The travelling Széchenyi – Inspirations and patterns

First as a soldier during the Napoleonic Wars, Széchenyi followed his interests and travelled across much of southern and western Europe. It was during his travels that he first showed the intellectual openness and flexibility that later made his work so diverse. His first trip was to England in the autumn of 1815. In addition to English social customs and political culture, the achievements of technical modernisation had the greatest influence on him during the three months he spent there. The first trip to England was followed by five more over the next two decades. His experiences in the island state left their mark on Széchenyi’s oeuvre and even on his daily life and personal environment. He regarded the English constitutional system as a political ideal. Much of his practical activity had some connection with England.
In 1829 he travelled widely in the Bohemia, Germany and the Netherlands. He constantly compared his experience of a more advanced agriculture and a more civilised society with conditions in Hungary, and the comparison rarely filled him with pride.
He became thoroughly acquainted with Italy both as a soldier and as a traveller. He was fascinated by the landscapes of the peninsula, and its historical and cultural monuments. The personalisation of his religiousness is mainly linked to his experiences in Italy.
In France, he was struck by the values of culture and economic performance, but also by the national pride that the French exude, combined with a sense of action.
In 1818–19, inspired by his scientific interests and literary experiences, Széchenyi travelled extensively in the Aegean Region, Greece and Asia Minor in the Ottoman Empire. He read a warning in the backwardness and stagnation of civilisation of the peoples living under the declining Ottoman rule: his country must follow the modernisation patterns of Western Europe.

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Cenk

Date of writing 1809. April 11.

Tag travel emotions

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Rsepnik

Date of writing 1811. November 12.

Tag military travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Pest

Date of writing 1813. March 26.

Tag family travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Frankfurt

Date of writing 1813. December 9.

Tag family travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Turin

Date of writing 1814. May 11.

Tag travel family

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Turin

Date of writing 1814. May 21.

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Turin

Date of writing 1814. May 23.

Tag family travel

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1814. October 10.

Tag travel wine

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1814. October 21.

Recipient Vienna Police

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1814. November 30.

Recipient Elisabeth Proctor

Place of Writing Naples

Date of writing 1814. December 18.

Tag emotions travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Milan

Date of writing 1815. March 28.

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Recipient Széchenyi's parents

Place of Writing Milan

Date of writing 1815. April 1.

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Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Novi

Date of writing 1815. April 9.

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Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Paris

Date of writing 1815. September 16.

Recipient Karl Schwarzenberg

Place of Writing Paris

Date of writing 1815. September 20.

Tag military travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Paris

Date of writing 1815. September 21.

Tag military travel

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Paris

Date of writing 1815. September 22.

Tag castle travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Paris

Date of writing 1815. September 25.

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing London

Date of writing 1815. October 2.

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing London

Date of writing 1815. October 6.

Tag learning travel money horses

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing London

Date of writing 1815. October 12.

Tag travel learning

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing London

Date of writing 1815. October 15.

Tag horses money travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing London

Date of writing 1815. October 21.

Tag horses travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing London

Date of writing 1815. October 30.

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing London

Date of writing 1815. November 1.

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Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing London

Date of writing 1815. November 3.

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Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing London

Date of writing 1815. November 7.

Tag learning travel invention

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing London

Date of writing 1815. November 13.

Tag invention travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing London

Date of writing 1815. November 17.

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing London

Date of writing 1815. November 24.

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing London

Date of writing 1815. December 1.

Tag family travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing London

Date of writing 1815. December 3.

Tag family learning travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing London

Date of writing 1815. December 7.

Tag money learning travel

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1816. January 2.

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1816. March 1.

Tag horses travel

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Apáti

Date of writing 1816. May 8.

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Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Sopron

Date of writing 1816. May 10.

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Recipient Liebenberg János

Place of Writing Baden

Date of writing 1816. August 13.

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Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1816. August 20.

Tag travel hunt

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1816. September 4.

Tag castle money travel hunt

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1816. September 6.

Tag castle horses money travel

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Cenk

Date of writing 1816. October 4.

Tag wine travel horses hunt

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1816. October 6.

Tag wine travel horses

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1817. April 23.

Recipient Pál Felsőbüki Nagy

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1818. July 11.

Tag meeting travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1818. July 11.

Tag money travel

Recipient Gabriella Hunyady

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1818. July 12.

