Széchenyi/Origin

Origin
Count István Széchenyi de Sárvár-Felsővidék (Hungarian: [ˈiʃtvaːn ˈseːtʃeːɲi]; September 21, 1791 – April 8, 1860) was a Hungarian politician, theorist and writer, one of the greatest statesmen of Hungarian history. István is a Hungarian name equivalent of the name Stephen. From September 1815 to 1821, Széchenyi traveled extensively in Europe, visiting France, England, Italy, Greece and the Levant, and studying their institutions. He also established important personal connections. The rapid modernisation of Britain fascinated him the most, and strongly influenced his thinking. He was also impressed with the Canal du Midi in France, and began to envision ways to improve navigation on the lower Danube and Theiss rivers.