Abstracts of Submitted Papers 2012

Louis Kossuth's Life Story & 1100 Years of Hungarian History - in 20 Minutes [withdrawn]

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
This paper succinctly traces Lajos Kossuth's life story from the 1848 freedom fight, his vision for a federal democracy in Hungary, his American visit & legacy, to his death at age 91 in 1894. It also blends some key events in Hungarian history from the entrance of Chief Arpad into central Europe in 896, the creation of Austria-Hungary in 1867, WW I & the 1920 Treaty of Trianon, the Communist period, to EU membership in 2004.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Arthur Allan Bartfay graduated from Central High School in Flint, Michigan; earned a BA and MA from Michigan State University in East Lansing. He served on the faculties of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb and Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant. Arthur earned ABD credits at The Ohio State University in Columbus and, after 25 years, retired from the staff of The Ohio State University.

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The Kossuth Sisters and Their Families in America

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
A most memorable event in the history of the United States was the visit of Lajos Kossuth, leader of Hungary during the 1848-49 War of Liberation against the ruling Hapsburg dynasty. The renowned patriot toured the country as “the nation’s guest” from December 1851 to July 1852 seeking support to continue the struggle. He addressed vast crowds, spoke at banquets hosted by sundry groups, and met many of America’s leading public figures. Everyone was deeply impressed by his demeanor and sincerity as well as his superb command of the English language and spellbinding oratory. Popular enthusiasm, however, didn’t translate into any form of official help and a disappointed Kossuth returned to Europe, settling in England.

Numerous plaques and statues throughout the land recall Kossuth’s seven-month sojourn. He has also been honored by the U.S. Post Office; he is one of the individuals pictured in the Champion of Liberty series. Kossuth’s every step in America was closely followed by the press and interest in his activities did not cease with his departure. There is no shortage of information on Kossuth; biographies abound and he appears prominently in innumerable books.

While Kossuth did not remain in the United States, three of his sisters – Zsuzsa, Lujza and Emilia – and their families became permanent residents. Unlike Kossuth who has been accorded massive publicity, their lives have been chronicled far less. Even Hungarians and Hungarian-Americans well-versed with Kossuth and his deeds are often surprised to learn about these sisters or know very little about them. Indeed, several Hungarian writers refer to Kossuth’s sisters as his "nővérei", whereas in fact they were all younger than him and hence should be denoted as his "hugai".

Although their arrival in America was duly reported and they were given a cordial welcome, it was without the fanfare lavished upon Kossuth. Despite the aid rendered by generous Americans, the three sisters experienced great difficulties in adjusting to the new homeland and establishing a secure foothold. Their initial years in New York City were fraught with hardships and marred by a series of misfortunes and tragedies. The children – totaling nine – grew up Americanized but retained a strong awareness of their Hungarian heritage. Five of the nephews participated in the Civil War. Because four of them were officers in the so-called colored regiments, their names have been inscribed on the African-American Civil War memorial.

As years passed, the three families became dispersed, contact between family members diminished, and all of them lost touch with New York’s tiny Hungarian community. Consequently, a multitude of erroneous stories began to proliferate in the émigré folklore and literature, a phenomenon which persists to this very day. American commentaries have also contributed to the storehouse of incorrect statements.

The chief objective of this presentation is to give a succinct but thorough account of all members of the three Kossuth families. Facts employed to buttress the narrative were drawn from reliable sources after exhaustive research and careful assessment. The Kossuth sisters, like their illustrious brother, made considerable sacrifices for the sake of liberty and in behalf of their children. Their stories deserve to be told accurately.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Stephen Beszedits obtained his B.Sc. in chemical engineering from Columbia University and his master’s degree, also in engineering, from the University of Toronto. Long involved in historical topics, he has authored some fifty publications during the past decade about Hungarian-Americans and Hungarian-Canadians. Although his primary interest revolves around the participation of Hungarians in the American Civil War, he has also touched upon artists, musicians, physicians, architects and his celebrated grand-uncle, the writer Lajos Zilahy.

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56ers 56 Years Later: The Hungarian Scholar Program at Rutgers University

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Abstract (max. 250 words):
The President's Committee for Hungarian Refugee Relief facilitated the settlement of over 30,000 Hungarian refugees in the United States, who fled the country after the 1956 Revolution. Among them was a small group of promising scholars and graduate students, who were selected to participate in an intensive language immersion program organized at Rutgers University upon the initiation of the National Academy of Sciences in January 1957. Based on the documents from the papers of Rev. Bradford Abernethy, University Chaplain and Program Director, the authors explore the story of these talented scientists while also trying to discover what happened to them in the following 56 years. The authors utilize a variety of resources to retrieve information ranging from traditional archival records to modern social networking applications. Search techniques in multicultural setting as well as methods and best practices to evaluate online information are also discussed. The presentation is recommended to audiences interested in applying innovations of information science when creating a chronological and contextual history of events, however it also aims to contribute to the history of Hungarian immigrants after 1956.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Sylvia Csuros Clark is an Associate Professor of Marketing at St. John's Unversity's Tobin College of Business on Staten Island. She holds a Ph.D. in Consumer Behavior from CUNY, an M.B.A. in Quantitative Analysis from New York University, and a B.B.A. summa cum laude from Baruch College. She is also an alumna of the Hungarian Studies program at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, having fulfilled the requirements for a Hungarian minor and earned a certificate in Hungarian language. She passed the Hungarian State Proficiency Examination Advanced Level, certifying native proficiency of the educated speaker. Dr. Clark has taught a menu of courses in marketing over a thirty-year span, primarily at the upper-level undergraduate and master's levels. Her research interests cover such diverse areas as cognitive age, travel marketing, fashion marketing, teaching/learning style constructs, and aspects of Hungarian culture.

