Past Abstracts
1,037 abstracts found
Online Political Radicalism in Hungary
Cultural Studies/ArtsThe special role of the media in the political developmentof the national-radical scene in Hungary in the last decade is that it does not simply “reflect” an already existing political group but it actually constitutes this group. Similarly to the phenomena of the exchange between classical and online contents as well as elements of style which have created a new media, the self-relying political presence of the online media and its fusion withmainstream politics have created a kind of new politics. This fact doesn't simply result an interaction between mainstream politics and the online media, but also results in the emergence of parallel political realities: the online media on the one hand and the mainstream political system on the other hand. A closer insight may highlight the following aspects of this process: 1. the overall political importance of the media presence of the national-radical scene has proved to be more significant than its direct political representation; 2. moreover its direct political representation is already an outcome of its previous online emergence; 3. this particular political development the national-radical scene has achieved in the online media seems to be more lasting than its success in the mainstream forms of political representation; 4 this newly emerged political scene has proved to be competitive to the mainstream politics itself in its influence upon the overall political development of the country.
Only 10% of Hungarian-Americans speak Hungarian at home. Why?
Education/Social SciencesOf more than a million Americans who listed Hungarian ancestry in their census questionnaires, only about 8% speak Hungarian in the family. In Ohio, that ratio is about 10%, and in Cleveland, about 11%. Why? What are the factors that allow some second and even third generation Hungarian-Americans to maintain their Hungarian language despite these overwhelming odds? Nine in-depth interviews were conducted with a variety of second and third generation members of Cleveland’s Hungarian community, most of whom were born in the Cleveland area and all of whom grew up in Cleveland’s Hungarian community, to ascertain the factors impacting their language use in the family and in the community, as well as to analyze the formation of their cultural identities. Using their own insights garnered from the interviews, the presentation will show the importance of consistent parenting and peer friendships, and illuminate the role that involvement in scouting and other community events can play. It will show the value the interviewees placed on speaking a second language, as well as the importance of strictness. The presentation will also share linguistic insights, reasons for assimilation, and the role of American spouses. Odds are that 89-92% of those with Hungarian ancestry will assimilate into American culture. These case studies, examples of Cleveland Hungarians who maintain their language and culture even late into the 2nd and 3rd generations, will show how to beat those odds. By preserving the past of their parents and grandparents, these interviewees show how to find a way to the future.
Only 6% of Hungarian-Americans speak Hungarian at home. Why?
Education/Social SciencesOf more than a million and a half Americans who listed Hungarian ancestry in their census questionnaires in 2010, only about 6% speak Hungarian at home. Why? What are the factors that allow Hungarian-Americans to maintain their Hungarian language despite these overwhelming odds? Nine in-depth interviews were conducted with a variety of second and third generation members of Cleveland’s Hungarian community, most of whom were born in the Cleveland area and all of whom grew up in Cleveland’s Hungarian community, to ascertain the factors impacting their language use in the family and in the community, as well as to analyze the formation of their cultural identities. Using their own insights garnered from the interviews, the presentation will show the importance of consistent parenting and peer friendships, and illuminate the role that involvement in scouting and other community events can play. It will show the value the interviewees placed on speaking a second language, as well as the importance of strictness. The presentation will also share linguistic insights, reasons for assimilation, and the role of American spouses. Odds are that 94% of those with Hungarian ancestry will assimilate into American culture. These case studies, examples of Cleveland Hungarians who maintain their language and culture even late into the 2nd and 3rd generations, will show how to beat those odds. Every generation confronts a turning point in its history, whether to assimilate or to preserve language and culture, and these factors are as valid now as they were for previous immigrant generations.
Opening the Door for Refugees: The Decision to Accept 56ers in Switzerland, Israel, Canada, and the US
History/Political ScienceThe nearly 200,000 refugees who streamed across the border after the failed revolution found new homes in many countries around the world. The US and Canada accepted the largest number in absolute terms, and Switzerland and Canada the most in relation to their population. By a calculation in summer 1957, Canada and Switzerland had each admitted 214 refugees per 100,000 population, and Israel 111. When calculated by refugees per $100 million national income, the corresponding figures were 215 for Israel, 196 for Switzerland, and 158 for Canada. The same ratio for the 34,000 US admissions at that date were 22 and 10, respectively. But the US was the biggest financial contributor: $71 million to ICEM, the Red Cross, and the Austrian government. The reasons behind these countries’ disproportionate representation will be the focus of my paper.
