Debrecen4U April 24, 2026

István Tisza Commemorated in Debrecen

A memorial conference was held on Wednesday at the Reformed College to mark the 165th anniversary of the birth of István Tisza. The event paid tribute to the former prime minister with scholarly lectures and a special panel discussion. Among those attending was the politician’s great-granddaughter, Ilona Tisza.

The memorial conference began with a wreath-laying ceremony on Wednesday at the Reformed College, where István Tisza had once been a student. Today, a relief in the historic building commemorates his figure.

Ilona Tisza, the great-granddaughter of the former prime minister, also paid her respects at the relief. Although she was born in Argentina, she speaks Hungarian perfectly. Until the age of 14, she did not even know that she came from a noble family, and even afterwards she was raised not to rely on her name, but to succeed through her own knowledge and efforts. “Grandfather always used to say that those who have much must give much. If I can help someone in any way, I do so—for example, since I speak English, I can go to a school and teach your children or whatever. So it is important that we are able to serve others,” said Ilona Tisza, great-granddaughter of Count István Tisza.

Participants were also welcomed by Deputy Mayor István Puskás. He emphasised that the legacy and heritage of István Tisza still permeate the city today. In addition to historical heritage, the memorial conference also focused on questions of patriotism, family role models, and national identity.

University professor Levente Püski presented István Tisza as a statesman, while historian Péter Forisek spoke about the significance of the fact that without the former prime minister, the University of Debrecen would not exist today. “Count István Tisza, as one of the leaders of the Reformed Church and as a political figure, played a very significant role in the founding of the University of Debrecen in 1912, and thus the Debrecen Reformed College, by transferring its departments, became the predecessor of a university,” said Péter Forisek.

Another descendant of the aristocratic family is also closely connected to the University of Debrecen: in January, the former prime minister’s great-great-granddaughter, Greta Lucienne Grof-Tisza, graduated from the Faculty of Economics.

Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu