Árpád Szakasits (; 6 December 1888 – 3 May 1965) was a Hungarian

Social Democrat Social democracy is a Social philosophy, social, Economic ideology, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achi ...

, then

Communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

. He served as the country's head of state from 1948 to 1950, the first Communist to hold the post. A longtime leader of the Hungarian Social Democratic Party, he supported its merger with the

Hungarian Communist Party The Hungarian Communist Party (, , abbr. MKP), known earlier as the Party of Communists in Hungary (, , abbr. KMP), was a communist party in Hungary that existed during the interwar period and briefly after World War II. It was founded on Novem ...

to form the Hungarian Working People's Party. When

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Zoltán Tildy was forced to resign, Szakasits was named his successor on 3 August 1948 as part of the final stage of the Communists' complete takeover of the country. After the adoption of a new Soviet-style Constitution in 1949, the presidency was replaced with a Presidential Council, and Szakasits became its chairman on 23 August 1949, serving until 26 April 1950. In 1950, as acting chairman, he was arrested on trumped-up charges of war crimes, espionage, and conspiracy to overthrow the democratic order, and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was released in March 1956. He was also rehabilitated in the spirit of de-Stalinisation. After the Hungarian Revolution, he took part in the consolidation of the Communist regime, and from 1958 he became president of the National Association of Hungarian Journalists and again a member of parliament. He was elected President of the National Peace Council in 1960 and was also President of the World Federation of Hungarians from 1959 to 1963. Until his death he was a member of the Central Committee of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party (MSZMP). Szakasits was an

Esperantist An Esperantist () is a person who speaks, reads or writes Esperanto. According to the Declaration of Boulogne, a document agreed upon at the first World Esperanto Congress in 1905, an Esperantist is someone who speaks Esperanto and uses it for ...

for over 40 years, attended Esperanto congresses, and was a member of the International Patron Committee for the World Esperanto Congress in 1959.

Personal life

Szakasits was married to Emma Grosz (1888–1954). They had together a son, György (1916–1985) and a daughter, Klára (1918–2001). After the death of his first wife, he remarried. His second wife was Maria Theresia Schneider. This marriage was childless. His daughter Klára was the grandmother of Hungarian politician,

András Schiffer András Schiffer (born 19 June 1971 in Budapest) is a Hungarian lawyer and former politician, who served as co-president of the Politics Can Be Different and leader of its parliamentary group. Schiffer announced his retirement from politics on ...

, the founder and onetime leader of the

Politics Can Be Different Politics () is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of status or resources. The branch of social science that studies poli ...

political party. Heti Világgazdaság
Történelmi családregény a Schiffer-Szakasits családról
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References

External links

* 1888 births 1965 deaths Politicians from Budapest People from the Kingdom of Hungary Social Democratic Party of Hungary politicians Members of the Hungarian Working People's Party Members of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party Presidents of Hungary Deputy prime ministers of Hungary Members of the National Assembly of Hungary (1945–1947) Members of the National Assembly of Hungary (1947–1949) Members of the National Assembly of Hungary (1958–1963) Members of the National Assembly of Hungary (1963–1967) Hungarian Esperantists Hungarian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment Heads of government who were later imprisoned Burials at Farkasréti Cemetery Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Hungary {{Esperanto-stub