Operation Mercy – Hungarian Refugee Resettlement Mission: Not Impossible
History/Political ScienceWhat lessons can be learnt from the refugee crisis of the Cold War, following the infamous crushing of the 1956 Hungarian revolution and freedom fight by Soviet tanks? According to various sources, nearly 200,000 refugees fled Hungary to the West through Austria and Yugoslavia, for various reasons and different motivations. For the two neighboring countries – and the members of the United Nations –, the mission seemed almost impossible: provide temporary shelter/food, make interviews, process, register and resettle the masses of desperate refugees who crossed the borders illegally during that late-autumn and winter of 1956-57.
Despite the existing strict immigration quotas and the Refugee Relief Act of 1953, the United States received some 40,000 refugees until 1959. How was it possible? A series of legal, political, military and humanitarian steps were taken, decisions made, and UN Security Council Resolutions adopted – but not enforced - in order to fulfill this mission. Although there was no war officially declared, yet the scene was a former military camp used for embarkation and processing of US troops during WWII at Camp Kilmer, NJ; and the main characters were military personnel such as (retired) colonels, and reservist soldiers apart from c. 2,000 volunteers and 31,225 refugees who were all processed, interviewed and registered at the Army base, turned into a Reception Center. Contributions to the success both on a local and national level included, but not exclusively, financial and in-kind donations, job offers, even punch-card Remington Rand computers from IBM, while others served as sponsors, interpreters, typists, language teachers, and priests.
Despite the existing strict immigration quotas and the Refugee Relief Act of 1953, the United States received some 40,000 refugees until 1959. How was it possible? A series of legal, political, military and humanitarian steps were taken, decisions made, and UN Security Council Resolutions adopted – but not enforced - in order to fulfill this mission. Although there was no war officially declared, yet the scene was a former military camp used for embarkation and processing of US troops during WWII at Camp Kilmer, NJ; and the main characters were military personnel such as (retired) colonels, and reservist soldiers apart from c. 2,000 volunteers and 31,225 refugees who were all processed, interviewed and registered at the Army base, turned into a Reception Center. Contributions to the success both on a local and national level included, but not exclusively, financial and in-kind donations, job offers, even punch-card Remington Rand computers from IBM, while others served as sponsors, interpreters, typists, language teachers, and priests.
Optimizing the Lecture in Medical Education: Lecturing at the University of Pécs Medical School and Lessons for Hungarian and US Teachers Based on Medical Student Feedback
Education/Social SciencesThe University of Pécs Medical School includes an English language MD program (Hungary's oldest, established in 1984) and features 3,600 students from 66 countries study at the medical school. As with medical schools in the United States, Hungarian instructors are grappling with the best methods for encouraging student engagement, promoting retention of material, generating interest in their area of curricular study, and encouraging critical analysis (as well as the application of problem solving to other medical fields). Understanding the expectations and biases of current medical students (including Hungarian and international students studying in Hungary) can help assist instructors in designing course materials, aligning instructor efforts with student expectations, and creating a more robust learning environment.
The overlap in medical education goals in the Hungarian diaspora in America, all current American students and all current students in the Hungarian education system are surprisingly great, especially when one considers the commonalities of healthcare curriculum and the universality of health not knowing borders or races. Additionally, the expectations of students in medical studies may not be vastly different from students in other realms of study; the common goals of mastering core material and career development are not unique to a particular discipline.
The results of a student survey conducted in early 2018 at the University of Pécs medical school will be presented. Additionally, a brief summary of lessons learned from teaching at Pécs in 2017 and resulting suggestions regarding enhancing lectures will be added.
The overlap in medical education goals in the Hungarian diaspora in America, all current American students and all current students in the Hungarian education system are surprisingly great, especially when one considers the commonalities of healthcare curriculum and the universality of health not knowing borders or races. Additionally, the expectations of students in medical studies may not be vastly different from students in other realms of study; the common goals of mastering core material and career development are not unique to a particular discipline.
The results of a student survey conducted in early 2018 at the University of Pécs medical school will be presented. Additionally, a brief summary of lessons learned from teaching at Pécs in 2017 and resulting suggestions regarding enhancing lectures will be added.
Orthography Without Borders
Language/LiteratureOrthography, the pillar of the uniformity in the written language, plays a special role in Hungarian culture. Its popularity is marked by the fact that competitions are organized throughout the Carpathian Basin at primary, secondary and higher education levels. In this presentation, we will highlight the values of the three-stage Simonyi orthographic competition, which involves primary schools. Besides nurturing talent and building professional relationships, our mission is to foster a love of the Hungarian language and promote the importance of Hungarian language culture. Tens of thousands of 5th-8th graders, i.e. 10-14-year-old students, from Hungary and ethnic Hungarian children from Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine have participated in this competition since it was first held 27 years ago. The competition has been online for four years. The digital platform was developed by a research group at the Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary. The digital framework offers the opportunity to store the results in a database for each competition year. This growing corpus of student responses allows us to analyse the data from a special perspective, i.e. first language pedagogy. Also, we can explore changes in language use through a longitudinal analysis of the results. In our presentation, we focus on the differences between the results of students living in Slovakia, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine, and the results of participants living in Hungary. We examine which types of exercises pose the most problems for the schoolchildren and investigate the effects of a multilingual environment on the students' responses.
Otilia Kozmutza Bölöni
Language/LiteratureThe books of the French or Magyar author, of Romanian origins, Otilia Marchişiu (born 1873 in Homorod, Satu-Mare, deceased 1951 in Hungary), an intimate friend of great personalities of European culture- Anatole France, Auguste Rodin, Constantin Brâncuși, the Hungarian poet, Ady Endre- appear as a coronation of special spiritual efforts, materialized in works of reference for the history of the feminist movement. The relationship with the great sculpture, Auguste Rodin, constitutes a special chapter in Otilia Marchişiu-Bölöni’s biography and that of her husband’s. The Bölöni’s are going to be dear guests in the workshop and dwelling of the sculptor in Meudon. Otilia dedicates a series of editorials, that will cause sensation in the media of the time, Rodin being at that time a consecrated artist, of world fame. The study of Otilia Marchişiu’ biography must be approached through the “moments” of the young author, in the company of celebrities from literature or international art. One such “moment” is with novelist, poet and literary French critic, Anatole France, a Nobel Prize laureate of 1921. The culminant point of this relationship is a common trip to Italy, that will become the pretext for an admirable travel memoir, published in 1924, published in Budapest under the name “The Walks of Anatole France” and in 1929 in French: “Promenades d’Anatole France”. Otilia Marchişiu’s biography and works are a testimony to a culture of three languages, of the way in which cultures intertwine in the consciousness of a single personality. Her works, which contain pages of memoirs, serials, diary and travel notes, studied until today only from the perspective of documentary, with the confessed intention to recompose images, biographies and faces lost with the passage of time, has revealed itself from the perspective of the fragmentary, bricoleur and multicultural postmodernist spirit.
Ötvenhatos Hungarians’Language Socialization: Two Case Studies
Language/LiteratureA recent “social turn” (Block, 2003) has shifted interest towards language socialization studies, but “insufficient research has examined …. older adults” (Duff, 2017, p. xi). Adults are socialized in their L1 community and during L2 socialization they reflect on their identity and social relationships (Steffensen & Kramsch, 2017). Case studies use an ecological approach to examine how L2 learning interacts with secondary socialization. They allow researchers to explore sociocultural, discursive, and personal aspects without detailed linguistic descriptions (Duff, 2014) and to examine language use and learning “as emergent, dynamic, unpredictable, open ended, and intersubjectively negotiated” (Douglas Fir Group, 2016, p. 19).
The talk explores how two refugees with no English established themselves in North America after fleeing Hungary in 1956 and then went on to have illustrious careers in their respective technical fields. Retrospective interviews were conducted in Hungarian with these two highly accomplished individuals, Gyuri (age: 86) and Tomi (age: 93), to elicit their reflections on their lived experiences. Data for triangulation, all in English, include oral history videos and a published memoir. Although their trajectories are different, the way they learnt English, socialized into their new contexts, developed new identities and maintained their Hungarian language and identity are similar.
Content analysis reveals their (1) learning of English and other languages, (2) uses of English and Hungarian, and (3) identities. Discourse analysis explores emerging patters in their multicompetence: how they convey meaning in Hungarian and English, how they codemix and how conscious they are about their own practices.
The talk explores how two refugees with no English established themselves in North America after fleeing Hungary in 1956 and then went on to have illustrious careers in their respective technical fields. Retrospective interviews were conducted in Hungarian with these two highly accomplished individuals, Gyuri (age: 86) and Tomi (age: 93), to elicit their reflections on their lived experiences. Data for triangulation, all in English, include oral history videos and a published memoir. Although their trajectories are different, the way they learnt English, socialized into their new contexts, developed new identities and maintained their Hungarian language and identity are similar.
Content analysis reveals their (1) learning of English and other languages, (2) uses of English and Hungarian, and (3) identities. Discourse analysis explores emerging patters in their multicompetence: how they convey meaning in Hungarian and English, how they codemix and how conscious they are about their own practices.
Outcasts — A Love Story
History/Political ScienceFor more than seventy years, the histories of two proud families have been entwined in a bittersweet tango that has taken them through war and peace -- from Europe to Canada -- amid happiness and heartbreak. Central to their saga is the true tale of a man and a woman who chose the worst possible moment to fall in love -- and their surviving brothers’ lifelong search for understanding and forgiveness.
Filmed on location in early spring in the rolling riversides and evocative towns of Central Europe, where Hungary, Ukraine and Slovakia converge, the 60-minute film features dramatic reenactments of the star-crossed wartime love affair, and a nostalgic, tearful pilgrimage by two aging friends from Canada and Israel to a storm-tossed home town called Nagyszöllős -- the City of Wine.
Filmed on location in early spring in the rolling riversides and evocative towns of Central Europe, where Hungary, Ukraine and Slovakia converge, the 60-minute film features dramatic reenactments of the star-crossed wartime love affair, and a nostalgic, tearful pilgrimage by two aging friends from Canada and Israel to a storm-tossed home town called Nagyszöllős -- the City of Wine.
Outstanding Hungarians for National Culture in the 19th Century (Brassai, Erkel, Herman)
Cultural Studies/ArtsPerhaps nations have not been as conscious of their national characteristic features as they were in the 19th century. Nineteenth-century national strivings and uprisings stimulated a vigorous rebirth of Hungarian cultural consciousness. The struggle for the mother tongue was bound up with the birth of the national culture. Sámuel Brassai, the last Transylvanian polymath, was an outstanding character and a pioneer in this dual campaign. Ferenc Erkel’s and Ottó Herman’s lives and activities were closely connected to those of Brassai, who had helped and inspired them to start their careers. I would like to highlight these scholars’ devotion to their homeland, to its culture and development, and to pay tribute to the anniversary of the birth of each: to Erkel’s 200th and to Herman’s 175th birthday.
Overcoming Transatlantic Isolationism through Feminism
History/Political ScienceTrends in government and societal norms within both Hungary and the United States have been mirroring each other in recent years. This research shines a light on the way that trends of isolationist political stances and contentious democratic episodes exhibited by both countries have given rise to anti-women movements across the Atlantic. By asking the question, why do moments of domestic isolationist policy coincide with a regression of women’s rights, this research seeks to better understand how government policies impact accepted norms in a society by examining these phenomena in Hungary and the United States. Analyses for this study illustrate that isolationist politics creates a social culture where divisions are promoted. These divisions extend beyond national borders and permeate daily life to especially include divisions between genders, emphasizing a hierarchy of men above women. A strong international community focused on protecting transatlantic relationship safeguards the sanctity of democracy in both Hungary and the United States, as well as protecting gender equality movements at both the national and international level. By promoting a strong transatlantic relationship between Hungary and the United States, both countries can persevere beyond moments of contentious democratic episodes and isolationist domestic policy to mitigate their harmful effects, such as restricting gender equality. This research discusses the transatlantic relationship, women’s rights, democracy, and the interconnectivity of it all.