Judit Hajnal Ward is an information professional at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. She holds a doctoral degree in linguistics from the University of Debrecen, Hungary, and a Master’s in Library and Information Science from Rutgers. Her areas of specialization include library and information science. digital libraries, medical communication and informatics. She taught courses in linguistics, foreign languages and medical communication at the University of Debrecen before joining Rutgers as visiting professor of Hungarian Studies. Her research interests include human information behavior, cross-cultural and interdisciplinary research methods, evaluation of information in the electronic environment, and Hungarian Studies in the United States. Currently she is the Director of Information Services of the Center of Alcohol Studies and Adjunct Faculty at the School of Communication and Information. She is also the North American Director of the European Consortium for the Certificate of Attainment in Modern Languages.

Molly Stewart is a part time reference librarian at the Center of Alcohol Studies Library, Rutgers University. Additionally, she works part time as an adult services librarian at Bridgewater Public Library. Prior to completing her MLIS at Rutgers University, she received a BA in Sociology from Douglass College, Rutgers University. During her time at CASL she has participated in several research projects and conference presentations including a longitudinal bibliometric study, profiling researchers, and creating user centered library applications for scholarly research.

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A magyarság keleti eredete és hun kapcsolata

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
A MAGYARSÁG KELETI EREDETE ÉS HUN KAPCSOLATA
[The Magyars: Their Eastern Origin and Hunnic Connection] Budapest, Kairosz Kiadó, 2010 (With English Table of Contents) 462 oldal

Vajon léteznek-e új bizonyítékok, amelyek választ adnának arra hogy helyes irányban kereste-e a magyarok keleti eredetét Kőrösi Csoma Sándor, Szentkatolnai Bálint Gábor és a többi kutató?

A szerző aki már számos írással gazdagította a magyar őstörténet irodalmát, az utóbbi évek során végzett nem publikált helyszíni kutatómunkájának gazdag eredményét hozza most nyilvánosságra. A vizsgált területeket négy nagy folyó szeli át: a Duna, a Kur folyó a Dél-Kaukázusban, a Jenyiszej Ázsia közepén és a Sárga Folyó észak-Kínában, valójában az egész Eurázsia. Elérte az ősi Khorezmet, Szamarkandot, Buharát, az ujgurok lakhelyét Kelet Turkesztánt, Ordos-pusztát és Mongóliát. Tíz különálló szakterületet mutat be, köztük van a
- díszítőművészet a tulipánnal
- öltözködés, néprajz : ködmön és szűr
- tarsolylemezeink
- a népzene Bartók végkövetkeztetésével
- modern genetika
- a magyar és hun lovastemetkezések azonossága.
- az arany vagy ezüstlemezes szemfedök használata.

Az így nyert eredményekből a lelőhelyek térképeit elkészítette, majd a "térkép rétegezés elvét" használva (az átlapoló közös területeket keresve) közelítette meg származásunk legvalószínűbb területét. Új felismerés az, hogy a leletek két csoportja: közülük egyik a részleges lovastemetkezés, mely azonos a hunokéval, és a másik, a magyarokra a baskir (=főfarkas) népelnevezés használata a kínai, arab és perzsa forrásokban bennünket a hunokhoz kötnek (14. és 21. fejezet). Ezek eddig ismeretlen régészeti és írott adatok.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Érdy Miklós független kutató, a korai Közép-Ázsia lovasnomád kultúráival foglalkozik. Keleti tanulmányait jól segitik korábbi iskolái, így kémiai PhD -je a hun bronzüstök vizsgálatánál hasznos, míg fogorvosi doktorátusa, DDS, a koponyák és más csontok kiértékelését segíti. 1990- és 1999-ben a HARVARD Egyetem kétszer hívta meg hogy hun régészeti eredményeiről előadást tartson a Belső-Ázsiai Committee sorozatában. Érdynek harmincon felüli tudományos közleménye van az eurázsiai hunokról két könyve mellett és számos nemzetközi konferencián adott elő (Oroszorszag, US, Kína, Kazahstan, Törökország,Olaszország, Magyarország.) Legutóbb a Mongol Akadémia hívta meg 2005-ben. Régészeti eredményeiből a térkép rétegezés elvét használva keresi a több térképen azonos átlapoló területeket vizsgálva a magyarság őshazájának legvalószínübb térségét.

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The Violinist and the Exiles of 1849: The Case of Ede Reményi

