Ferenc Székely (Schlesinger)
Székely (Schlesinger) Ferenc was born in 1858 in Alap, Fejér county. After his commercial studies, he first became an apprentice and then head of department in Budapest. In 1892, he was invited to become the president of the Belvárosi Takarékpénztár Részvénytársaság. From 1902 until his death in 1936, he was Chairman of the István Brickworks Joint Stock Company. He was actively involved in the political life of Budapest and in promoting the unity of the Jewish community in Hungary.
Ferenc Schlesinger was born on 9 January 1858 in Alap, the son of Simon Schlesinger and Pepi Klein, both Israelites. The boy's father worked as a merchant in Alap, where he was known as a bochur (Jewish dictionary for the young man of twenty, but still unmarried, with a 'wandering' instinct).
Ferenc Schlesinger had 5 brothers: in order of birth, Joseph, Adolf, Johann and Juli, and Ignác (Izsák). Besides Ferenc, Ignác Schlesinger had perhaps the most successful career, serving as a director of several timber companies and as editor of the Hungarian Timber Merchant, a journal he founded in 1894.
The young Schlesinger spent his childhood in Alap. In keeping with the aims of his Israelite education, the boy, who was destined for a career in business, was enrolled at the Commercial Academy in Székesfehérvár. After completing only two years at the academy, he was sent to Budapest as a trainee at the firm of Lajos Károly Posner. In 1878, during the occupation of Bosnia, he was mobilized as a reserve lieutenant.
In 1882, he became a trainee at the Hungarian National Bank. Afterwards he was appointed secretary to the board of the Trieste branch of the Creditanstalt. At this time he submitted his prize-winning application on the settlement of currencies to the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. From 1890 he was head of the correspondence department of the Hungarian Commercial Bank of Pest. From 1892 until his death in 1936, he was CEO and President of the Belvárosi Takarékpénztár Részvénytársaság, founded in 1892. By this time, he was published as Ferenc Székely in economic journals under his Hungarianised name. In this capacity, he had the opportunity to participate in the management of the István Brickworks Joint Stock Company, which he chaired from 1902.
In addition to these, he has held senior positions and interests in a number of other companies. He was vice-chairman of the Pesti Lloyd Society and of the Anglo-Hungarian Bank, and later chairman of the Révai Brothers Literary Limited Company. He was also chairman of the Baja Bank and Commercial Bank Joint Stock Company and the Dunaföldvár People's Bank Joint Stock Company, and a member of the board of directors of several provincial financial institutions.
In addition to his economic activities, he was also actively involved in shaping the academic community: in addition to his publications in the National Economic Review, he was editor of Borsszem Jankó. He was also active in political life. First as a member of the 4th District Legislative Committee, then as president of the Belvárosi Polgár Kör (Citizens' Circle of the City Centre), he was president of the downtown liberal and then Labour Party. He was a member of the Budapest '20s Finance Committee'. During the First World War, he was a member of the public food committee, which helped to resolve the food situation in the capital. In 1910, he was awarded the title of Court Councillor and the Order of Franz Joseph of the Order of St. Francis of the Cross in recognition of his activities. He was also a holder of the second class civil cross of merit.
In his spare time he liked to hunt. In the village of Leányfalun, he set up a triple hunting club. The fact that the other two members of the company were József Benes, the managing director, and Dr. Lajos Jeiler, a lawyer, is an indication of his trustworthy connections in the business world. His other hobby - in his old age - was tourism. In the last years of his life, he spent summers on the Svábhegy. His favourite pastime was connected with his active support of the League of Hungarian Financial Institutions Sports Clubs.
As an Israelite he actively participated in the strengthening of Jewish denominational life.From 1909 he himself headed the National Israelite Patronage Association, which was founded in the same year. From 1915, he was a member of the executive committee of the National Rabbinical Training Institute, and between 1917 and 1919 he was president of the Jewish Community of Pest. He remained a member of the board of trustees and a member of the representative body of the Jewish Community until the end of his life. After the fall of the Soviet Republic, he played a significant role, together with Béla Feleki, in the establishment of an independent Jewish high school in Hungary. He was the treasurer of the Hungarian Israelite Literary Society and its president from 1927. Székely's activity in the struggle for unity among the Israelites is attested to by the fact that his name appeared several times in the Israelite Teaching Bulletin as a supporter who contributed substantial sums to help orphans, widows or even Israelite teachers.
Ferenc Székely's physical condition had been deteriorating in the few years before his death. He travelled to Abbazia to cure his asthma and for a holiday. He died there on 11 April 1936. After his repatriation, his body was laid to rest in the Israelite cemetery in Kozma Street, rákoskeresztúr, in the foyer of the Budapest Savings Bank Palace on 19 April 1936. The funeral was attended by many prominent figures of Hungarian political and economic life.
Sources used:
Béla Kempelen: Hungarian Jews and Families of Jewish Origin 3. Budapest, 1939. 36.
Press material 1890-1936.
New World Encyclopaedia of Tolna 16. Beer-Táv. Budapest, 1929. 139.
Miklós Vécsey:One Hundred Precious Hungarians. Budapest, 1931. 269-270.
Born: 9 January 1858.
Place of birth: basic
Date of death: 11 April 1936.
Place of death: abbazia
Occupation: economist, banker, politician, court councillor, president of the István Brickworks Joint Stock Company
Parents: Simon Schlesinger, Pepi Klein
Spouses:
Children:
Author: Róbert Szabó
Born: 9 January 1858.
