Amerikai Magyar Újság, 2006 (42. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

Short history

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE HUNGARIAN AMERICAN MONTHLY

“The Baltimore-based Hungarian American Monthly began its run in June, 1964 under the name “Értesítő,” or “Reporter.” It served quite like an information bureau for local Hungarians. Its name was changed in 1975 and became a monthly newsletter. Since then its editor has been József Soós and its chief contributer György Stirling. For a time another chief contributor was Ilona Stolmár. Other contributors have been Sándor Domokos, Tibor Flórián, Endre Haraszti, Albert Wass, Rezső Dabas, Sándor Krupa, Endre Nánay and Géza Szentmiklósy Éles. At the same time, Mr. Stirling wrote his pieces for and edited the “Független Magyar Hírszolgálat” (Independent Hungarian News Service) newspaper. The Hungarian Monthly permanent column, “Magyar tajak— Magyar történelem,” (Hungarian World—Hungarian History) was a very useful piece. The name of the paper changed once again at the end of 1995. The Baltimore-i Értesítő and Amerikai Magyar Értesítő has since been known as the Amerikai Magyar Újság (American Hungarian Journal), without change in editorial combinations.... In character, it is a strongly political organ corresponding with the political outlook of its readership.”

(Gyula Borbándi: Emmigration and Hungary, 1996, pp. 171-172; and The Biography of Hungarian Emigrants, 1985, p. 325.

After the 1956 revolution, as the Hungarian refugees reached Baltimore, the previously settled generation of Hungarians established an ad hoc committee to welcome them. Among them was a young priest who found a place among the refugees, conducting mass for them once a month. After the mass, the committee’s leader would give a speech or presentation to the newly arrived Hungarians (Catholics and non-Catholics alike), acquainting them with American traditions and lifestyle. After a couple of years, our meeting place was sold and the priest was transferred to Canada. The gatherings came to an end. Through our request the bishop found another Hungarian priest, also a 1956 refugee, who was teaching at a Catholic college in Pennsylvania, and who assumed the duty of the monthly mass. He drove an hour and a half, in winter and in summer. We met for an hour in the afternoon at the so-called Old Cathedral. But unfortunately there was no room to meet after the mass.

The cathedral, in the Roman style, was the first Catholic cathedral in the United States. After the end of the mass we stood out among the columns and talked, in the heat of the summer and the cold of winter, sometimes for hours. It was everyone’s opinion that after mass we needed a place to meet. Amid these conversations I came to the conclusion that we needed an organization, and everyone would be happy to have a hall where meetings could be held. These conversations produced the following: I called ten to fifteen people, an “elite,” and asked, if an organization could be founded, to elect them to take on the part the leadership. Nearly everyone said yes. In June, after a round of phone calls, we gathered in the home Dr. Mihály Bartalos, a 1956 refugee. The participants entrusted me with the task of establishing the organization’s elections, to which I agreed, so that in an orderly fashion a monthly candidate guide could be distributed, a post office box could be established, and bank account could be open. The others agreed to this. The newsletter’s