The Eighth Hungarian Tribe, 1985 (12. évfolyam, 1-11. szám)

1985-10-01 / 10. szám

FERENC F. SAJGÓ:

THE HUNGARIAN LIFE-LINE

Dr. Szathmary is one of the most wellknown Hungarians in the USA. Also, in this magazine, there were several articles published about him. The May, 1984 and January, 1985 issues about his businesses and activities, praise his achievements and generosity. Despite the many articles written in American and Hungarian papers, several facts are unknown to us. István Fekete, Jr., a reporter of the Chicago es Kornyéké (Chicago and Vicinity) had a rare opportunity to interview Dr. Szathmary. The most important parts of the interview are reproduced for our readers.

The interview was not about what Szathmary did or does for a living or how wealthy he is or how many honors he received. The interview was about what Szathmary thinks, what makes him happy, how he spends his time for pleasure.

We learned from the interview what Szathmary thinks as a Hungarian and an American. His views are quite different from those views expressed by many Hungarians living in America. He does not believe in the success of the “emigráció”. (I believe, he meant “emigráció” living in exile F.F.S.) He expressed, not recently, but as long as twenty years ago, that according to his views the “emigráció” is not capable to survive. The only way to survive for an ethnic group is living in diaspora. In diaspora, the individual becomes a part of the American society, but it maintains the awareness of being a Hungarian. Living in diaspora, an ethnic group is capable to preserve its identity for thousands of years. He brought up the Jews as an example.

He dealt with another fundamental problem of most of the Hungarians living outside of Hungary. The pressing question is: Is it possible to transfer the consciousness of being Hungarian to the next generation without teaching them the Hungarian language? Szathmary’s answer was: “Yes”. He said, “The mother language is a secondary factor, almost meaningless, in the diaspora. The roots can be preserved, the awareness of being Hungarian can be kept alive without speaking Hungarian.” His opinion is, “That individual, who blends into the American society and becomes successful, and proud of being a Page 4

Hungarian, that person can and will transfer the Hungarian awareness to his or her children even if they speak barely or not any Hungarian. Those children will not be a loss for the Hungarians”.

Fekete did not agree with Szathmary on this point. In supporting his view Szathmary said: “I met several dozen people who expressed themselves in eloquent English, telling me, that they are fourth and fifth generations of Hungarian Americans; they know only a few Hungarian words, but they always considered themselves as being Hungarians. They are proud of the Hungarian culture and history.” (Nothing else can support Szathmary’s view more forcefully that the results of Census 1980, close to 1,800,000 Americans aknowledge their Hungarian ancestry.)

Szathmary is convinced that the common culture and awareness of the ethnic heritage are the primary factors which hold together the people in diaspora. He not only preaches his views, but also practices them. He works 16-18 hours a day and he finds time to promote the Hungarian cause. He organizes and sponsors four cultural presentations a year. He helps to publish Hungarian books in both Hungarian and English. “I do not play golf”, he said, “I do not go to the horseraces. I do not chase women, but I am happy when a book can be published with my financial help, when I invite a writer, a poet or an artist from Hungary or from Transylvania and be able to reward them with decent honorarium.”

Szathmary is a passionate collector of old Hungarian or Hungarian-related curiousities. He discovered many Hungarian related oddities which bypassed the attention of others. He discovered that the books by Maurice (Mor) Jokay were best sellers in the USA at the turn of the century. He found out the three editors published Jokay’s books simultaneously, at the same time, and sued each other for the rights for further publications.

He found that the reproductions of the painting “íme az ember” (Jesus in front of Pilate) by the world famous Hungarian painter, Mihály Munkácsy, hung in millions of American homes around the turn of the century. He saw in a magazine of 1900, a full page advertisement with Munkácsy’s portrait. The advertiser used Munkácsy ’s picture in promoting the nationwide sell of the reproductions.

His merit is the discovery that the all time most famous cookbook was written

by a Hungarian in 1587. The author, Marx Rumpold, a cook of the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, whose name apparently was an adopted one, wrote in the preface of the book, “I am a Hungarian and fled from the Turks to German land.”

At the end of the interview Szathmary told to Fekete, “Write without considering our friendship, do not mince words, write about me as we were strangers.”

"REMEMBERING WALLENBERG”

In the last issue of the Washingtoni Krónika (Washington Chronicle) a full page is dedicated to the memory of Raoul Wallenberg and to the events related to the tragic period when Wallenberg was the Swedish envoy to Hungary. The three part report contains several points of interest.

Wallenberg arrived to Budapest in the summer of 1944, upon the request of the USA government. His assignment was to save the Hungarian Jews from being deported to Germany. Wallenberg, the 32 year old career diplomat, with excellent skill and knowledge was able to upset Adolf Eichman’s plans of “final solution”, which meant the destruction of the Hungarian Jews. Many Jews were saved by giving them Swedish citizenships. Thomas Lantos, congressman from California, who was 16 at that time is one of those whose life was saved by having a Swedish passport issued by Wallenberg. Lantos did not forget Wallenberg. He and his wife, Anetta, also a Hungarian, were supporters of the motion which resulted in conferring Honorary USA Citizenship upon Wallenberg. Before that, only one person was distinguished with Honorary Citizenship, and that was Winston Churchill.

Wallenberg’s fate is unknown. He disappeared in January, 1945, when he tried to contact the Soviet authorities.

The second part of the report deals with the reaction provoked by the film made about Wallenberg. In it, a part of the letter written by Professor Karoly Nagy, is disclosed, which is reprinted in the continuation as such.

...“NBC’s Wallengerg: A Hero’s Story, was a moving drama about the courage of a moral man.” ...“NBC’s four-hour documentary was unfortunately unfair to Hungarians. It protrayed parts of the truth but failed to offer the whole truth Eighth Hungarian Tribe