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
In 1849, after the Hungarian military surrender to the combined forces of Russia and Austria, a small group of exiles from Komárom under the leadership of Count Lajos Ujházy arrived in the United States. They were accompanied by a gifted young Hungarian-Jewish violinist named Ede Reményi, who, prior to the surrender at Világos, had been an aide-de-camp to General Görgey. The Americans greeted the exiles with extraordinary warmth as their country’s equivalent of America’s founding fathers. New Yorkers greeted them at the boats, and took them into their homes. As Lajos Kossuth’s representative, Ujházy passionately argued the Hungarian cause to the large throngs that greeted the exiles wherever they went, and he met with President Zachary Taylor in the White House to try to secure Kossuth’s release from detainment in Turkey. Throughout their sojourn, the exiles were aided by Reményi, who raised significant sums of money with a series of high-profile benefit concerts in New York, Philadelphia and elsewhere. The following year, Kossuth was released from detention and journeyed to America. Ujházy and his fellow exiles remained in the US, eventually founding the settlement of New Buda in Decatur County, Iowa. Reményi returned to Europe, where he remained active in the Hungarian resistance, perhaps as a spy.
Ede Reményi has peen poorly treated by history. Once a famous concert violinist, he is now known principally for his discovery of a young Hamburg piano teacher named Johannes Brahms. Reményi’s concert tour with Brahms in 1853 paved the way for Brahms’s subsequent “discovery” by Joseph Joachim, Franz Liszt, and, most famously, by Robert Schumann. Reményi’s relationship with Brahms ended badly, with mutual recriminations. As a result, Brahms’s biographers have almost universally dismissed Reményi as being unreliable, of poor character, and a musical charlatan. But is this a true picture? Some of the most respected Brahms biographers continue to write that Reményi never traveled to the United States in 1849, despite easily obtainable proof to the contrary. Slanders of Reményi’s character have been repeated uncritically for more than a century. Reményi was a colorful, flamboyant figure, an enthusiastic Magyar, who spent his entire life and career promoting Hungarian culture in the most far-flung corners of the world. Through his embrace of Hungarian folk and national music, he can be considered an early example of the “crossover artist.” Who was the real Ede Reményi, and what was his true contribution to the cause of Hungarian nationalism? This paper will attempt to establish some of the facts of his early life.



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Violinist, conductor, and historian Robert Whitehouse Eshbach is an honors graduate of Yale University (BA), where he majored in music history and minored in German literature. He studied violin at the Vienna Conservatory (now the Konservatorium Wien Privatuniversität) with Walter Barylli, concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic and State Opera Orchestras, and earned a Master of Music degree in violin at New England Conservatory, studying with Eric Rosenblith. His recent publications and invited papers have focused on nineteenth-century musicians: Joachim, Brahms, Schumann, Reinecke, and Wilhelmine Norman-Neruda (Lady Hallé). His most recent article, “Joachim’s Youth — Joachim’s Jewishness,” is published in the current (Winter 2011) issue of The Musical Quarterly. Eshbach is an associate professor of music at the University of New Hampshire.

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László Tisza Belonged to the Giants of Physics: Traveler, Researcher, Observer, and Major Contributor to 20th Century Science

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
Most people, when asked to name a few giants of physics of the 20th century, they might name Edward Teller, Robert Oppenheimer, Werner Heisenberg, etc. If they are of Hungarian origin, they might add Eugene Wigner, John von Neuman, Leo Szilard, Theodore von Karman and Albert Szentgyorgyi (who actually was not a physicist). Laszlo Tisza career spanned almost all through the 20th century. He is not only witnessed the developments of physics at close hand and worked with many of the major figures, but he also made significant contributions on his own. As a young man, he grew up in Hungary, when at that time the country was the seat of science, culture and arts, the center of intellectual life. The 20th century was the golden age of physics, covering from the cosmos and the universe, down to the nano world of science and down to the subatomic particles. His travels and his career took him from Hungary to Germany, then back to Hungary, the Soviet Union , again back to Hungary, then to France and finally to the United States. His life reflected the cultural and intellectual life in Europe between the two world wars, the turmoils and the arising conflicts in that continent, which finally resulted in the 2nd World War. His major contributions to physics involved among them, the statistical analysis of thermodynamics, solving the mystery of super fluids and he also did work in the exciting area of quantum physics.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Andrew (András) Fodor, Independent Scholar, “Deep Sea” Consulting Engineer, left Hungary after his participation as a cadet, in the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. He has attended the University of California, Berkley on a WUS scholarship and received his engineering degree from the Polytechnic University of New-York in 1969. He has also received a degree and a certificate in mathematics and telecommunications (computer technology) from Columbia University and from Birbeck College, University of London. During his professional career, he was stationed in London, England as his base, for over 10 years, working in various positions from Principal Engineer to Chief Consultant. He has researched and designed, undersea-deep water structures, offshore oil and gas platforms and sea bed mining all over the world, concentrating on “sub-sea completion systems”, deep-sea seabed arrangements, structures and technologies. After his retirement, he continued to work as a consulting engineer, also he has returned to his basic interest, doing research on the history of science. In the last twenty five years, he has given engineering and history of science lectures at various engineering meetings, AHEA Conferences, a Bolyai Conference and others. His main interests are, the history of the 20th century physics, the history of technology and the new sciences, when art and science converge into one. Also, he is avid photographer and was given honorary mention at several photography exhibitions, during his stay in England. At the present, fulfilling his family’s literary traditions, he is working on a literary book, covering the 1956 revolution and the various seas and oceans around the world, where he has been working during his professional career. Andrew Fodor is a member of ASME, API, and NCIS (National Coalition of Independent Scholars).

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The Chastened to the Unchastened Crowd; Crowd Politics from Kossuth to Orbán

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
Just a couple of years ago the way you knew it was a holiday (like March 15) was the streets were empty. Families were afraid to take their children to potential violent events. This January the opposition brought out a huge crowd to protest the new Constitution and a few weeks later an even larger crowd collected to show their support for Viktor Orban. This paper will place the role of crowd politics (oppositional crowds as well as state-sponsored and official festivities) in its historical context from the 1848 revolution,through 1956 and 1989.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Alice Freifeld received her PhD (1992), M.A. and B.A. from University of California, Berkeley. She joined the University of Florida in 1994 after teaching at Wheaton College, University of New Hampshire-Durham, University of Connecticut-Storrs, University of Nebraska, and Transylvania University, Lexington, KY. Professor Freifeld has published Nationalism and the Crowd in Liberal Hungary, 1848-1914 (2000), which won the Barbara Jelavich Book Prize in 2001. She also coedited East Europe Reads Nietzsche with Peter Bergmann and Bernice Rosenthal (1998). She has published numerous articles and is currently working on a manuscript entitled Displaced Hungarian Jewry, 1945-48.

