–A representative from the Hungarian Consulate’s Office in Chicago made a stop in Algona Sunday to pay tribute to Lajos Kossuth, 130 years after his death. Kossuth was a Hungarian political leader and freedom fighter who came to America back in 1851 after being forced to flee his homeland. Laszlo Aradvari serves as a Community Diplomat for the Consulate General of Hungary in Chicago, and he reiterated how important a figure Kossuth is in Hungarian history.
Kossuth is memorialized by statues in New York City and Cleveland, Ohio, as well as the one in front of the courthouse in Algona, where Aradvari laid a wreath on Sunday.
Kossuth is widely regarded as Hungary’s greatest orator and was the second foreigner to address a joint session of Congress. He died on March 20th, 1894. Aradvari told the small crowd that greeted him upon his arrival in Algona that he is hoping to bring a larger Hungarian contingent to the area later this year. Kossuth County was founded in early January of 1851, shortly after the Hungarian leader came to America, and was named in his honor.
