Education paper by Márkus, Éva and Lo Bello, Maya J.
Mihály Lieb or Munkácsy Mihály? Developing Cultural Identity in Hungary’s German National Minority Schools (Accepted)
Type of Abstract (select):Abstract (max. 250 words):
In the Carpathian Basin Germans have lived alongside Hungarians for hundreds of years, resulting in many points of cultural and historical inter-crossing. (Although commonly referred to as svábok [‘Swabians’], this term is inaccurate since Hungarian Germans do not share the same origin with the Swabians found in Germany’s borders today). In the wake of World War II, the number of Hungarian Germans fell sharply; for decades, their language and dialect could not be used. Today, young generations primarily reconnect with their German roots and dialect in state-funded, national minority schools where students receive instruction in a subject called népismeret [‘folk traditions’]. During this type of lesson, educators are responsible for teaching the Hungarian German language, history and traditions. Since families often cannot provide a sense of Hungarian German identity, teachers not only have to enrich their students’ connection, but also deepen their awareness of the many ways in which Hungary’s German communities have made their own, unique contributions to Hungarian history and culture. This lecture provides a brief overview of the current legal documents and rulings that determine the curriculum in Hungary’s national minority schools before detailing the day-to-day practice and methods found in a Hungarian German népismeret class. By outlining a few significant aspects of Hungarian German history, it is our aim to demonstrate what methods can be used to strengthen and develop cultural identity in Hungary’s national minority schools.
Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Éva Márkus (Dr. habil.) is Faculty Dean of Eötvös University’s Faculty of Primary and Preschool Education (ELTE TÓK). After completing her degree in Germanic Studies at Eötvös University’s Faculty of the Humanities (ELTE BTK), she achieved her PhD in the field of linguistic studies. The title of her dissertation was German Dialects in the Villages of Buda’s Hill Regions. Her habilitation thesis focused on the German dialect found in Nagybörzsöny (Deutschpilsen) and was published by Praesens Publishers (Vienna) in 2014. A professor at ELTE TÓK’s Department of Foreign Language and Literature, she teaches German-language courses in subjects related to Hungary’s German minority groups, including ethnography, history, literature and children’s literature, and has published texts in each area. Her research examines Hungarian German dialects and the past and present of national minority education in primary and preschool education.
Maya J. Lo Bello (PhD candidate) is an assistant professor at ELTE TÓK’s Department of Foreign Language and Literature, where she teaches English-language courses and literature. She is currently completing her PhD in Modern Hungarian Language and Literature at ELTE BTK; her research focuses on the role played by the impressionistic critic and editor, Miksa Fenyő, in both the modern literature movement of Nyugat [‘West’] and the industrialization of Hungary’s economy via his position at the Hungarian Industrialists’ Association, GyOSz. Her latest study, Chasing Impressions: A Comparative Cultural Analysis of Impressionistic Criticism in Hungary, was published in 2019 by the University of Pennsylvania’s journal, Comparative Literature Studies. Maya Lo Bello translates extensively and is Technical Editor of the journal, Hungarian Cultural Studies.