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"How Many Roads Must a Man Walk Down?" - Individual Lives Examined Through the Lens of Economic and Political Transitions in Hungary in the 20th Century

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
Based on the study of Virág Rab, I further examine the economic and political transitions of Hungary during the 20th century through the viewpoint of the individual. In my study, I would like to present the effects of political and economic transitions on the lives of the individuals, with specific focus on the problems of starting a life over again.
Through the lives if István Bibó (1911-1979) a prominent Hungarian politician and internationally recognized political theorist, Béla Király (1912-2009), a chief colonel and politician well-known in the USA, and finally, through the turns of the life of a common man, I will examine the impact of such large scale tranitions on the lives of contemporary individuals.



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Marianna Gergely studied History and English Linguistics and Literature at the University of Pécs, Hungary and graduated in 2012. The title of her thesis was: "Brussels' Therapy: Attempting to Evict the Financial Traumas of the First World War" (2011). She had also attained first place in the foremost Hungarian inter-university competition on modern history (OTDK) with this research. Her current research still focuses on economic history of modern Europe and Hungary.

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Hungarian Borders and Hungarian Minorities after the Collapse of the Cold War and Joining the European Union

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
This presentation will investigate the Hungarian Minority question after the end of the Cold War (1989 -), during the15 years before and after Hungary joined the European Union. Emphasis will be on comparing the different policies of the governing parties, like the Democratic Forum (lead by Jozsef Antal), the Socialist Government (Laszlo Kovacs), and the FIDESZ-People’s Party (Victor Orban). The various political parties’ views on the Status law, the Dual Nationality, and other minority policies will also be analyzed.
The presentation will examine the different policies of each party toward the Hungarian Minority outside the borders (határontuli kisebbség), and their social status, issues of education and political participation.
Though these investigations, the author would like to consider how co-existence and collaborations of nations and minorities inside the European Union is possible, and how is it possible to improve the situation of minorities under the EU regime, and if it is possible, comparing the desperate Balkan situation with Central European Situation.

Full paper at
http://ahea.net/sitefiles/2012.conf/haba.paper.pdf



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Kumiko Haba, Professor, PhD(International Relations), currently at Harvard University's WCFIA (Weatherhead Center for International Affairs) Cambridge, MA. Specialty: EU Enlargement, Cold War, Nationalism, Asian Regional Cooperation and the US Role. Professor of Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo, Japan SIPEC (School of International Politics, Economics and Communications). Member of Japanese Academy; SCJ (Science Council of Japan); Vice Chair of CEAC (Council of East Asian Community); Vice President of ISAC (International Society for Asian Community); Jean Monnet Chair of the EU (European Union); Directorate of JPSA (Japan Political Studies Association) EUSAJ (European Union Studies Association in Japan). JSSEES (Japanese Society for Slavic & East European Studies); JAREES (Japan
Association of Russia & East European Studies).

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Hungarian Borders and Hungarian Minorities after the Collapse of the Cold War and Joining the European Union

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
This presentation will investigate the Hungarian Minority question after the end of the Cold War (1989 -), during the15 years before and after Hungary joined the European Union. Emphasis will be on comparing the different policies of the governing parties, like the Democratic Forum (lead by Jozsef Antal), the Socialist Government (Laszlo Kovacs), and the FIDESZ-People’s Party (Victor Orban). The various political parties’ views on the Status law, the Dual Nationality, and other minority policies will also be analyzed.
The presentation will examine the different policies of each party toward the Hungarian Minority outside the borders (határontuli kisebbség), and their social status, issues of education and political participation.
Though these investigations, the author would like to consider how co-existence and collaborations of nations and minorities inside the European Union is possible, and how is it possible to improve the situation of minorities under the EU regime, and if it is possible, comparing the desperate Balkan situation with Central European Situation.



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Kumiko Haba, Professor, PhD(International Relations), currently at Harvard University's WCFIA (Weatherhead Center for International Affairs) Cambridge, MA. Specialty: EU Enlargement, Cold War, Nationalism, Asian Regional Cooperation and the US Role. Professor of Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo, Japan SIPEC (School of International Politics, Economics and Communications). Member of Japanese Academy; SCJ (Science Council of Japan); Vice Chair of CEAC (Council of East Asian Community); Vice President of ISAC (International Society for Asian Community); Jean Monnet Chair of the EU (European Union); Directorate of JPSA (Japan Political Studies Association) EUSAJ (European Union Studies Association in Japan). JSSEES (Japanese Society for Slavic & East European Studies); JAREES (Japan
Association of Russia & East European Studies).

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The Unknown Tibor Eckhardt: Politician, Statesman, Cold War Intelligence Operative

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
The complex life and activities of Tibor Eckhardt have been a subject of my research and publication for over a decade. My book on the American years of Tibor Eckhardt published in 2009 will in 2013 be followed by an expanded biography of Eckhardt's American and Hungarian years as well as a recounting of his activities and collaboration with American intelligence during the height of the Cold War. This presentation will introduce the unknown side of Eckhardt's activities developed from archival material classified until recently.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Katalin Kádár Lynn is a senior researcher at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest and an independent scholar based in Budapest and California. Her principal area of research is WWII and the Cold War with an emphasis on Central and East European exile leaders, their organizations and activities.

She earned a PhD from ELTE BTK in 20th Century Hungarian history and a Masters in Liberal Arts from Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Her undergraduate degree was earned at the University of Colorado.

