Mór Jókai, born in 1825, became the most widely read Hungarian novelist of the 19th century — his works translated into more languages during his lifetime than those of any other Hungarian author. He was prolific to the point of implausibility: over 100 novels, countless short stories, and a parliamentary career running in parallel. The 200th anniversary of his birth falls in 2025, prompting this issue from the Magyar Nemzeti Bank as part of its ongoing commemorative silver program.
Jókai lived through the 1848 Hungarian Revolution firsthand, hiding from Austrian authorities with his wife, the celebrated actress Róza Laborfalvi, after the uprising collapsed.
Mór Jókai, born in 1825, became the most widely read Hungarian novelist of the 19th century — his works translated into more languages during his lifetime than those of any other Hungarian author. He was prolific to the point of implausibility: over 100 novels, countless short stories, and a parliamentary career running in parallel. The 200th anniversary of his birth falls in 2025, prompting this issue from the Magyar Nemzeti Bank as part of its ongoing commemorative silver program.
Jókai lived through the 1848 Hungarian Revolution firsthand, hiding from Austrian authorities with his wife, the celebrated actress Róza Laborfalvi, after the uprising collapsed.