government of Imre Nagy.

3 x 3 about Anna Kéthly:

3 serious facts:

In 1922 Kéthly was elected to Parliament as a member of the Social Democratic Party, and represented her Party in parliament without a break until the German invasion of Hungary in March 1944. For 15 years she was the only female representative in the Parliament.
From 1945 until 1948 she was an elected member of the Provisional National Assembly, head of the Social Democratic faction, and was made Deputy Speaker of Parliament. After the communist takeover in 1949 she was imprisoned for 4 years without a trial and then sentenced to life imprisonment, but later paroled thanks to international pressure.
On 23 October 1956 a revolution broke out against the soviet regime. Anna Kéthly was elected as head of the revived Social Democratic Party. She was the most prominent leader still in the country, who was not compromised by communists. On 3 November her Party nominated Kéthly for a ministerial position in the new coalition government of Imre Nagy.

3 reasons why we look up to her:

Besides sounding social problems, she was also strictly critical about the anti-Jewish laws, more and more prompting unity against Germany. She was looking for a way out of the Second World War and negotiated with pro-British politicians for a solution.
Along with Endre Bajcsy-Zsilinszky she raised her voice against the hungarian raid of Novi Sad. They both demanded the impeachment of the perpetrators.
She had to work at an early age. Besides working she was studying and writing at the same time.

3 juicy facts:

When her friends suggested she stay out of the condemnation of the raid of Novi Sad, she made her famous statement: „Anyone who is afraid should rather be a confectioner!”. For her bravery her fellow party member Vilmos Böhm called her the “Joan of Arc of Hungarian politics”.
As one of the leaders of the opposition she was first sought by the germans, then by members of the arrow cross party, but they were not able to find her. She left Budapest and lived in the country with false papers under an assumed identity.
With the help of the Socialist International and belgian socialists she settled down in Brussels. She was also the editor-in-chief of the emigrant “Népszava” between 1957-1964, issued in London, UK.

Want to read more?

https://www.libri.hu/konyv/Szabadsagot-Magyarorszagnak-14.html

Want to visit a place in relation to her?

https://www.belgiancoast.co.uk/en/blankenberge

Credits:

Art work: Powder Power – https://www.facebook.com/powderpwr
Text and story: Holistic History – https://www.facebook.com/holistichistoryapproach

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Cseh Ádám vagyok, történelemimádó, történészhallgató, vállalkozó. A Holistic History alapítója. Az 52 magyar nő gondolata egy baráti beszélgetéssel indult: fel tudsz sorolni 10 híres magyar nőt? Megküzdöttünk vele. Pedig a történelmünk bővelkedik kiemelkedő Nőkben. Ezzel kezdetét vette a projekt, mely 52 héten át, 52 nőt mutat be, akiket ismerned kell. Kellemes időtöltést kívánok hozzá!

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More famous Hungarian women

#11 Kató Lomb: Hungarian interpreter, translator and one of the first simultaneous interpreters in the world

2023.09.26.