Magyar Hírek, 1987 (40. évfolyam, 1-23. szám)
1987-09-01 / 17. szám
ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND THE PREVIOUS ONE Ornaments of the Hungarian Crown Since the previous issue appeared in mid-August much of it was naturally devoted to Saint Stephen, King of Hungary whose feast day is celebrated on the 20th of the month. Almost a thousand years have passed since Vajk, the son of Prince Géza, who received the name of Stephen in baptism was crowned king in 1000 A. D. with a crown which was the gift of Pope Sylvester. His greatness, the importance of his figure, has grown as time passed and all that he had achieved in a generation, between 1000 and 1038 A. D., appeared even greater in historical perspective. Some consider what he did as the founder of the state to be the most important, the fact that he succeeded against the odds, to change the way of life of his people, that he had induced the seminomadic Hungarians to settle, and take up agriculture and handicraft replacing their tribal organization by that of a feudal state. Others argue that the conversion of the people to Christianity was the greatest deed of Saint Stephen, since that was the prime condition without which the Hungarians could not have become a European nation. King Stephen established eight dioceses and two archdioceses, ordered that each ten villages should form a parish and build a parish church, and made sure that the churches were well supplied with vestments, gold and silver chalices. Of his political ideas the one that proved to be the most important was that he carried out his reforms, turning Hungarians into a European nation while maintaining the independence of Hungary. The idea of the independence of the country, which Saint Stephen made come true has lived on as the heritage of his great work for a thousand years. The medieval and renaissance culture of Hungary The Society of Friends of Ancient Hungarian Culture, founded to serve Hungarian studies as well as popularising its findings was also the subject of an article in the last issue. As so often happens, the society came into being as a result of a grass roots initiative on the part scholars engaged in such studies as well as many others of the most varied occupations, interested in the history of Hungarian culture. According to the statement issued on foundation, they intend to deal with every accessible form of the cultural heritage of the Hungarian people from the time of the Great Migration to 1500 A. D. (linguistics, horticulture, musicology, crafts, literature, architecture, history, medicine, the culinary art, folk beliefs, military science etc.) breaking up the work amongst different sections of the Society. One section deals with the Proto- Hungarians up to the Conquest, another with the Conquest and the foundation of the state, a third with Saint Stephen and the Romanesque age, a fourth with the Hungarian Gothic, and a fifth with King Matthias Corvinus and his age. To quote the statement: 'We wish to create an opportunity with our work for people of differing occupations but similar interests to bring to the surface the relics of our people, employing their own mode of approach, discussing things amongst themselves as well as with the experts. Our ultimate aim is to fit into our everyday life all that is suitable for the purpose thus enriching ourselves.” Honourable and noble aims. The future will tell how much will be realised of them, how the Society will develop. We hope to keep you up to date with the work they do — in any event, since some of our readers might care to get in touch, here is their postal address: Ómagyar Kultúra Baráti Társaság, 1476, Budapest, P.O.B. 152. Sponsorship meeting — at half-time It has become an established convention for the Sponsorship Committee to hold a meeting half-way between two Native Language Conferences to discuss timely problems, achievements, difficulties and plans for the future. The Fifth Native Language Conference held in August 1985 was able to report on achievements - among other things on the increase in the numbers of young people of Hungarian descent studying at Hungarian institutes of higher education, on local post-gradute courses for teachers of the Hungarian language in several countries. In some instances on the realization of arrangements, initiated by the Sponsorship Committee and made possible through the intervention of the World Federation of Hungarians, In this way, e. g., it has been made possible for retired grandparents to spend an extended time abroad, without a suspension of the payment of their pension, to teach their grandchildren the language of their parents and grandparents. The current meeting of the Sponsorship Committee was in a position to review the realization of initiatives which emerged at the Fifth Native Language Conference. Our journal repeatedly published articles in recent years on An initial letter from the Képes Krónika (14. century) the devoted and efficient realization of the language-preserving and culture-promoting act ivity of the Churches of the Hungarian diaspora. These Churches were now mentioned in words of appreciation for their work at the Sponsorship Committee meeting. The exchange of experience concerning various disciplines within native language movement also became more lively, especially in the course of visits such people from many parts of the world paid to Hungary. ‘‘The preservation of the Hungarian language, the promotion of Hungarian culture, the keeping awake and strengthening of the awareness of being Hungarian are the common cause of all Hungarians. The refore the participants at the conference ask everyone who supports the preservation, promotion and popularisation of the Hungarian language and culture to contribute with their unselfish everyday work to the efficient and timely realization of the noble and pure objectives of the native language movement” stressed the Fifth Native Language Conference in its closing statement. The current Sponsorship Committee meeting could, with justified satisfaction, register the broadening of this unselfish activity amongs the Hungarian diaspora in Western countries. Regretfully, the dichotomy continues, which Béla Köpeczi, the Minister of Education expressed at the last Native Language conference when he argued that “there is a qualitative difference in the promotion of the native language and the culture of the native language between the large numbers of Hungarians living in their native connected areas of settlement in neighbouring countries and the Hungarian diaspora.” ZOLTÁN HALÁSZ Students' hostel of the I. Rákóczi Ferenc Secondary School of Sárospatak r jl J_ JkT 1 tfim 29
