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Zsigmond KemnyBaron Zsigmond Kemny (June 12, 1814–December 22, 1875) was a Hungarian author. He came of a noble but reduced family. In 1837 he studied jurisprudence at Marosvsrhely, but soon devoted himself entirely to journalism and literature. His first unfinished work, On the Causes of the Disaster of Mohcs (1840), attracted much attention. In the same year he studied natural history and anatomy at Vienna University. In 1841, along with Lajos Kovcs, he edited the Transylvanian newspaper Erdlyi Hrad. He also took an active part in provincial politics and warmly supported the principles of Count Istvn Szchenyi. In 1846 he moved to Pest, where his pamphlet, Korteskeds s ellenszerei ("Partisanship and its Antidote"), had already made him famous. Here he consorted with the most eminent of the moderate reformers, and for a time was on the staff of the Pesti Hirlap. The same year he brought out his first great novel, Gyulai Pl. He was elected a member of the revolutionary diet of 1848 and accompanied it through all its vicissitudes. After a brief exile he accepted the amnesty and returned to Hungary. Careless of his unpopularity, he took up his pen to defend the cause of justice and moderation, and in his two pamphlets, Forradalom utn ("After the Revolution") and Mg egy sz a forradalom utn ("One word more after the Revolution"), he defended the point of view which was realized by Ferenc Dek in 1867. He subsequently edited the Pesti Napl, which became virtually Deak's political organ. Kemny also published several political essays (e.g. "The Two Wesselnyis", and "Istvn Szchenyi") which are among the best of their kind in any literature. His novels published during these years, such as Frj s nő ("Husband and Wife"), A szv őrvnyei ("The Heart's Secrets"), etc., also won for him a foremost rank among contemporary novelists. During the 1860s Kemny took an active part in the political labours of Dek, whose right hand he continued to be, and popularized the Composition of 1867 which he had done so much to bring about. He was elected to the diet of 1867 for one of the divisions of Pest, but took no part in the debates. The last years of his life were passed in complete seclusion in Transylvania. To the works of Kemny already mentioned should be added the fine historical novel A rajongk ("The Fanatics") (Pest, 1858-1859), and Collected Speeches (Pest, 1889). See L. Nogrady, Baron Sigismund Kemny's Life and Writings (Budapest, 1902); G. Beksics, Sigismund Kemny, the Revolution and the Composition (Budapest, 1888). Kemny, Zsigmond Kemny, Zsigmond Kemny, Zsigmond
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