Magyar Egyház, 1985 (64. évfolyam, 1-5. szám)

1985-07-01 / 4. szám

MAGYAR EGYHÁZ

7. oldal

Hungarian Historical Mural Painting on the wall of the Hungarian Room at K ayne State University, Detroit, 1985

HUNGARIAN HISTORICAL MURAL - UNVEILED AT WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY, DETROIT, MICHIGAN

On October 14, 1985 The Hungarian Heritage Room Committee, Ethnic Rooms Program, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, unveiled a Hungarian Historical Wall Mural, 6 ft. X 17 ft. Stephen (István) Juharos of Sedona. Arizona was comissioned to do this work in April 1983 and Mr. and Mrs. G. Zoltán Oláh of Southgate, Michigan underwrote the cost of the mural.

Approximately 1% years of research was done throughout the USA and Hungary by the Olahs to develop the theme content of the mural; writing to historians, writers, college professors and various organizations knowledgeable in Hungarian history. Another 1% years went into the search for an artist, one who would work with the Committee, who had established the theme. In order to accomplish this the Committee spent much time and effort in endless consultations to select those important Hungarian historical events during various eras so the artist would have strong guidelines and, therefore, do justice to Hungary’s long, ceaseless and rich history in its struggles for liberty and freedom.

From the time “Arpad” and his seven tribes entered Central Europe and then became the first leader in 895 A.D. in what is known as “Hungary,” the Hungarians (Magyars) have sought freedom and liberty throughout its history. During the theme research period it became evident that this overpowering struggle would become the foundation for the basic guidelines set for the mural. The mural attempts to depict the most important of these events — and, which struggle continues to elude Hungary even to this day.

The viewer must first observe the full length of the panel from the bottom which details the City of Budapest along the Danube River with its historical buildings, all lit up at night and from this beautiful beginning emanates the rise of the mural.

The first portion of the mural deals with the entry into Europe of “Arpad” and his seven chiefs; continuing historically and chronologically to St. Stephen, the first

King of Hungary, who turned his country toward the West and introduced Christianity to his people and was later canonized. Janos Hunyadi, who in 1456. stopped the further invasion of Europe by the armies of the Turkish Ottoman Empire. The Bells in the mural signify that Christian church bells toll throughout the world at noon that started with the commemoration of that event. The Arany Bulla, Hungary’s Magna Charta since 1222 is shown as the “Stamp Insignia” impressed on the Bells. We move along to Matthias Corvinus, King in the 15th Century, who founded the Corvin Library, the first in Europe. The scholar, Korosi Csorna Sándor travelled extensively and lived in Tibet where he compiled a dictionary of the Tibetan language. Of great importance is the figure of Sándor Petőfi the great Poet Laureate of Hungary who fired up the 1848 uprising for liberty with his poetry and eventually gave his life for it. This historical event was followed up by the visit of Louis Kossuth in 1852 to the United States where he addressed the joint U.S. Congress to attempt to seek freedom from tyranny for his country.

Moving along to more current eras the mural depicts the 1956 Freedom Fighters and Cardinal Mindszenty who associated himself with this movement and had to live the balance of his life in exile, unable to have returned to Hungary the 1,000 year old land areas which were partitioned to the Eastern Block after W.W. I and II.

The mural depicts Hungary’s place in the world of the arts, music, vini-culture. sports with many Olympic honors; the sciences which includes the telephone, atom bomb, dynamos, among others, as well as honors in medicine.

The dominating central figure of a large winged angel wearing the Hungarian tri-colors, red, white and green and holding aloft the lighted torch of Liberty; the viewer cannot help but feel overall the diverse, tragic and vibrant productive history of Hungary. A mural that the outside world, when seen, can be thought-provoking; and a mural for all Hungarians to be proud of for prosperity.

The artist, Stephen (István) Juharos was born in Hungary and received his formal training and studies at The Royal Hungarian University of Fine and Decorative Arts. At graduation he was awarded a gold medal and a scholarship to the Art Academy of Rome. At the end of W.W. II