Painting the Past with Paper: A Demonstration of the Value of the Pictorial History Genre for Hungarian Diaspora Studies
History/Political ScienceIn commemoration of its 125th anniversary in December 2017, America’s first Hungarian Roman Catholic parish, St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church in Cleveland, recently prepared an anniversary book. Such publications are often consulted by historians investigating Hungarian diasporic communities because of the key role that churches played in the ethnic identity maintenance of immigrants and their descendants. Due in large part to the fact that these works are intended for a popular audience, the historical sketches within them typically lack the scholarly rigor of professional historical research. Attempting to meet the needs of the local popular audience while offering material that aligns more closely with the standards of academic history, a pictorial history featuring items from the parish’s museum and archives was added to the book.
Unlike most pictorial histories, this text consists largely of scans of printed materials and other ephemeral items organized into themes that showcase the various religious and secular functions that this church, once the nation’s largest Hungarian Catholic congregation, had served. By surveying a selection of the fifty scans and their accompanying descriptions, each image’s ability to distill historical insights about topics ranging from pre-Vatican II American Catholic culture to the bicultural identity that developed in Cleveland’s Hungarian neighborhood between waves of immigration, becomes apparent. Because of the many benefits offered by this format’s structure, I offer it as a model for other Hungarian-American organizations looking for a creative way to digitize holdings from their collections and recount their pasts while considering the perspectives of historians.
Unlike most pictorial histories, this text consists largely of scans of printed materials and other ephemeral items organized into themes that showcase the various religious and secular functions that this church, once the nation’s largest Hungarian Catholic congregation, had served. By surveying a selection of the fifty scans and their accompanying descriptions, each image’s ability to distill historical insights about topics ranging from pre-Vatican II American Catholic culture to the bicultural identity that developed in Cleveland’s Hungarian neighborhood between waves of immigration, becomes apparent. Because of the many benefits offered by this format’s structure, I offer it as a model for other Hungarian-American organizations looking for a creative way to digitize holdings from their collections and recount their pasts while considering the perspectives of historians.
Pandemics in Hungarian Literature
Language/LiteratureSeveral Hungarian writers had addressed earlier pandemics. In his memoirs Ferenc Rákóczi mentioned the quarantines in Turkey, and István Széchenyi also made references to it. Governments were aware of the transmissibility of serious disease. Kelemen Mikes also wrote in his letters about the “pestis” that swept through the Hungarian settlement in Turkey. He was probably a victim of the plague. In the 19th century Ferenc Kölcsey also addressed the cholera epidemic but decides to ignore it. Ferenc Kazinczy is perhaps the most interesting subject as he wrote about his own experiences. The novel by Gergely Péterfy is a testament of the age but more importantly of the writer’s struggle with the pandemic. The Spanish flu adds another dimension since Dezső Kosztolányi’s widow writes about her husband’s brush with the flu. Several of Kosztolányi’s works deal directly with the epidemic, notably his Kenyér és bor cycle.
Panel Proposal: <i>The Appalachian Hungarian Heritage Project</i>: A multidisciplinary overview
Cultural Studies/ArtsTurley, Briane, Corvinus Institute for Advanced Studies, Corvinus University, Budapest. bturley@mail.wvu.edu
Fenyvesi, Anna, Institute of English and American Studies, University of Szeged. fenyvesi@lit.u-szeged.hu
Török, Péter, Karoli Gáspár Reformed University, Budapest. Torokp@gmail.com
Panel proposal:
The Appalachian Hungarian Heritage Project: A multidisciplinary overview
The proposed panel discussion introduces a team of American and Hungarian scholars who recently organized Appalachian Hungarian Heritage Project (AHHP). The group explores the role of Hungarian immigrants in the coalfields of West Virginia, southwest Virginia, eastern Kentucky and several counties in Ohio and the historical, social, and linguistic aspects of these communities in a comprehensive and multidisciplinary fashion. As recent findings show, the earliest immigrant coal miners in the southern Appalachian coal mines were Hungarians, and Hungarian laborers dominated some of America’s largest coal mines, including the massive US Steel facility in Gary, West Virginia.