Tag travel emotions

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Trieste

Date of writing 1818. July 17.

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Florence

Date of writing 1818. August 1.

Tag money travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Rome

Date of writing 1818. August 9.

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Rome

Date of writing 1818. August 13.

Tag money travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Ancona

Date of writing 1818. August 17.

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Corfu

Date of writing 1818. August 25.

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Constantinople

Date of writing 1818. September 21.

Tag family travel

Recipient Countess Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Constantinople

Date of writing 1818. September 24.

Tag family travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Constantinople

Date of writing 1818. October 11.

Tag money travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Pera

Date of writing 1818. October 11.

Tag health horses travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Constantinople

Date of writing 1818. October 17.

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Constantinople

Date of writing 1818. October 23.

Tag money travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Brussa

Date of writing 1818. November 5.

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Smyrna

Date of writing 1818. November 16.

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Smyrna

Date of writing 1818. November 24.

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Çeşme

Date of writing 1818. December 4.

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Smyrna

Date of writing 1818. December 14.

Tag money travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Smyrna

Date of writing 1818. December 21.

Tag money travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Smyrna

Date of writing 1818. December 21.

Tag money travel

Recipient Countess Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Smyrna

Date of writing 1818. December 21.

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Athens

Date of writing 1818. December 25.

Tag money travel

Recipient Countess Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Athens

Date of writing 1819. January 1.

Tag travel emotions

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Negroponte

Date of writing 1819. January 4.

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Athens

Date of writing 1819. January 18.

Tag money travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Athens

Date of writing 1819. January 30.

Tag money travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Athens

Date of writing 1819. February 3.

Tag money travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Patras

Date of writing 1819. February 20.

Tag money travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Zante

Date of writing 1819. February 24.

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Málta

Date of writing 1819. March 10.

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Málta

Date of writing 1819. March 28.

Tag money travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Málta

Date of writing 1819. March 31.

Tag money travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Messina

Date of writing 1819. April 8.

Tag money travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Messina

Date of writing 1819. April 11.

Tag travel quarantine

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Catania

Date of writing 1819. April 21.

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Naples

Date of writing 1819. May 19.

Tag money travel

Recipient Ferenc Széchényi

Place of Writing Naples

Date of writing 1819. May 26.

Recipient Philipp von Neumann

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1819. July 31.

Tag family health travel

Recipient Unknown

Place of Writing Unknown

Date of writing 1820. July 1.

Tag military travel family

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1820. October 27.

Tag money travel hunt

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1821. January 7.

Tag money travel

Recipient Edward John Littleton

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1821. January 14.

Tag travel emotions plans meeting

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1821. January 26.

Tag meeting travel

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1821. March 9.

Tag wine money travel

Recipient Miklós Wesselényi

Place of Writing Diószeg

Date of writing 1821. August 7.

Tag horses travel

Recipient Miklós Wesselényi

Place of Writing Diószeg

Date of writing 1821. August 29.

Tag travel meeting

Recipient Miklós Wesselényi

Place of Writing Oradea

Date of writing 1821. September 15.

Recipient 5th Hussar Regiment

Place of Writing Unknown

Date of writing 1821. December 18.

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing London

Date of writing 1822. June 30.

Tag meeting travel

Recipient Thomas Sahländer

Place of Writing London

Date of writing 1822. August 1.

Tag horses travel

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1822. November 5.

Tag travel castle money

Recipient Miklós Wesselényi

Place of Writing Debrecen

Date of writing 1823. May 19.

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Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Derecske

Date of writing 1823. October 5.

Tag emotions money travel

Recipient Miklós Wesselényi

Place of Writing Debrecen

Date of writing 1823. October 6.

Tag military travel

Recipient Vince Desfours

Place of Writing Unknown

Date of writing 1823. October 18.

Tag military travel

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1823. November 14.

Tag emotions money travel

Recipient Demeter Radossevich

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1823. November 16.

Tag military travel

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1824. February 17.

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1824. February 19.

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1824. May 9.

Tag military travel staff

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1824. August 15.

Tag farming travel horse racing learning

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1824. November 29.

Recipient Miklós Wesselényi

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1825. April 30.

Tag emotions travel

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Vienna

Date of writing 1825. May 9.

Tag travel money

Recipient János Liebenberg

Place of Writing Paris

Date of writing 1825. June 14.

Tag money farming travel