CONAN DOYLE & HUNGARY

 

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle visited Hungary. He made a grand tour on his honeymoon with his wife Jean Leckie.  He stayed with the Hungarians from 6 to 8 November 1907. In Budapest he stayed at the Grand Hotel Hungaria, one of the leading hotels in Europe.

 

 

During his stay here, Arthur Conan Doyle visited the Hungarian Parliament and found the beautiful building to be unrivalled in Europe. The Parliament & the Grand Hotel Hungária were located on the banks of the Danube, but now only the former exists.

 

(For an insight into Parliament, watch the short video below:)

 

 

During his days in Budapest, Conan Doyle gave an interview to reporter János FröhLich Jr. at the hotel.  János FröhLich was the oldest reporter in the capital. The interview was published in Az Ujság magazine on 7 November 1907. Its content is available in Hungarian & English here: The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia

 

 

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle mentioned Hungary more than once in the Sherlock Holmes short stories. In The Devil’s Foot one sample of the powder of Radix pedis diaboli can be found in Budapest. In The Greek Interpreter Holmes receives a letter from the Hungarian Police. In the Last Vampyre Holmes mentions vampire stories in Hungary.

 

In the story of His Last Bow Holmes is in disguise, so he has the chance to uncover the Prussian spy van Bork. Holmes sets up as an American whose name is Altamont. The spy mentions that Altamont is taking a shine on the drink which is tokaji, a famous Hungarian sweet wine.

 

 

Doyle has a non-Sherlockian short story, The Silver Hatchet, in which he writes about a mysterious murder in Hungary. 

 

His famous friend, the illusionist Harry Houdini was born in Budapest as Erik Weiss. Houdini is still revered as one of the world's greatest escape artists. According to the writer George Bernard Shaw, the most remembered names in the world are Jesus, Sherlock Holmes and Houdini.

 

 

Their friendship soured over time because of their conflicting views on spiritualism.

 

In 1925 the International Spiritualist Congress was held in Paris. Conan Doyle gave two lectures and he also was named Honorary President of the event. During the Congress he had been interviewed by Hungarian writer Sándor Márai.

 

In a letter to General Enesy in 1926, he concluded: " With all cordial salutations to you and all Spiritualist friends in Austria and Hungary. "

 

We are proud that Arthur Conan Doyle liked our country and the Hungarian people.