Magyar News, 1993. szeptember-1994. augusztus (4. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1994-03-01 / 7. szám
MARCH 15, THE SPIRIT OF FREEDOM Every year Hungarians, in the old country and around the world, wherever there is a Hungarian community, celebrate March 15th of 1848 as a national holiday. Today, none of us were witnesses to this great event. None of us have our own memories of that time. We borrow memories from those who were then participants or wit-The great Hungarian poet Sándor Petőfi. nesses. Since then, five generations grew up and passed on these borrowed memories on the way to us. Those of us who had the opportunity to learn about this Hungarian Revolution are lucky, also those who were interested in it and studied it In general we could say, especially we Hungarians living in adopted countries, that with the passing of time, and belonging to a generation remote from the Revolution, the knowledge and the image of the historical time fades in different degrees. Conducting an unscientific survey among American-Hungarians in our area, I found that all the memories and knowledge about the original March 15 could be comprised into one world: “FREEDOM.” The historical facts of the events seem to lose their sharp focus. Very few immigrants brought along to the new country the knowledge of our Hungarian history. Those, with some limited knowledge, with the passing years forgot much and had little to give to the next generation. Michael Orosz, inquiring about Hungarian history ended one of his letters with the following: “Maybe I’m asking too many questions, but these questions have been on my mind all my life, and no one could answer them, not even my Dad.” Most people only recall Petőfi the poet, Kossuth as our “father” or “uncle” Bern. Some weren’t sure whether the Austrians had anything to do with it. I even heard reference to the Turkish occupation. Well, this wasn’t the right event, but the concept was there, it was about the freedom of the Hungarian people. Everything about the freedom of the Hungarian people fits into the category we call the spirit of March 15. It is about our nation standing up against oppression, against foreign occupation of the land where the Hungarian people live. The migrating Hungarians, coming from Asia under the pressureof Mongolian forces were doing so to stay out of harm ’ s way and to keep their freedom. When they settled in the Carpathian basin, they changed their lifestyle and took on Christianity. With this they secured the nation’s freedom in Europe. The survival during the Tartars and Turks was possible only with the hope for freedom. The manifestation of freedom was the most clearly defined in 1848 March 15 in the poem written by Sándor Petőfi. Talpra magyar, hí a haza! Itt az idő, most vagy soha! Rabok legyünk, vagy szabadok? Ez a kérdés, válasszatok! A magyarok Istenére Esküszünk, Esküszünk, hogy rabok tovább Nem leszünk! Magyars, rise, your country calls you! Meet this hour, whate’er befalls you! Shall we freemen be, or slaves? Choose the lot your spirit craves! By Hungary’s holy God Do we swear. Do we swear, that servile chains Well no more bear! This part of the Hungarian history sheds the light on the past of the nation and also keeps the spirit alive for the time to come. This spirit was the solid ground for the Hungarian nation to live through two world wars, to put down a communist regime. It was alive when the nation had to conspire against a German occupation. It was in its glory when the nation thanked the heroes of 1956 October 23 who fought against Soviet occupation and gave their blood and life for the freedom of Hungary. March 15 is about (Continued on page 2) János Thorma's painting of a street scene during the Revolution of1848. Petőfi is the central figure.