Kádár Lynn is the biographer of the Hungarian political figure Tibor Eckhardt. Her book on Eckhardt, Tibor Eckhardt: His American Years 1941-1972 was published in the US (East European Monographs) and in Hungary (L'Harmattan Press). She edited and published Eckhardt's memoir Tibor Eckhardt: In His Own Words in English and in Hungarian. Her most recent book in collaboration with Hungarian historians Károly Szerencsés and Péter Strausz is titled Through an American Lens, Hungary 1938: Photographs by Margaret Bourke-White (English edition: East European Monographs 2010 - Hungarian edition, L'Harmattan Press 2009).

She is the editor of an upcoming compendium of essays on the history of the National Committee for a Free Europe, The Inauguration of Organized Political Warfare: Cold War Organizations Sponsored by the National Committee for a Free Europe which will include her essays on the history of the Hungarian National Council and the NCFE as well as contributions from scholars worldwide. She is currently researching and writing an expanded biography of Tibor Eckhardt, which will encompass his Hungarian years and his wartime and Cold War intelligence activities. The expected date of publication of both books is late 2012, early 2013.

In March of 2011, she was awarded the Gold Cross of Merit (Arany Érdemkereszt) of the Hungarian Republic by President Pál Schmitt.

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The Anatomy of a Humanitiarian Miracle [The Case of the 1956 Refugees]

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
The paper presents a synthesis based on source material from the archives of the United Nations Secretariat (New York), the European Office of the UN (Geneva) and the UN High Comissioner for Refugees (Geneva), as well as from NATO, International Red Cross Committee and French foreign ministry archives (Brussels, Geneva and La Courneuve, respectively).
Following the end of the 1956 revolution, which had been violently put down by the Soviet Union, a wave of Hungarian refugees appeared, whose accommodation and integration was aided by an international aid initiative, which together form an important chapter in the history of international migration. These refugees received far more favourable treatment than earlier Hungarian expatriates or other European refugees had. The mass of refugees, totalling 200.000 persons and thus constituting a significant group even in a broad, European perspective meant that their successful transportation to host countries and their subsequent integration represented an exceptional success for international aid efforts. This success merits investigation especially in light of the fact that the institutions dealing with refugees had to face chronic shortages of funding.
How can their efficiency be explained? The humanitarian sentiment motivated by the memory of the 2nd World War and the resulting clarification and strengthening of refugee rights contributed to it just as much as did the support of the highly sympathetic West European societies. Also, the highly advantageous composition of the refugees in terms of labour market skills and competitiveness coincided favourably with the era of the „wonder years” in West European economic history. The most important component, however, was the political will of NATO governments, which – in part as a result of the ideological confrontation with the Soviets – ensured continued attention and support for the problem of the Hungarian refugees even once the waves of popular sympathy had receded in the host societies.





Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
DEGREES: 2003 - PhD degree at the University of Pécs (Hungary) (Hungary and Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries, 1996-1998). The topic of the thesis is French Diplomacy and the 1956 Hungarian Revolution (summa cum laude). 2003 Doctoral degree at the University of Paris III, Sorbonne (History of international relations). The subject of the thesis is the same as above (Très honorable avec félicitations du jury à l’unanimité). 1993 Diploma in History and Hungarian Language and Literature, University of Szeged.
CURRENT POSITION: Senior research fellow, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of History.
AREAS OF RESEARCH AND INTEREST: International relations after World War II; History of international organizations, especially relations between United Nations and Hungary; International migration, Hungarian refugees of 1956; History of French diplomacy after World War II.

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Inside Borders - Jewish Settlement in Banned Cities: Jewish Immigration in Debrecen in the Periods between 1790-1870

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
Most of the free royal cities and all mining cities of Hungary banned Jewish in-settlement by 1840. Nevertheless, we are first focusing our attention to the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, because in effect the roughly 50 years preceding the settlement permits for the inner areas of the indicated cities saw several waves of Jewish immigration in Hungary and it was the first important stage of mutual acculturation of the above-mentioned urban societies and Jewish communities. It was a period of time that is essential for the understanding of urban settlement, the subsequent integration and the controversial processes of assimilation/dissimilation and intra-urban spatial segregation.

The closing date of our study falls on the year of 1870 because my intent was to do an extensive survey of space and society structures relying on the data of the poll taken in that year, or to be more precise on the basis of the analytic sources of the Geoinformatic Social History Database of Debrecen (GISHDD) created by the digital processing of the manuscript maps and the statistical sheets of the age in Debrecen.

The present lecture also examines the fundamental legal, economic and social contexts of the immigration process and draws a comprehensive picture of the specific chronological segmentation and the various aspects of the settlement process in the environs of cities starting from the 1790’s and in the inhabited inner urban areas after 1840.
The second part of the lecture is devoted to the presentation of the spatial patters of Jewish settlement in Debrecen according to the following points of views:
• Initial steps of settlement, moving in the settlements in the vicinity of the city (-1840);
• Aspects and waves of settling to cities (1840-1867);
• Housing conditions and residence segregation, neighbourhood relations, rented and owned family homes, family structure and residence patterns of Jewish families (1869/70);
• The spatial layout of the established Jewish ritual and community institutions (1840-1870).
• Comparison of Debrecen Jewish settlement case to the others in Hungarian banned cities (urban in-settlements types in Hungary)

Apart from the comparative summary of the various research conclusions, the closing part of the final section of the lecture strives to raise and reconsider the research methodology issues of integration, acculturation and urban residence segregation on the basis of the study based on the findings and resources of the Geoinformatic Social History Database of Debrecen (GISHDD).
Research results provide a way to rethink the interpretations of the birth of modern Hungarian Nation, acculturation/integration, inside borders, segregation or/and cooperation of communities creating Hungarian Nation inside or outside of the National State.



