Gertrude Enderle-Burcel, Dieter Stiefel, Alice Teichova (Hrsg.): Sonderband 9. „Zarte Bande” – Österreich und die europäischen planwirtschaftlichen Länder / „Delicate Relationships” – Austria and Europe’s Planned Economies (2006)
Ágnes Pogány: The Changing Image of the Economie Role of Austria in Hungarian Public Discourse
help to maintain peace. He expected economic advantages and new growth resources for Hungary from foreign trade with capitalist countries.16 The Changing Image of the Economic Role of Austria in the Hungarian Public Discourse A new economic opening to Austria At the end of the 1950s, a new opening began with neighbouring Austria. From the 1960s onwards, a special relation developed between the two states. The visit of foreign minister Bruno Kreisky to Budapest in 1964 was a decisive turning point in bilateral relations. Parallel to changes in Hungarian foreign policy, a new metaphor replaced the former one in the public mind concerning the evaluation of Austria’s role in Hungarian history. Instead of the colony metaphor the new concept laid great emphasis on economic community. Hungarian foreign policy of that period also stressed mutual political, economic and security interests that connected the two states in spite of differing social systems. Interestingly enough, when the first secretary of the Hungarian Workers Party Mâtyâs Râkosi tried to improve Austro-Hungarian relations, he also used the economic community metaphor. In August 1955, he said to the Austrian ambassador in Budapest, Braunias, that he as an ‘old Austro-Hungarian’ knew indeed how much the two economies completed each other.17 18 On another occasion, he also spoke about the economic advantages of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy as a positive model for the future cooperation between the neighbouring countries.111 In 1964, the Hungarian foreign minister Jânos Péter also referred to the positive memories of economic and cultural connections during the Dual Monarchy that he considered worth continuing.19 Another interesting coincidence is that the first visit of an Austrian Federal Chancellor to Hungary was timed to coincide with the centenary of the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867. Chancellor Klaus arrived in May 1967 in Budapest.20 16 F öl d es : Kâdâr Jânos kulpolitikai nézetei, p. 146. 17 Gecsényi, Lajos: Az osztrâk követ Ràkosinâl, (The Visit of the Austrian Ambassador to Râkosi). ln: Histöria, 17 (1995) Nb. 3. p. 3 1-32. here p. 32. 18 Dr Karl Braunias, budapcsti osztrâk követ bizalmas feljegyzése, dr. Leopold Figl. osztrâk szôvetségi Külügyminiszter szâmâra, Ràkosinâl tett lâtogatâsârôl (The Secret Note of the Austrian Ambassador in Budapest, dr. Karl Braunias, to the Austrian Federal Foreign Minister, dr. Leopold Figl on his Visit to Râkosi). Published hy Gecsényi, Lajos. In: Historia 17 (1995) Nb. 3. 33-34. 19 Stenographic Notes on the Opening Session of Negotiations between Foreign Ministers Jânos Péter and Bruno Kreisky. Budapest, October 30. 1964. In: Gecsényi, Lajos (ed ): Iratok Magyarorszâg és Ausztria kapcsolatainak tôrténetéhez, 1956-1964. (Documents on the History of Austro-Hungarian Relations 1956-1964). Budapest, 2000. p. 71. Heinrich, Hans-Georg: Die Entwicklung der österreichisch-ungarischen Beziehungen, ln: Zdenêk, Mlynâr (Projektleiter): Die Beziehungen zwischen Österreich und Ungarn: Sonderfall oder Modell? Österreichisches Institut für Internationale Politik. Wien 1985. p. II- 46. here p. 31. 229