Comprehensive works on immigration (e.g. Puskás 1982) mention that Hungarians worked in the Appalachian Mountains but indicate that those who went there lived in boarding houses and eventually left the region to return home or to find better jobs in the US North and Midwest (while it is equally true that Hungarian migrants tended to live in boarding houses in other regions of the US where they were similarly transient). We demonstrate that many Appalachian Hungarians settled in this uniquely southern region of the US, reared families, and played a vital role in community development.
We propose three talks on the historical, social, and linguistic aspects of the Appalachian Hungarian communities.
Presenters include Dr. Briane Turley (Corvinus University and West Virginia University), Dr. Anna Fenyvesi (University of Szeged), and Dr. Péter Török (Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary).
Fenyvesi, Anna, Institute of English and American Studies, University of Szeged. fenyvesi@lit.u-szeged.hu
Török, Péter, Karoli Gáspár Reformed University, Budapest. Torokp@gmail.com
Panel proposal:
The Appalachian Hungarian Heritage Project: A multidisciplinary overview
The proposed panel discussion introduces a team of American and Hungarian scholars who recently organized Appalachian Hungarian Heritage Project (AHHP). The group explores the role of Hungarian immigrants in the coalfields of West Virginia, southwest Virginia, eastern Kentucky and several counties in Ohio and the historical, social, and linguistic aspects of these communities in a comprehensive and multidisciplinary fashion. As recent findings show, the earliest immigrant coal miners in the southern Appalachian coal mines were Hungarians, and Hungarian laborers dominated some of America’s largest coal mines, including the massive US Steel facility in Gary, West Virginia.
Comprehensive works on immigration (e.g. Puskás 1982) mention that Hungarians worked in the Appalachian Mountains but indicate that those who went there lived in boarding houses and eventually left the region to return home or to find better jobs in the US North and Midwest (while it is equally true that Hungarian migrants tended to live in boarding houses in other regions of the US where they were similarly transient). We demonstrate that many Appalachian Hungarians settled in this uniquely southern region of the US, reared families, and played a vital role in community development.
We propose three talks on the historical, social, and linguistic aspects of the Appalachian Hungarian communities.
Presenters include Dr. Briane Turley (Corvinus University and West Virginia University), Dr. Anna Fenyvesi (University of Szeged), and Dr. Péter Török (Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary).
Panel Proposal: <i>The History of Hungarian Christian Democratic Movements 1930-1970.</i> II.The Forming of a Modern Christian Democracy in Hungary: Győr 1943 and Beyond
History/Political ScienceOne of the most intense, yet not fully explored periods of modern Hungarian intellectual history can be found between the two world wars. This is largely true of the Catholic, Jesuit-driven economic and political thinking of the Church's social teaching, within which Hungarian sociologists, theologians, and economists joined a very broad European discourse and sought to elaborate a new, traditional conceptualization of the state. From the first minute on, the personalities of Béla Kovrig, Vid Mihelics, Zoltán Magyary, József Freesz, László Varga, Sándor Meggyesi or Jenő Kerkai were among the most influential figures in the scientific debate. Alongside them, a dozen mostly Catholic thinkers expressed their views and ideas on the contemporary socio-economic crisis and how it can be overcome by Catholic solutions. Especially in times of spreading totalitarian ideas, they held on to a new democratic state structure and wanted to reform the whole state through vocational order and a new social economic concept. One of the most important steps towards a new Christian Democracy in Hungary was the secret meeting in Győr in August 1943 and the launching of the Katolikus Szociális Népmozgalom (Catholic Social People's Movement). The study provides an insight into these developments, into the ideas on state and politics of early Christian Democracy and its connections to the ideas of vocational order in Hungary.
