Description

Sándor Popovics (1862 - 1935) was a finance minister, member of the upper house, internal secret counselor, the first president of the Hungarian National Bank, and a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

He completed his high school studies at the Budapest Main Gymnasium of the Religious Teaching Orders, then pursued legal studies at the University of Budapest. He was appointed as a state auditor in 1883. In 1884, he joined the presidential department of the Ministry of Finance as a drafting intern. In 1885, he became an assistant drafter, in 1887, a ministerial drafter, in 1889, a ministerial secretary, in 1895, a ministerial counselor, in 1892, a division counselor, in the autumn of 1895, a ministerial counselor, and in 1903, he became the administrative undersecretary of the ministry. From 1906 to 1909, he was a representative of the Constitutional Party in the Pozsony National Assembly, then from 1909 to 1918, he served as the governor-general of the Austro-Hungarian Bank. From February 11, 1918, to October 31 of the same year, he served as the finance minister of the third Wekerle government.

In 1921, he was elected president of the State Note Institute, and in 1922, he became the executive vice president of the National Financial Council. In 1924, he established the Hungarian National Bank, of which he served as president until 1935.

Engraver: Márta Csikai