“ They played a prominent part in Hungarian history as early as the reign of Koloman (1095–1114) ; and from King Matthias Corvinus (1458–1490) they received their estates at Mezö Tur, near Kecskemét, granted to Michael Kállay for his heroic defence of Jajce in Bosnia, and still held by his descendants. The father of Benjamin von Kállay, a superior official of the Hungarian Government, died in 1845, and his widow, who survived until 1903, devoted herself to the education of her son. At an early age Kállay manifested a deep interest in politics, and especially in the Eastern Question. ”

“ After the Russo-Turkish War of 1878 he went to Philippopolis as Austro-Hungarian envoy extraordinary on the International Eastern Rumelian Commission. In 1879 he became second, and soon afterwards first, departmental chief at the foreign office in Vienna. ”