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
János Mazsu is Professor of Social and Economic History at Debrecen University (Faculty of Economics and Business Administration), Debrecen, Hungary. He is an expert in Social and Intellectual History, he served as Ránki György Chair (Indiana University) and has been active in the Jean Monnet program. Selected publications: "The Social History of the Hungarian Intelligentsia, 1825–1914". Atlantic Research and Publications, Boulder. Atlantic Studies on Society in Change 89. New York, Columbia University Press, 1997. 292.p. G. Szabó-Módi-Mazsu. "Debrecen, a cívis város" (Debrecen, the civis city). Hungarian, English, German). Budapest, 2003. 320.p. "A jó polgár" (The good citizen) with Setényi János. Debrecen, 1996. "Iparosodás és modernizáció"(Industrializations and modernization) ed. and co-author, Debrecen, 1991.

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The U.S. Higher Education Community's Response to October 1956: the Emergency Program to Aid Hungarian Students in the U.S., 1956-1958

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
The October 1956 Revolution in Hungary created a wave of émigrés in the Hungarian global diaspora. Of the more than 80,000 who arrived in the U.S., approximately 2,000 were university students. The U.S. academic community was sympathetic to their plight and concerned with their welfare. University leadership, faculty, and students were anxious to assist these students not only with humanitarian aid, but to use their position within universities assist the Hungarian students to continue their education. My paper will explore this response, and elaborate on the efforts of U.S. higher education institutions, national academic organizations, and scholarship agencies to aid the Hungarian university students who found themselves at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. The paper will discuss the collection and distribution of scholarship funds, efforts to negotiate admission into U.S. universities, and the creation of support networks and counseling services for these students’ unique needs.

The long-term impact of this assistance was great, as many of these students later became active members of U.S. academia. These efforts were not solely a humanitarian matter, but also a question of preserving and advancing the intellectual knowledge and skills that the Hungarians brought with them. This is significant, as ultimately the presence of Hungarian refugee scholars and students added a cultural richness and wealth of human talent to U.S. higher education institutions. The paper will also discuss efforts to document and preserve the impact of these scholars on U.S. higher education and scholarship.



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Christopher Medalis is the Director of Global Scholarship Programs at the Institute of International Education (IIE) In New York. From 1998 to 2007 he was Director of IIE’s European Headquarters in Budapest. He holds a PhD from Columbia University’s Department of History (2009), where his dissertation focused on the role of the Fulbright Program in higher education transformation in Hungary. He also holds a MA in History (Columbia 1993) and a BA in International Relations (George Washington University, 1989). His research focuses on the cultural and political relationship between the United States and Hungary throughout the 20th century through the mechanisms of educational exchanges.

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Exiled Hungarians in Argentina: The Formation of a Community

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Abstract (max. 250 words):
This paper presents the cultural activism of a group of Hungarian émigrés who fled their homeland following Soviet occupation at the end of World War II and arrived in Argentina around 1948. It deals with the intellectual activity of these exiles, especially through their cultural and educational institutions. Within five years of their arrival as dispossessed “D.P.’s,” they founded a Hungarian Center (“Centro Húngaro”) that housed, among others, a theater group, a free university, a cultural and scientific academy, a weekend school, and scout troops. At the same time, new periodicals appeared, and a substantive number of books banned in Hungary were published. I argue that it is due to the work of these institutions that the community flourished and is vital to date, in spite of its isolation and lack of reinforcement through new emigrant waves, of its hostile relationship with the government of the People’s Republic of Hungary, and of a series of Argentine economic crises that forced many of its members to re-emigrate.
I also discuss the impact the exiles had on their descendants, contending that as a result of the strong cultural foundations laid by them during their first twenty years of emigration, third- and fourth-generation Hungarian-Argentines have maintained to this day a strong cultural and ethnic identity, while fully integrating into Argentine society at large.



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Judith Kesserű Némethy is Clinical Professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese of New York University. She holds a Ph.D. in History (Hispanic Studies) from the University of Szeged. She is President and Program Committee member of AHEA, Executive Committee member of the Hungarian Scout Association in Exteris, and administrator of scholarship applications to the Balassi Institute's Hungarian Language and Cultural Studies program for students of Hungarian descent.

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“Hungary Exposed”: Hungarian Surveillance, Pan-Slavism, and the American Front of Identity Politics, 1902-1903

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Abstract (max. 250 words):
Emigration to the United States opened a new front for identity politics of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The years 1902-1903 are an illuminating moment in the decades-long debate in the New World between multiethnic cooperation and increasing separatism. After the turn of the century, Hungarian government officials and leaders of minority nationality communities in the United States became embroiled in a new round of church politics and an accompanying press war to influence national feeling. The Hungarian Ministry of Religion and Instruction, citing the threat of Greek Orthodox propaganda leading Roman Catholics astray and the disorder wrought by “pan-Slav sympathizing priests,” took a renewed interest in overseeing the spiritual and political welfare of Catholic emigrants from the Kingdom of Hungary. In response, a group of Slovak and Ruthenian priests published the pamphlet “Hungary Exposed,” in which they identified themselves as the oppressed “Irish of Hungary” and revealed the government’s “secret” plan to use espionage against them. Using the pamphlet and relevant documents from the Hungarian National Archives (MOL) and the American press, this paper will explore the different arguments of Hungarian authorities and Slovak-American leaders in advancing their interests and courting immigrant and American public opinion. Furthermore, it will discuss the unique conditions of the United States as venue in Austro-Hungarian minority relations.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Kristina Poznan is a Ph.D. candidate in History at The College of William and Mary in Virginia, specializing in the transnational history of the United States and Central & Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She earned her M.A. from W&M in 2011 and a B.A. from Vassar College in History and Education in 2008. Her dissertation will explore cooperation and conflict between different ethnic groups from the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the United States and the continuing role of the Hungarian government in emigrants’ lives abroad. During the 2009-2010 academic year, she was the Fulbright Visiting Lecturer in English Studies at Károli Gáspár Református Egytem in Budapest.

