Calvin Synod Herald, 1992 (92. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)

1992-01-01 / 1. szám

CALVIN SYNOD HERALD- 5 —

REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA

WHY IS TRANSYLVANIA, CARPATHO-UKRAIN AND THE REST SO IMPORTANT TO US?

Those not familiar with Hungary’s history ask a very basic question: “Why the fuss over Hungarians in Romania, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and the Soviet Union?” Why don’t those people simply accept the nationality of the country they are in?”

Accordingly, the whole northern area of Hungary was given to the newly created “democratic” state of Czechoslovakia (areas I and II on the map), the whole eastern area given to Romania (area III), the southern area given to Yugoslavia (area IV), and a

But for the members of the Hungarian (Magyar) people, this is not a possibility. The circumstances which caused Hungarians to be in Romania, Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia were not chosen by those people: they were thrust upon them by political decisions from outside.

As a result of the defeat of Austria- Hungary following World War I, historic Hungary was partitioned by the western powers so as to weaken any potential political power she might ever have. This was an over-kill, since Hungary had been ruled by Austria prior to the war, and had no real decision-making power, nor political power.

In the partitioning of Hungary, much (approximately two-thirds) of her land area was taken from her, and of course along with the land, the people living on the land. The rationale was that there were other nationalities living in those areas also; the political realities were that the victorious powers divided the spoils to their own political advantage, and “Hungary” was the “spoils” which others divided.

small portion on the western border given to Austria (area V). In each of these new areas, the rights of minority nationalities and ethnic groups was “guaranteed” by international treaties. In practice, these rights never fully flowered, as the newly-created nations attempted to eliminate ethnic minority influence and consolidate power. (Following World War II, the Soviet Union “annexed” the eastern area given to Czechoslovakia /area II/, as a result there are Hungarians now living in the Soviet Union.)

Following the partition (annexations), millions of Hungarians found themselves under foreign rule. Though they resided in the same houses, the same villages, which had belonged to their ancestors for centuries, suddenly they no longer lived in Hungary. Some of these areas had been Hungarian for a thousand years, their cemeteries containing fifteen, perhaps twenty generations of their ancestors; the local church records were introduced. The partition brought with it the promise of “protection of national language and tradition”, and most Hungarians no place to go anyway.

The new Hungary, sixty-six percent smaller than it had been, could not have absorbed the millions of Hungarians now living outside its borders. However, it was able to absorb a number who were displaced by the new governments on these areas of Hungarian soil; 80,000 Hungarians left Yugoslavia for Hungary, 120,000 went from Czechoslovakia to Hungary. In addition, countless tens of thousands went to Western Europe, North and South America, any place which would accept them.

However, several million stayed where they were born, now strangers in their own lands. In many areas, they were the only ethnic group, in some areas the predominate ethnic group. But this was their land, and their rights as a nationality had been guaranteed them by those western powers which drew new political boundries.

Then came World War II. The new governments which came in place all over Eastern Europe were even more persecutionary toward these peoples, these Hungarians. Minority rights were eliminated, Hungarian language publications and schools ceased to exist. Hungarians feared to speak their native tongue, and Hungarianlanguage printed materials almost disappeared.

In the last four decades great strides have been made in every area, with the exception of Romania, where the government has become increasingly repressive toward all its people, with an emphasis on minorities, and Hungarians in particular.

Officially estimated at 1.7 million by the Romanian government, in fact there are 2.1 to 2.5 million Hungarians living in Romania today, fully 10% of the population of the country.

These two-million plus Hungarian’s concern is to live on their own ancesteral lands, speak their mother toungue, and have a history and tradition which they have inherited. It is a right which was guaranteed them by political entities, reaffirmed by the Helsinki Accords, and a right which speaks of basic humanity, as men deal with each other.

Karoly Kalman Ludwig