A historian who carried the memory of 1956 into diplomacy
At fifteen, he took part in the 1956 Revolution without a weapon.
Géza Jeszenszky is a historian who experienced the 1956 Revolution and a statesman who helped shape Hungary’s diplomacy during the transition from state socialism. He estimated that about 350 people were executed after the revolution, contributing to public memory of the repression’s scale. As a scholar he wrote on international-relations history and Hungary’s image abroad, while as a founding member of the Hungarian Democratic Forum he pursued new relations with the West.
Career Timeline
- 1941Born in Budapest
- 1961–1966Studied history and English at Eötvös Loránd University
- 1976–2011Taught international-relations history at the Budapest University of Economics and Corvinus University
- 1987–1988Took part in Lakitelek and helped found the Hungarian Democratic Forum
- 1990–1994Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs
- 1998–2002Hungarian Ambassador to the United States
- 2011–2014Hungarian Ambassador to Norway and Iceland