Századok – 2013
TANULMÁNYOK - Demmel József: "Magyarország fölvidéke Magyarország szívéhez még jobban csatolva lesz". A magyar politikai elit, a szlovák politikai gondolkodók és a szlovák-magyar viszony 1860-1861-ben V/1221
A MAGYAR ÉS A SZLOVÁK POLITIKAI ELIT 1860-1861-BEN 1253 PEACE BETWEEN NATIONALITIES, FRIENDSHIP OF NATIONS OR THE REINTEGRATION OF A DISSIDENT GROUP? The Hungarian Political Elite and the Slovak Political Thinkers in 1860-1861 by József Demmel Summary The period which lasted from the autumn of 1860 to the summer of 1861 is frequently characterised by the scholarly literature as an idyllic moment, when the Hungarian-Slovak relationship came closest to a definitive agreement. József Justh can be regarded as one of the key figures of this period, for on the one hand he was a Hungarian nobleman and an outstandig member of the second rank of the Hungarian political elite, and on the other hand, as a Lutheran with the Slovak as his mother tongue he maintained a close and confidential relationship with the leaders of the Slovak national movement. Justh participated in June 1861 to the Slovak memorandum-assembly of Turócszentmárton, where the fundamental document of Slovak national politics was drafted. It appears from the present study that despite his career as a Hungarian politician Justh defined himself there as a member of the Slovak nation, and not only identified himself with the text of the memorandum but also took an active part in its elaboration. This attempt at mediation, however, was aimed not at establishing peace between the nationalities, but at the reintegration to Hungary of Slovak national society, then already on the road leading to separation. But, despite the mediation of Justh, the memorandum resulted in a sharper opposition than before, a clear indication that the intellectual-political leaders of the two national communities cherished ideas with regard to the past and future of their respective groups which were already incompatible.