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Commemorating János Bolyai, the World-Famous Hungarian Mathematician

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Abstract (max. 250 words):
János Bolyai (1802-1860) was the man who put Hungary on the map of international science. By the discovery of Non-Euclidean geometry he changed the course of mathematics, made possible the formulation of the modern physical theories of the 20th century, changed our way of thinking and had an impact on the universal human culture. He is also the greatest figure in Hungarian science. He first reported about the discovery in a letter written on November 3rd to his father, Farkas Bolyai: “Out of nothing I have created a new, different world”. Two years ago was the 150th anniversary of his death and we commemorated it by an international conference held in Budapest and Marosvásárhely between August 30-September 4. At the same time there was a pilgrimage to the grave of this great man, who, in his life, received no recognition at all, even though he was aware of the significance of his scientific discovery. The purpose of this lecture is to pay tribute to him abroad as well, and present to a wide audience, in an easily understandable way, a brief summary of his life and scientific achievements.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
András Prékopa graduated from the the University of Debrecen in mathematics, physics and received PhD from Eötvös University (1960). He was assistant and later associate professor at the Department of Probability Theory of the Eötvös University, until 1968. Between 1968-83 he was full professor of mathematics at the Technical University of Budapest. In 1983 he returned to the Eötvös Univesity, and became the founder, professor and first chairman of the Department of Operations Research (OR). Since 1985 he has been distinguished professor of OR, statistics and mathematics at Rutgers University. He published more than a dozen books about 350 papers and supervised 52 PhD students. He is full member of the HAS, member and honorary president of several academies and scientific societies. He is recipient of the Széchenyi Prize (1996), the Middle Cross of the Republic of Hungary (2005) and the Gold Medal of the European OR Societies, a major international distinction (2003).

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Political and Economic Transitions in Hungary in the 20th Century

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Abstract (max. 250 words):
In the course of the 20th century there were six political transitions in Hungary, three immediately after WWI (October, 1918, March, 1919, August, 1919). These were followed by an extreme right turn in 1944, and then a democratic transition took place in 1945. The communist dictatorship started in 1948, with the fusion of the two left-wing parties. The 1956 revolution started a new era within the communist dictatorship; however, structural changes were only realized in 1989, when after 40 years the communist system collapsed. Political changes must, after a certain time, be followed by economic and social changes. However, in most cases Hungary lacked these changes, due to the rather frequent transitions. This was the same in the case of the relatively longer political eras, like the Bethlen-era or the Kádár-era, as well, which were both interrupted by serious economical crises, the Great Depression and the Oil Crisis, respectively. In this presentation I would like to present the effects of the frequent political changes on Hungarian economy, bearing in mind the fact that more than 20 years have passed since 1989, and the complete economic and social transition have not yet been realized.



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Virág Rab is an assistant professor at the University of Pécs, Hungary. She holds a PhD in History. The title of her doctoral dissertation was: "Diagnoses and Therapies: Financial Experts’ Ideas to Solve the Post-war International Financial Problems, 1919-1920".(2007). She has been involved in both teaching activities and research at the Department of contemporary History. Her courses include lectures on political and economic history of 20th century Hungary and Central-Europe. Her current research focuses on Hungarian economy from a global perspective.

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Problems and Prospects of the 2012 Electoral Law and Dual Citizenship in Hungary

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
The Fidesz-KDNP right-of-center coalition won a two-third majority in Parliament in 2010. Prime Minister Victor Orban's government immediately began the "reorganization" of the country starting with constitutional replacement. This includes shrinking Parliament to half-size, re-legislating the electoral system and extending citizenship to Hungarians abroad, creating dual citizenship status cum voting rights. The measures appeal to nationalist emotions and also may influence the outcomes of future elections. This novel approach to minority problems, however raises serious questions: The legislation affects the sovereignty of surrounding countries and was undertaken without diplomatic negotiations and agreements, creating legal vacuums both in public and private law relationships. The extension of voting rights in foreign countries upsets regional stability and appears to be contradictory to European Union principles. This is a policy of confrontation instead of reconciliation and may be perceived as "irredentist" rejection of European borders. The actions of the Hungarian government may satisfy (un)realistic aspirations but may also weaken both the minorities' prospects and the positive inter-state relations in the Carpathian basin.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Dr. Juris, Budapest
PhD. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

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Deportation of the Hungarian Minority from Czechoslovakia to Hungary

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Abstract (max. 250 words):
Under the leadership of President Eduard Beneš of Czechoslovakia on February 27, 1946 a “Czechoslovak-Hungarian Population Exchange Agreement” was proposed and was reluctantly signed by the Hungarian Government whereby Slovaks from Hungary would voluntarily relocate to Slovakia but Hungarians from Slovakia would forcefully be deported to Hungary. The agreement demanded to cleanse Slovakia from Hungarian minorities. Slovakia was striving to become a monolingual national state. About 200,000 Hungarians from Slovakia, aka Felvidék were targeted to be deported. The civil rights of law-abiding Hungarians citizens were severely abused. Atrocities and crimes were committed under the pressure of nationalistic political decisions. The forced deportation committed against Hungarians was a tribulation that defines the suffering of human dignity. 71,787 Slovaks voluntarily left Hungary while 86,616 Hungarians were forcefully taken away in army trucks or freight wagons to be relocated from Slovakia to Hungary. The deportation came to a final halt on June 1, 1949.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Elizabeth Molnár Rajec retired from City College of the City University of New York as Professor Emerita in 1996, after a long career of Academic Librarian and professor. The latest among her many publications is "Climbing Out From Under the Shadow", New York, 2010.