Place of birth: basic
Date of death: 11 April 1936.
Place of death: abbazia
Occupation: economist, banker, politician, court councillor, president of the István Brickworks Joint Stock Company
Parents: Simon Schlesinger, Pepi Klein
Spouses:
Children:
Author: Róbert Szabó
Ferenc Székely (Schlesinger)
Székely (Schlesinger) Ferenc was born in 1858 in Alap, Fejér county. After his commercial studies, he first became an apprentice and then head of department in Budapest. In 1892, he was invited to become the president of the Belvárosi Takarékpénztár Részvénytársaság. From 1902 until his death in 1936, he was Chairman of the István Brickworks Joint Stock Company. He was actively involved in the political life of Budapest and in promoting the unity of the Jewish community in Hungary.
Ferenc Schlesinger was born on 9 January 1858 in Alap, the son of Simon Schlesinger and Pepi Klein, both Israelites. The boy's father worked as a merchant in Alap, where he was known as a bochur (Jewish dictionary for the young man of twenty, but still unmarried, with a 'wandering' instinct).
Ferenc Schlesinger had 5 brothers: in order of birth, Joseph, Adolf, Johann and Juli, and Ignác (Izsák). Besides Ferenc, Ignác Schlesinger had perhaps the most successful career, serving as a director of several timber companies and as editor of the Hungarian Timber Merchant, a journal he founded in 1894.
The young Schlesinger spent his childhood in Alap. In keeping with the aims of his Israelite education, the boy, who was destined for a career in business, was enrolled at the Commercial Academy in Székesfehérvár. After completing only two years at the academy, he was sent to Budapest as a trainee at the firm of Lajos Károly Posner. In 1878, during the occupation of Bosnia, he was mobilized as a reserve lieutenant.
In 1882, he became a trainee at the Hungarian National Bank. Afterwards he was appointed secretary to the board of the Trieste branch of the Creditanstalt. At this time he submitted his prize-winning application on the settlement of currencies to the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. From 1890 he was head of the correspondence department of the Hungarian Commercial Bank of Pest. From 1892 until his death in 1936, he was CEO and President of the Belvárosi Takarékpénztár Részvénytársaság, founded in 1892. By this time, he was published as Ferenc Székely in economic journals under his Hungarianised name. In this capacity, he had the opportunity to participate in the management of the István Brickworks Joint Stock Company, which he chaired from 1902.
In addition to these, he has held senior positions and interests in a number of other companies. He was vice-chairman of the Pesti Lloyd Society and of the Anglo-Hungarian Bank, and later chairman of the Révai Brothers Literary Limited Company. He was also chairman of the Baja Bank and Commercial Bank Joint Stock Company and the Dunaföldvár People's Bank Joint Stock Company, and a member of the board of directors of several provincial financial institutions.
In addition to his economic activities, he was also actively involved in shaping the academic community: in addition to his publications in the National Economic Review, he was editor of Borsszem Jankó. He was also active in political life. First as a member of the 4th District Legislative Committee, then as president of the Belvárosi Polgár Kör (Citizens' Circle of the City Centre), he was president of the downtown liberal and then Labour Party. He was a member of the Budapest '20s Finance Committee'. During the First World War, he was a member of the public food committee, which helped to resolve the food situation in the capital. In 1910, he was awarded the title of Court Councillor and the Order of Franz Joseph of the Order of St. Francis of the Cross in recognition of his activities. He was also a holder of the second class civil cross of merit.
In his spare time he liked to hunt. In the village of Leányfalun, he set up a triple hunting club. The fact that the other two members of the company were József Benes, the managing director, and Dr. Lajos Jeiler, a lawyer, is an indication of his trustworthy connections in the business world. His other hobby - in his old age - was tourism. In the last years of his life, he spent summers on the Svábhegy. His favourite pastime was connected with his active support of the League of Hungarian Financial Institutions Sports Clubs.
As an Israelite he actively participated in the strengthening of Jewish denominational life.From 1909 he himself headed the National Israelite Patronage Association, which was founded in the same year. From 1915, he was a member of the executive committee of the National Rabbinical Training Institute, and between 1917 and 1919 he was president of the Jewish Community of Pest. He remained a member of the board of trustees and a member of the representative body of the Jewish Community until the end of his life. After the fall of the Soviet Republic, he played a significant role, together with Béla Feleki, in the establishment of an independent Jewish high school in Hungary. He was the treasurer of the Hungarian Israelite Literary Society and its president from 1927. Székely's activity in the struggle for unity among the Israelites is attested to by the fact that his name appeared several times in the Israelite Teaching Bulletin as a supporter who contributed substantial sums to help orphans, widows or even Israelite teachers.
Ferenc Székely's physical condition had been deteriorating in the few years before his death. He travelled to Abbazia to cure his asthma and for a holiday. He died there on 11 April 1936. After his repatriation, his body was laid to rest in the Israelite cemetery in Kozma Street, rákoskeresztúr, in the foyer of the Budapest Savings Bank Palace on 19 April 1936. The funeral was attended by many prominent figures of Hungarian political and economic life.
Sources used:
Béla Kempelen: Hungarian Jews and Families of Jewish Origin 3. Budapest, 1939. 36.
Press material 1890-1936.
New World Encyclopaedia of Tolna 16. Beer-Táv. Budapest, 1929. 139.
Miklós Vécsey:One Hundred Precious Hungarians. Budapest, 1931. 269-270.