Count Imre Mikó de Hidvég (4 September 1805 – 16 September 1876) was a Hungarian statesman, politician, economist, historian and patron from

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

, who served as Minister of Public Works and Transport between 1867 and 1870. He was one of the liberal-oriented, prominent figures of the politics of Transylvania in the 19th century. He functioned as

Governor of Transylvania The governor of Transylvania was a viceroy representing the Habsburg monarchs in the Principality (from 1765 Grand Principality) of Transylvania between 1691 and 1867. List of governors Seventeenth century Eighteenth century Nineteenth centu ...

twice (1848 and 1860–1861). He worked tirelessly for the rise of his home in economic, cultural and scientific areas, earning the honorary title of " Széchenyi of Transylvania".

Biography

He started his political career as an official of the Gubernium (the Government of Transylvania) in 1826, and reached the position of Treasurer in 1847, at the same time he became a leading figure of the liberal opposition in Transylvania. He was appointed interim, then actual Governor during the

Hungarian Revolution of 1848 The Hungarian Revolution of 1848, also known in Hungary as Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence of 1848–1849 () was one of many Revolutions of 1848, European Revolutions of 1848 and was closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in ...

. He presided the Székely National Assembly in

Agyagfalva Mugeni ( ) is a commune in Harghita County, Romania. It lies in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania. The commune is located in the southwestern part of the county, from Odorheiu Secuiesc and from the county seat, ...

(today: ''Lutița, Romania''), which supported the Hungarian War of Independence. After defeat of the uprising, he retired from the politics for a time as a follower of the

Passive Resistance Nonviolent resistance, or nonviolent action, sometimes called civil resistance, is the practice of achieving goals such as social change through symbolic protests, civil disobedience, economic or political noncooperation, satyagraha, constr ...

. He only devoted his life to the ascension of the economical and cultural life of Transylvania until the 1860s. He participated in the foundations of Transylvanian Economical Association (1854) and Transylvanian Museum Society (1859). Besides these, he had also important role in the establishment of the

Franz Joseph University Royal Hungarian Franz Joseph University () was the second modern university in the Hungarian realm of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Founded in 1872, its seat was initially in Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca). After World War I, it first moved to Budap ...

Kolozsvár Cluj-Napoca ( ; ), or simply Cluj ( , ), is a city in northwestern Romania. It is the second-most populous city in the country and the seat of Cluj County. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest (), Budapest () and Belgrade ( ...

(today: ''Cluj-Napoca, Romania'') in 1872. He sponsored the National Theatre of Kolozsvár, encouraged the emergence of modern education and agriculture and actively took part in the cases of Calvinist Diocese of Transylvania. He edited and published the three volumes of ''Erdélyi történelmi adatok'' ("Historical data handbook of Transylvania"), with this he created an essential forum of the Transylvanian historiography as an organizer of science, but he himself also wrote historical studies. He politicized since the 1860s again, firstly as Governor of Transylvania, later than Member of Parliament for Kolozsvár in the National Assembly of 1865. He served as Minister of Public Works and Transport in the Cabinet of

Gyula Andrássy Count Gyula Andrássy de Csíkszentkirály et Krasznahorka (, 8 March 1823 – 18 February 1890) was a Hungarian statesman, who served as Prime Minister of Hungary (1867–1871) and subsequently as List of foreign ministers of Austria-Hungar ...

, the first government of Hungary after the

Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 (, ) established the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary, which was a military and diplomatic alliance of two sovereign states. The Compromise only partially re-established the former pre-1848 sovereign ...

. He was associated with the construction of railway between Hungary and Transylvania, as well as the foundation of the state railway company, the predecessor of today's

Hungarian State Railways The Hungarian State Railways (, , formally MÁV Magyar Államvasutak Zártkörűen Működő Részvénytársaság (MÁV Zrt.). The full official name of the company is MÁV-csoport () now commonly known as MÁV) is the Hungary, Hungarian natio ...

(''Magyar Államvasutak'' – MÁV).

References

Magyar Életrajzi Lexikon

External links

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Miko, Imre 1805 births 1876 deaths 19th-century Hungarian historians Hungarian literary historians Hungarian economists Members of the House of Representatives (Hungary) Ministers of public works and transport of Hungary People of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 People from Covasna County Székely people Hungarian nobility