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The Emigration Policy of the Kádár Regime

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Abstract (max. 250 words):
Although emigration from Hungary has a long and sorrowful past, it was from the years around the beginning of the 20th century that the number of those leaving Hungary were of such magnitude that various Hungarian governments acted to form policy and instigate programs designed to both assuage the problem and also to encourage the return of Hungarian (e)migrants. Later, during and immediately after World War II Hungary was to again lose a part of her population nearing the number and quality of the previous migration to North America. It was in the wake of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and in the months to follow that approximately 200 000 Hungarians fled their homeland. Although the official propaganda of the Kádár regime was that the majority of the refugees were young people, misled by imperialist or “fascist” propaganda and for whose return the homeland waited with open arms, the regime did not, in fact, do everything possible to encourage their return. Indeed, ensuing policies often did more to hinder the return of Hungarian refugees than those of the previous stalinist Rákosi regime. Between 1956 and 1989 the Hungarian Socialist Workers’ Party instituted a number of policies and set up several organizations which, working within the framework of various foreign and internal Hungarian state bodies, and with not an insignificant amount of state financing, were designed to bring back to Hungary “desirables”, (i.e. those whose return would serve the interest of the regime, including those who left earlier than 1956), to hinder the return of “non-desirables”, and at the same time hamper the activities of emigré communities deemed to be unfriendly to the regime.



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Returning as an adult to the land her father left in 1956, Juliet Szabó spent a brief interval in the Hungarian civil sphere, and then a much longer time in Hungarian state administration working mainly with European Union legal harmonization matters. Several years ago she began the Ph.D. program at the Eötvös Loránd University researching the policy of the post-1956 Hungarian government towards its emigré community. Although her research concentrates on policy introduced by the Kádár regime, it also touches on emigré policy by Hungary towards its (e)migrant community throughout the 20th century as well as provides an overview on similar policy by other former Soviet satellite countries towards their respective emigré communities. She divides her time between Budapest and the Hungarian countryside where she has a peasant home.

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Deportations in Hungary During the Rákosi Dictatorship

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
After the Soviet occupation of Hungary in 1945, in 1948 the communist takeover was complete in Hungary and the Rákosi dictatorship (1948-1956) followed. Stalin demanded faster sovietization of the satellite countries. Deportation was a form of persecution of ”class enemies” and their families. Mass deportations to forced labor camps in Hortobágy and 137 villages in Eastern Hungary took place between 1949-1953. Different forms of deportations were used with the same objective: to ruin and liquidate class enemies from the elderly to young children. After Stalin’s death in 1953 Prime Minister Imre Nagy released the deportees with certain restrictions. Surveillance and discrimination continued.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Kinga Széchenyi, educator, writer, and sculptor graduated from Loránd Eötvös University, Budapest in 1970. Then taught at Toldy Ferenc Secondary Grammer School, and later became a teacher trainer for Loránd Eötvös University. Translates English and American literary works and psychology publications. Researched the deportations of the Rákosi dictatorship and published a book on the topic: Stigmatized (Megbélyegzettek, Kráter Kiadó, Pomáz, 2008.) She studied sculpturing at Dési-Huber Art School, Budapest, makes plaquettes and statuettes. Her János Bolyai and Gyula Farkas plaquettes are awards for mathematicians at international conferences. Her large János Bolyai plaquette is on a memorial tablet in Marosvásárhely, Transylvania. She received the Silver Order of Merit of the Hungarian Republic for her achievements in education in 1998.

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Erasing Borders: The Reacquaintance of Trianon and Felvidék Hungarians

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Abstract (max. 250 words):
This paper explores the reconnection of Hungarians in Felvidék and Hungary proper after the expansion of Hungary’s northern border in November 1938. During the previous twenty years of Czechoslovak rule, contact between Hungarians living within the Trianon borders and those in Felvidék had been curtailed and regional distinctions became more pronounced during the separation. The minority experience and exposure to democratic processes in Felvidék had transformed the area’s Hungarian residents in the eyes of many. The two sides became reacquainted first through extensive press coverage of the Grand Re-Entry of the Hungarian Army as both groups celebrated the first major triumph of Hungarian revisionism. A stream of civil service migration into Felvidék followed shortly thereafter, along with a smaller flow of leading Felvidék politicians to represent the region in Budapest. Later, tourism opportunities arose for average citizens to visit sites in the redeemed territory as travel restrictions in and out of Felvidék gradually eased. This paper examines these encounters, the two sides’ mutual suspicions, and the attempts to overcome them. It reveals that despite widespread support for the re-annexation both in Hungary proper and Felvidék, practical concerns abounded and solutions were difficult to achieve.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Leslie Waters is a PhD Candidate in History at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her dissertation, “Resurrecting the Nation: Felvidék and the Hungarian Territorial Revisionist Project, 1938-1946,” explores contested political, ethnic, linguistic, and national loyalties in southern Slovakia during the period of Hungarian rule following the First Vienna Award. Leslie was a Fulbright Scholar to Hungary in 2009-2010 and is currently a visiting instructor in European Studies at The College of William and Mary.

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