Sándor Wekerle, the golden man of the Monarchy

We know of few Hungarian politicians who were as versatile as the statesman who held the position of Prime Minister three times and the portfolio of Minister of Finance five times in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy of Hungary at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and who, as the son of the estate manager of the Counts of Lamberg of Mór, reached the highest state office without a noble title or financial background. Sándor Wekerle was such a personality, a statesman who, by utilizing his talent and financial and legal expertise, his organizational and compromise skills, solved the numerous political and economic challenges of his time, and introduced reform measures and laws that were decisive for the operation and social development of the Hungarian state. Among these, the adoption of church-political laws stands out, especially the introduction of civil marriage, the elimination of the deficit in the state budget and the introduction of the golden crown. Yet his work and merits were long forgotten, and it took almost a hundred years for posterity to rediscover and acknowledge his achievements. This book presents the process of the transition to a gold-based currency, which determined the financial and economic development of the Monarchy, to the reader. It gives an insight into the witch's kitchen of political, legal and financial interstate negotiations, which were ultimately successful with the initiative and management of Sándor Wekerle on the Hungarian side, in alliance with Austrian politicians and financial experts. The author presents the currency reform to professional interested parties and the general public, relying on a rich source base and new research conducted in the archives of Budapest, Vienna and Berlin. All this is strung around the historical personality and political career of Sándor Wekerle, which not only resulted in his receiving the Order of the Iron Crown, 1st Class, the highest state decoration of the Monarchy, but also most likely laid the foundation for his first appointment as Prime Minister in 1892. The volume, published on the 100th anniversary of the statesman's death, is completed by his short biography, contributing to the achievement and personal example of the true "golden man" of the Monarchy, Sándor Wekerle, receiving a proper place and recognition in the history of our nation.