One of the most contradictory personalities in the history of Orosháza during the past century was József Darvas, writer and politician born in Orosháza.
According to the database of Wikipedia:
“József Darvas (born as József Dumitrás; 10 February 1912 – 3 December 1973) was a Hungarian writer and politician, who served as Minister of Religion and Education between 1950 and 1951, as Minister of Education between 1951 and 1953 and as Minister of Culture between 1953 and 1956. He was member of the Presidential Council of the People’s Republic of Hungary since 1971.” His father worked as a farm hand and died at a young age in the World War I.
In this way his Mother raised four children alone, earning their living by working as a maid. He graduated from the training college in Kiskunfélegyháza, in 1932 changed his name from Dumitras to Darvas. As he was out of job he started to work as a labourer, later as a book agent and apprentice. Soon he joined the communist student movement and village writers movement. These sociographers referred to themselves as populist writers.
After the early death of the writer in 1973, his house was turned into a Memorial House. In the back garden there is a new, modern building with the Literary Collection of Békés County.