Magyar Hírek, 1986 (39. évfolyam, 1-26. szám)
1986-01-29 / 2. szám
I ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND THE PREVIOUS ONE The recent New York programme of Hungarian Art Foundation was an important event of the Hungarian diaspora. Dr Jenő Randé, General Secretary of the World Federation of Hungarians was present to perform the ceremony of handing over a gold medal to Eszter Győri, the painter, and chairperson of the Foundation. The work of Eszter Győri is known in Hungary also, where her pictures have been on display on a number of occasion. First of these was the “Homage to the Native Country” exhibition, where Eszter Győri presented her work along with many Hungarian artists living abroad. Her last exhibition in Hungary was in 1985, at the Csontváry Exhibition Hall, a One-Woman Show, and a genuine all round success. The artist offered the twenty-seven works exhibited to the building fund of the new National Theatre. Dr Jenő Randé expressed his appreciation of the work of the Hungarian Art Foundation made possible by Eszter Győri as well as the devoted and enthusiastic organizing work of Dr Éva Csatáry of Washington, D. C., and Mihály Hontvári of New York. Such outstanding Hungarians in America as György Kepes, Eugene Ormandy, Andre Watts, the pianist, whose mother is Hungarian, also supported the Foundation. Yoko Ono, lately married to John Lennon, is one of the non-Hungarian supporters of the Foundations. * An article by András Tábori in the Hungarian part of the previous issue describes the economic situation and prospects, of the country. It was made timely by the conclusion of the Sixth Five- Year Plan period that ended in 1985, and the beginning of a new one. Tábori stresses that the past five years were marked by extremely unfavourable external events: the credit embargo, the withdrawal of foreign funds deposit ed with Hungarian banks, which aggravated the already difficult economic situation consequent to the price explosions of the seventies. Following these blows the maintenance of liquidity became the principal aim. In spite of all difficulties, Hungary did not apply for the rescheduling of her debts, but continued to repay loans as and when they became due even at the price of severe sacrifices. Parallel with that the domestically distributable resources decreased and t^ie rate of economic growth fell back. Now that the Hungarian economy has stood this severe test, it is intended to accelerate the rate of growth in the coming years. Tábori quotes the resolution of the Central Committee of the HSWP, which regards “the vitalization of economic growth, the strengthening of the external and domestic balance, and the tangible improvement of the standard and conditions of living as the supreme objective.” Tábori argues that the most important factor is the firm resolve of the economic leadership to continue servicing the foreign debts and gradually reducing them. The country will, however, achieve this not by simply tightening belts, but also by increased involvement of foreign operative capital. In order to promote this the taxing of the profits of producing enterprises jointly operated with foreign capital will be considerably reduced from 1986 onwards, and in the case of some others starting up in certain fields, complete exemption from profit tax will be granted for the first five years. Reinvestment in Hungary of profits made by such companies will be encouraged. All in all, it is planned to increase national income by 15 to 17 per cent in the next five years. It should be added that the objectives of the previous planning period were similar, however, the funds budgeted for domestic consumption, development, and improvements in the standard of living had to be reduced consequent to the external circumstances described. The economic leadership is now firmly determined to increase the funds to be used for investments, development, and the improvement of the standard of living. The programme stipulates selective development, the rationalization of energy management, more economical utilization of materials, technological modernization and the extension of the socio-economical utilization of electronics. The development of the electronics industry, and of pharmaceutical and plant protectives production will be given priority. “After years of deceleration” —András Tábori writes, “the time for a slow growth in real wages arrived. Private consumption will now be able to ncrease by some 8 to 10 per cent in five years, and the per capita real income by about 9 to 11 per cent.” * Sándor Lintner’s series on the life of Hungarians in Italy and their ties with Hungary is continued in the Hungarian part of our journal. The present instalment is aboutBologna. That historic university town was an attractive intellectual centre for Hungarians even many centuries ago. Outstanding figures of Hungarian humanism - among them Janus Pannonius, the poet-bishop — studied at the university of Bologna in the 15th century, most of them enjoying scholarships granted by János Vitéz, Archbishop of Esztergom. In his report on Hungarians in Bologna today, Sándor Lintner describes the Italian — Hungarian Society in the town doing useful work in the field of preserving Hungarian — Italian cultural relations. László Garami presented Körösnagyharsány (in the previous issue), a village in County Békés. The occasion was the recent tin veiling of a statue of István Bocskai, the work of György Kiss, in the centre of the village. The village can be traced back right to the early part of the 13th century. Its name was first mentioned in a documents in the archives of Nagyvárad Cathedral dated 1241. During its long history the village was destroyed by the Mongol invaders and burnt down by the Turks—yet it always rose again. The men all fought for Bocskai and the Prince raised Körösnagyharsány to the rank of a free Hajdú Town in recognition. It is a well-kept village today, but employment is scarce in the district thus young people tend to leave. The population decreased by thirty per cent in twenty years. “Something must be done, and done soon” László Garami urges. The nature of that something is obvious: new jobs must be created. Readers of the Hungarian part of the previous issue must have enjoyed George Mikes’s humorous sketch written for Magyar Hírek. As most readers of the Hungarian Scene know, Mikes, who has lived in London since the thirties, achieved world renown with his writings published in English. His books have been translated into several other languages. The writing sent to our journal is clear evidence that George Mikes maintained his Hungarian roots and is as good a humourist in Hungarian as in English. This makes me happy, for I believe it proves what 1 have long held, that Mikes’s world-famous English writings have somewhere in their depths a good deal of genuine, unadulterated Budapest humour. Considering this fact, readers of the Hungarian Scene will, I am sure, understand why wo did not “translate back” to English this recently discovered Hungarian George Mikes. ZOLTÁN HALÁSZ The First Hungarian Calvinist Church of Cleveland The First Hungarian Calvinist Church was the first in the New World , not only as a Calvinist Church, but also as a Hungarian church of any denomination. It was officially founded on the 3rd of May 1891 by the Reverend Gusztáv Jurányi within the Trinity Reformed Church built by German settlers at the corner of Madison and Rawlings Avenues in Cleveland. It took two years—and many difficulties—for the congregation to put by the sum of one thousand two hundred and eighty dollars, which they used to buy, on the 13th of February 1893, a building lot on the corner of Madison Avenue and 79th Street, where subsequently a church of their very own was built. The foundation stone was laid on September 23rd 1894, and the heart-warming and memorable consecration of the modest timber building was held on the 25th of November that same year. * In the meantime the Reverend Gusztáv Jurányi had gone back to Hungary, and the Reverend Sándor Harsányi was chosen by the Faculty of Theology of Debrecen, at the request of the mission council. He took over on the 4th of November 1894. The small congregation had incurred cripping debts when the church was built, and the new minister looked on settling them as his first duty. He did his visiting amongst Hungarians not only in the Cleveland district, but also further afield, in cities, townships and homesteads, raising funds for his Church. He was so successful that he was not only able to pay back every cent they owed but also to finance the building of a fine manse right next to the new church. The congregation said good bye to him with reg-A slightly abbreviated translation of the original Hungarian article published in our previous issue. 28
