Magyar News, 2004. szeptember-2005. augusztus (15. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

2005-04-01 / 8. szám

A view of Zebegény with the Danube river in the background

Considered an eccentric by many, the cigar-smoking woman who called herself "Napraforgó" or “Sunflower”, created a children's paradise in Zebegény, a village above the Danube Bend, in the 1930's. "She" was Countess Franciska Károlyi, née Countess Apponyi. Calling it “VEZ”, short for “Virág Egylet Zebegény” ("Zebegény Flower Circle"), she broadened the horizons of the village children , providing material and spiritual uplift through games and hikes, sports and plays, and creating precious, life-long memories.

Bom into a family of high nobility in 1879, the Countess was a lady-in- waiting at the court in Vienna. She married Count László nagykárolyi Károlyi in 1897, a privy councilor to the king and emperor, Franz Joseph. Following the outbreak of World War I , she organized a charity ball to benefit the families of men drafted into the army.

This kind of compassionate care was evidenced also in her establishment of the Zebegény Flower Circle. The Countess discovered the village on an excursion to the area, and, in the late 1920's, decided to settle there. She bought a row of dilapidated houses, and using local artisans, had them repaired, and painted blue (the locals called them "Kék falu" or ("Blue Village"). She furnished them with typical Hungarian furniture, hand-woven runners and painted plates. She lived in one of the houses, at first as a recluse, but then began to gather the village children around her. In 1931, she created her little "flower republic", with its own banner and anthem. From the age of 3 until they finished their schooling, the children were part of the VEZ. She gave kindergarten girls the names of singing birds, schoolgirls became flowers, kindergarten boys were birds of prey, and schoolboys were called by the names of

flower"), instead of a formal salutation of the “Gracious Countess”, as was customary. She in turn returned the greeting, using whatever the new name of the child, teenager or adult might be, and insisted they address each other only that way, too. Everyone learned the Latin name as well as the characteristics of the particular bird, tree or flower for which he or she was named. Some 70 years later, many could still recite the names of all the flowers or birds or trees in their group! Each member, after a 3-month trial period, received a membership card, and agreed to abide by the 5 basic rules -to help each other, to love animals, to love flowers, to do something good every day , and always to keep his or her word.

Napraforgó considered games and group activities to be most important, the core of her Circle. After using various meadows for a while, she bought a parcel of land from the railroad company and created a playground, complete with neon lights and bleachers. This is where the Flower Circle gave high standard performances of theater plays and precise gymnastic exercises, held sports competitions and

Countess Franciska Károlyi Painted by Gyula Benczúr, 1898

trees and shrubs. Women helpers were dubbed "Roses" -her niece, Countess Geraldine Apponyi, who later married the King of Albania, she named "White Rose" -and men helpers had the names of "Tropical trees."

To break down the barriers of class distinctions that characterized Hungary even in the first half of the 20th century, the Countess insisted on being greeted with the formula “Köszöntőm a Napraforgót” ("I greet the Sun-Girls learning Hungarian dances, wearing the home made "uniforms

Scouting events, and staged folk dance presentations.

She bought uniform long-sleeved sweaters for all the children, the boys having a blue stripe and the girls a red stripe on their collar. In addition, she provided them with gym suits and sports equipment. With trainers to teach them, the children learned to swim, ride bicycles, run, do gymnastic exercises, play basketball, volleyball, ping-pong, soccer. The girls learned home economics, and to dance and sing, to knit and sew, and they made the costumes for the folk dance performances and plays. Celebrations such as Mothers’ Day were made unforgettable for the par-Page 6

S\)e Gilded Ú)e Lives of Children

by Erika Papp Faber '