Politik a právnik Nándor Bernolák (1880–1951)

Abstract

The article deals with the life and political views of Ferdinad/Nándor Bernolák, who was the rector of the new university in Debrecen before the First World War. He later served as Minister of Social Affairs in the conservative government of István Bethlen. N. Bernolák was born in Banská Bystrica and his family was of Slovak ethnic origin, but he and his brothers were of Hungarian nationality. Bernolák was a professor of penal law and a prominent member of the Hungarian conservative and Christian nationalist political wing, however, he spent only two years in parliament and government. After his political career, he worked as a lawyer in Budapest and sometimes represented his clients in very sensitive cases. He also worked as a private lecturer at the University of Budapest. N. Bernolák published mainly on penal law and legal theory. His son was an official in the Prime Minister’s Office from the 1930s to the late 1940s. The life and political career of N. Bernolák is a good example to present the career of a Hungarian lawyer in the complex and sensitive 20th century.