Sandor Petofi

Sandor Petofi was born in Kiskoros, Hungary in 1823. He disliked school, although he was academic, and saw it as constraining hi via it's authoritarianism. He left his private school after becoming interested in acting, and his father disowned him for this. Petofi then spent a number of years travelling as a wandering actor and poet.
He was enlisted as a soldier in the Austro-Hungarian Imperial Army but only lasted two years before he was deemed unfit for duty due to the psychological impact service was having on him.
After leaving the army he returned to his education and acting. He met Michaly, a revolutionary writer, who helped Petofi get some poems published. Petofi quickly became the voice behind the revolutionary movement adn appealed to people from all walks of life. He also wrote about the French Revolution and compared it to the situation Hungary was at during this period.
In 1847 he married Szendrey Julia with whom he had a son, Zoltan, the following year.
Following the successful Hungarian Revolution in 1848 the first item in the free press was his National Song which later became the official Song of Revolution. He joined the National Guards and later the general militia and saw combat. After disputes with his fellow officers he left the battlefield only to return in civilian clothes. He officially perished on the battlefield in 1849, although his body was never recovered. This has led to theories such as him being captured and sent to Siberia.

He is a much-recognised hero of Hungary. Children are required to study his poetry and history in school, while there are museums, schools and statues dedicated to him. Insulting his name and memory are seen as causing a serious problem in Hungary and can actually result in criminal prosecution!