Kata Bethlen

Countess Kata Bethlen de Bethlen (1700–1759), sometimes referred to as Katherine Bethlen, was one of the earliest Hungarians to write memoirs. She was born on November 25, 1700, in Bonyha, Hungary (now Bahnea, Romania), and died on July 29, 1759, in Fogaras, Hungary (now Făgăraș, Romania).

Family and marriages Kata Bethlen, as a member of the notable Bethlen family, was active in Hungary's cultural and intellectual life. These mirror her personal troubles, but also reflect political struggles of the day and the duties and tasks of leading families in them. Her autobiography can be called a fine example of Baroque literature.

Legacy Kata Bethlen is a good representative of Hungarian Baroque, who unites the literature of her day with that of the 19th-century period of Reform. Her works blend in an interesting way traditional meditative lyrics and the popular genres of her time with her strongly Puritanical views. Her style draws on the memoirs of János Kemény and Miklós Bethlen, work closely related to Francis Rákóczi. Her letters compare with those of Mme de Sévigné and others at the Court of Louis XIV.