Ferenc Kölcsey (Săuca/Sződemeter 1790 – Fehérgyarmat 1838), Hungarian poet and public figure mainly remembered for his Himnusz (1823), went to a law school in Pest in 1810, where he made the acquaintance of Ferenc Kazinczy and Dániel Berzsenyi. In 1817, Kölcsey wrote Rákóczi hajh’, his first patriotic ode, in which he extolled the nation’s great, albeit tragic history. Henceforth he was associated with the Hungarian Romantic movement, writing on historical topics, language, and folk poetry.

In the 1820s Kölcsey became more interested in contemporary politics, resulting in more patriotic poetry, such as the canonical Himnusz (1823), which, set to music by Ferenc Erkel, gained the status of a national anthem, an “ode to freedom”, and “rebellious song”. These were published in magazines such as Aurora (he had made the acquaintance of Vörösmarty and the Aurora poets during an 1826 visit to Pest), Hebe, and Aspasia. Élet és Literatúra (“Life and literature”, 1826-29), which he edited together with the writer and poet Pál Szemere, established his reputation as a critic and commentator.

Kölcsey was elected to the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 1830, and joined the Hungarian Diet as a Liberal member in 1832. He died in 1838.