Magyar News, 1994. szeptember-1995. augusztus (5. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1994-10-01 / 2. szám
IN 1956 THE SPIRIT WAS HIGH continued from page 1 to Hungary’s freedom, they sensed the light at the end of the tunnel. Scanning through the whole world where Hungarians live, we have to stop at Norwalk, CT to find the most determined group of Hungarians. Despite their personal loses, they stood up to show their respect and faith in all the values that ’56 meant. They erected a monument, HUNGARY 1956, the first among all Hungarians, and the most expressive artistic interpretation. Looking through the minutes of the Hungarian Committee of Norwalk and Vicinity, I came across the one on the September 15, 1966, meeting that took place in the Dokus Hall. Present were Mrs. Magda Ivanyi, president, Rev. Dr. John Butosi, Rev. Martin Tomallyay, Dr. and Mrs. László Csóványos, Mr. and Mrs. Elek Késmárki, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bogdanyi, Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Kuhn, Sara Kovats, Mrs. Lajos Szathmary, Ella Arnold, Joseph Mezo, Joseph Fulop, Pal Toth, Antal Szilagyi, David Bardos, Joseph Torok, Antal Nemcsics and Joseph Kovács. Is it important to mention these names? Yes. They were the ones who were remembering the tenth anniversary of the 1956 Revolution. At this meeting, they decided to erect a monument. By the end of the year the Committee had raised $2,511. A few months later Stephan Dohányos, a well known artist, was asked to head the Art Committee. Members were Alex Domonkos, director of Famous Arts Schools, and Lee Ploin, director of Silvermine College of Arts. Their search singled out Lajos Szalay who by May 1968 submitted three designs and in October the bronze cast was made. Mayor Frank Zullo, the town’s Planning Committee and the Redevelopment Committee were very helpful in finding a proper location for the monument. In the center of town the Freese Park was chosen. Members of the Hungarian Committee with Frank Bogdanyi built the foundation. On June 1, 1969 the memorial was unveiled. Rev. Dr. John Butosi presented the monument with the following words: “At the crossing of bridges, river and roads, close to the ocean and to the heart of the city, let this memorial monument here proclaim man ’s often tragic, but eternally unquenchable thirst for freedom and human dignity. Let it be a reminder of Hungary which for more than a thousand years fought and bled at the cross M FIS Securities, Inc. A Member of NASD Bibék K. Ghosh Investment Specialist 222-5203 244 POST ROAD EAST, WESTPORT, CT roads of nations, often misunderstood and forgotten. Let it speak of other nations as well which yearn to rebuild their life after a disastrous flood of Communism according to the American ideal of life, liberty and happiness. Let it be a memento to all those who try to build bridges without really knowing the brutal facts of Communist tyranny.” In 1986 vandals broke parts of the bronze monument off. Since the dedication the bushes and trees grew bigger and the part of the park where the monument stood was shielded from sight. The Hungarian Committee and the town decided to move it to the front of the park so it could be seen from the road. A huge granite slab was ordered and a new foundation built. Joseph F. Balogh, based on photographs, sculpted the missing parts matching the style and the texture. John Kocsis built the parts together with the original and prepared it for mounting. Frank Ungi, Charles Kalotai and Frank Bogdanyi cleaned off the bronze, put the patina on and the protective varnish. Frank Bogdanyi also took charge of the new foundation. The re-dedication of the monument took place on Sunday, October 26,1986. This is not the end of the story. Recently Sándor Gyorfi, sculptor, honored with the most prestigious award for artists, and György Sümegi from the Miskolc Gallery spent time in Norwalk. Their purpose was to make an impression of the art, bring it back to Hungary where they will cast an exact copy of it. The Miskolc Gallery, a museum, in 1988 opened an exhibit of the works of Lajos Szalay. This piece, Hungary 1956, will become part of the exhibit. It will demonstrate not only the spirit of ’56, but also the devotion of an American Hungarian community towards the motherland from where they and their ancestors came. (-h-h) JIM BALLAS Free property evaluation. Thinking about purchasing another home? Considering relocation? LET ME ASSIST YOU! CALL TODAY! Office: 374-0295, (800) 457-4470 Residence: 853-0260 4942 Main St., Bridgeport, CT Each office is Independently Owned and Operated Lajos Szalay Lajos Szalay studied at the School of Fine Arts in Budapest from 1927 to 1935, interrupting histraining in 1930 to go to France for a year. He returned to France after World War II, but later went to Argentina, to live there for ten years, specializing in monochrome drawing and book illustration. From 1949 to 1955 he was Professor of Drawing at the Universidad Nációnál de Tucuman and in 1958 at the Escuola Superior de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires. One-man exhibitions of his drawings have been held in Tucuman, 1949, Buenos Aires, 1955, 1956, and 1957, at the Pan American Union, Washington, D.C., 1958, and again in Buenos Aires in 1959. He has won four important Hungarian awards and in 1948 was the recipient of a UNESCO scholarship. He resided in New York City from 1961. Examples of his works have been acquired by the University of Chicago Museum, the Museum of the University of Notre Dame, The Fogg Museum in Cambridge, Mass., and museums in Budapest, Buenos Aires, Tucuman, and elsewhere. His drawings appeared in the Saturday Evening Post, the Jubilee, and the Reporter magazines, and in several published books. In recent years he lived in his homeland, Hungary. TO SUBSCRIBE to the Magyar News, send S6.00 postage fee and naturally a donation that should show your appreciation. Make check out to “A.H.H.A. MAGYAR NEWS,” and mail it to Magyar News, 60 Tyrone Place, Stratford, CT 06497. page 3 Drawing by Lajos Szalay
