On August 22, 1849, the guardian of Hungarian independence Lajos Kossuth stepped on the Bulgarian bank of Danube as an emigrant. The Hungarian nobleman, lawyer, journalist, politician and statesman was a leading figure in the Hungarian revolution for national independence which broke out on March 15, 1848 and continued until the beginning of October, 1849.

Lajos Kossuth was forced to emigrate at the end of the Hungarian revolution. He sent letters to more than 15 state leaders. However, he got a reply from the Turkish Sultan only who invited him to stay in the Ottoman Empire together with his suite, generals, captains and privates from his army.

The city of Vidin (Northwest Bulgaria) which was at that time within the boundaries of the Ottoman Empire was Lajos Kossuth’s first stop. Later, he departed to the town of Shumen (Northeast Bulgaria), which was a well-protected garrison town. Lajos Kossuth did not stay in Shumen for that long either, because Austria had requested his extradition from the Ottoman Empire. Then he moved to Kütahya, Asia Minor. When the release of Kossuth was approved by the Sublime Porte, the US Congress approved Kossuth come there. On his way to the USA he stopped in Great Britain for three weeks. When he arrived in the United States, Lajos Kossuth toured many cities at the invitation of American politicians and held a series of strong speeches in English. The Hungarian revolutionary was regarded in the USA as fighter for freedom and democracy. Lajos Kossuth lived in Italy the longest. There, he met his friend- philosopher and revolutionary Giuseppe Mazzini.

Lajos Kossuth was recognized as one of the most influential politicians of the 19^th century. Most of his political ideas were later fulfilled. He came up with the idea about a Danubian Federation or confederation of countries situated along the Danube River, which had predetermined to a big extent the establishment of different European communities, including the European Union, historian Stanimira Angelova, curator of Lajos Kossuth House Museum in Shumen says. The museum was founded 70 years ago and is the only museum in Bulgaria named after a foreign person.

You can learn more about the history of the museum in Radio Bulgaria’s article: Lajos Kossuth house museum in Shumen-monument of Bulgaria-Hungary cultural relations.

Compiled by: Elena Karkalanova