William Penn Life, 2016 (51. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

2016-10-01 / 10. szám

Faces of freedom

Steven & Emerencia Banai

by Joyce E. Nicholson

Steven Banai was a person who, like many Hungarians, was opinionated and believed that Hungary could be a better place separated from Russian rule or somehow existing with a different political mind set than that of the oppressive Soviet government. In the 1950s in his hometown, he was concerned with trying to organize and do the right things; he was involved in local politics and with running staples to the Freedom Fighters in Budapest.

Steven, 31, and his wife, Emerencia, 33, were from a town called Tapolca which was near the northwestern border of Lake Balaton close to Austria. In October 1956, the people of Hungary stood up against Soviet repression. The uprising was nearly successful, but the Soviet Union reestablished its control and quickly quashed the revolution. Many Hungarians fled for their lives and migrated to other countries.

Steven and Emerencia attempted to stay in their homeland. But, they soon realized the severity of the situation and that the revolution wasn't going in the direction they had hoped. Leaving Hungary had become absolutely necessary.

On a moment's notice on Tuesday, Nov. 20, they decided to leave with a group of others in a dump truck heading for the Austrian border. They hired a guide to lead them, all 13 of them hiding in the dump truck, traveling the rough, bumpy roads to the edge of the woods where they disembarked from the truck and continued their journey by foot through the woods.

It was about a 15- to 20-mile hike in the middle of the night with two toddlers aged 6 and 3. (A baby girl, Judy, would soon be added to the family.) Their progress was slowed by man-made waterways and creeks, deterrents set-up by the Russians to impede their escape. Apparently, some who had traveled this path before had cut down trees so others fleeing the crisis would be able to cross the waterways, balancing on the tree trunk while holding hands.

Just as the group had almost reached the border, they were confronted by soldiers. If they were Russian soldiers, they could have been shot. Luckily for them, they were Hungarian soldiers who made them renounce their citizenship in order to travel onward.

As they made their way to the border, there were Austrian people who welcomed them. They put them on buses, gave them blankets and food along with assurances they were safe and promises to help them in any way they could.

One of the things Steven preserved throughout his life was a document given to the refugees as they entered Austria. It reflects Austria's welcoming attitude in 1956. It was a whole dialogue directed to Hungarians as they were coming out of the upheaval they had experienced and entering into the waiting arms of the supportive Austrians.

This document spoke about things that meant a lot to him — it was the beginning of freedom for him and his family. It described the churches of Austria and how they embraced the passion and freedom the Hungarians were seeking, and identified the extreme trauma felt in leaving their homeland. The leaflet provided by the Austrians, was written in Hungarian so they could feel welcomed and seek assistance from the many churches, consulates, and organizations that were listed there. The Banais were in Austria approximately a month.

Eisenhower had just won the presidential election in 1956, with Nixon as his vice president. Eisenhower sent Nixon to Vienna to find out what was going on with the Hungarians and the revolution. In November, the U.S. had accepted about 50,000 refugees, and that was the limit. Other refugees would be sent to different countries. However, based on Nixon's report to Eisenhower, another

50,000 were allowed to immigrate to the U.S. The U.S. grasped that those who were truly interested in attempting to save and redirect the political culture and attitude of Hungary, such as the Freedom Fighters, were now also trying to escape. The U.S. was endeavoring to send refugees to other countries' consulates, but Emerencia was adamant, she only wanted to go to America.

ABOVE: Emerencia and Steven Banai on their wedding day. OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP: The welcoming pamphlet the Banai family received upon their arrival in Austria. BOTTOM: Steven Banai and his sons, Stephen and Alexander, after crossing the border into Austria in 1956.

18 0 October 2016 0 WILLIAM PENN LIFE