Sándor Rózsa

Sándor Rózsa (* July 10, 1813 in Röszke, † November 22, 1878 in Szamosújvár, today Gherla ) was a Hungarian bandit in the Great Alfold. His life was, literary glorified and romanticized so that it is now perceived as a heroic figure, comparable, for example, the German or the English Schinderhannes Robin Hood by several writers, including Zsigmond Móricz and Gyula Krúdy.

As a 23 year old (1836 ) he received his first prison sentence in Szeged. After he had broken out there, he led the life of a robber chief and became famous and feared by numerous acts of violence.

In October 1848 he joined with his 150 -strong band of the Hungarian Revolution. With its unusual appearance and the battle tactics they had first success, but were disbanded due to lack of discipline soon.

After the suppression of the revolution Rózsa was forced to flee and took up his former life as a robber again. It was not until 1857 he was arrested after one of his companions had betrayed him. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and spent nine years in the prisons of Kufstein, Theresienstadt and Petrovaradin, until he was released on the occasion of a general amnesty in 1868.

However, in the same year he returned to his old lifestyle, robbed stagecoaches and railways from. On January 12, 1869 he was arrested again and again sentenced to life in prison.

He died in prison in Gherla.