Panel Proposal: <i>The History of Hungarian Christian Democratic Movements 1930-1970</i>. I. The Concept of Vocational Order – A basis of Hungarian Christian Democracy
History/Political ScienceHungarian Christian Democracy’s ideological roots can be found in the concept of ”vocational order”, therefore this theory is worth investigation. The various European authoritarian crisis-solving attempts of the 1920s and 1930s – Bolshevik nationalization, Fascist corporatism and the National Socialist economic governance model – aimed at organizing all the employers and employees and forcing them to establish new types of interest-representing organizations. Pius XI’s papal encyclical letter beginning as “Quadragesimo anno” in 1931, however intended to provide an alternative for solving social problems – against the Bolshevik, Socialist and Fascist agenda. Its central concept stated that it is necessary to establish a new social order. The encyclical letter expressed that founding interest reconciling professional communities (vocational orders) as the solution, instead of launching class war and political struggles. This aim was to be reached by reconstructing the economic and social structure on the basis of concept of vocational order. Pius XI expressed his belief that vocational orders must be founded on the ideas of solidarity, subsidiarity.
Panel proposal: <i>The History of Hungarian Christian Democratic Movements 1930-1970</i>. III. Hungarian Christian Democrats in Exile
History/Political ScienceChristian Democratic movements as a political force emerged in Hungary the 1930’s. Prior to WWII, there were three distinct factions, two of which had strong ties to the Vatican and the Horthyist Hungarian government, the third were those whose leadership consisted primarily of journalists and young intellectuals and remained free of ties to the Hungarian government but also to the Catholic political elements. In the complex post-war period these various factions jockeyed for influence and attempted to consolidate their power base. Although by 1947, the communists having driven both the elected Prime Minister and the Head of Parliament from the country along with over seventy other elected officials, the Christian Democrats found themselves in a losing battle with the dominant pro-USSR forces. From 1945-1949 all major Christian Democratic leaders fled the country and regrouped in exile, where they operated independently and then consolidated their resources and efforts. This paper today will explore the activities and influence of the Christian Democratic Party and its leadership in exile from the 1940’s – to approximately 1970 as well as some of ways they set the stage for their return to Hungary post-1989.
Panel Proposal: Book discussion of Ernő Munkácsi, <i>How it Happened: Documenting the Tragedy of Hungarian Jewry</i> (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2018)
History/Political ScienceThe proposed book panel will address some of the key questions raised by Ernő Munkácsi’s How it Happened: Documenting the Tragedy of Hungarian Jewry, a seminal book on the Holocaust which has recently been released in English for the first time. Originally published in Hungarian as Hogyan történt? in 1947, Munkácsi’s book is an important document on the history of the Holocaust in Hungary written by a key witness from among the persecuted. The panel will begin by introducing Ernő Munkácsi, a member of the Budapest-based Neolog elite who, in 1944, served as secretary for the Hungarian Central Jewish Council. The panelists will aim to draw the immediate contexts of his seminal early postwar publication Hogyan történt?, including the controversy surrounding the activities of the Central Jewish Council in Budapest. More generally, the panelists will discuss the major dilemmas Munkácsi confronted when developing an interpretation of the Holocaust in Hungary and how he sought to resolve them. As well, the panelists, contributors to the new English-language edition of Munkácsi’s volume, will share their observations on how and with what exact aims their extensive scholarly contributions (two introductions, a biography, annotations, glossary, maps, and archival photos) were created.
Panel Proposal: Book discussion of Ernő Munkácsi, How it Happened: Documenting the Tragedy of Hungarian Jewry (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2018)
History/Political ScienceThe proposed book panel will address some of the key questions raised by Ernő Munkácsi’s How it Happened: Documenting the Tragedy of Hungarian Jewry, a seminal book on the Holocaust which has recently been released in English for the first time. Originally published in Hungarian as Hogyan történt? in 1947, Munkácsi’s book is an important document on the history of the Holocaust in Hungary written by a key witness from among the persecuted. The panel will begin by introducing Ernő Munkácsi, a member of the Budapest-based Neolog elite who, in 1944, served as secretary for the Hungarian Central Jewish Council. The panelists will aim to draw the immediate contexts of his seminal early postwar publication Hogyan történt?, including the controversy surrounding the activities of the Central Jewish Council in Budapest. More generally, the panelists will discuss the major dilemmas Munkácsi confronted when developing an interpretation of the Holocaust in Hungary and how he sought to resolve them. As well, the panelists, contributors to the new English-language edition of Munkácsi’s volume, will share their observations on how and with what exact aims their extensive scholarly contributions (two introductions, a biography, annotations, glossary, maps, and archival photos) were created.
