Hungarian Heritage Review, 1987 (16. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1987-07-01 / 7. szám
;Nefaj0 ^Nuggets BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - The rhetorical “Battle of Transylvania” between Hungary and Rumania has evidently heated up to a degree unprecedented between member-states of the Soviet-bloc. What brought the longsuppressed resentment on the part of Hungary out into the open and triggered the recent polemical outburst between Budapest and Bucharest, was the publication by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences of a three-volume “History of Transylvania”. Compiled by a team of historians and chief-edited by the Hungarian Minister of Culture, Bela Kopeczi, the major work appeared with the official stamp of approval of the government. This audacity scratched the tender sensibilities of governmental officials in Rumania, who promptly denounced the Hungarian version of the history of Transylvania as “a falsification of history” and proceeded to circulate several vitriolic press releases of condemnation. One of these, under the title of “A Conscious Forgery of History Under the Aegis of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences” and, the other, under the title of “Deliberate Falsification of History: Method and Style”. In rebuttal, a spokesman for the Hungarian Government issued a formal condemnation of the Government of President Nicolae Ceausescu “for causing disturbances in cooperation between two neighboring socialist countries”. The first round in the “Battle of Transylvania” is over. While “Round Two” is being cranked up, there has been a sudden increase in Budapest visitations by Soviet “top brass”. A representative of the Rumanian Government has also been dispatched to Budapest to do some talking. It will be interesting to see whether there will be a “Round Two” and, if so, how it will be stage-managed. Meanwhile, the fate of about 2,000,000 Hungarians in Transylvania — the largest ethnic minority in all of Europe — is still at stake. JAMAICA, NEW YORK - St. John’s University has announced the Fall (1987) schedule of its “College Europa” program. “College Europa” is the university’s study abroad program for undergraduate students based in Budapest. It provides a full semester of study and travel, within Hungary and through a 21-day educational tour of three other nations. For the Fall 1987, these countries are Austria, Italy, and Greece. Students may enroll in 12-18 semester hours of credit selected from course offerings in a variety of disciplines. Classes are conducted in English by an outstanding faculty drawn from the top ranks of the three major universities in Budapest: Technical University, Eötvös Lorand University (Arts and Sciences), and the University of Economics. Faculty members are outstanding scholars in their respective fields and many have served as Visiting Professors at major colleges and universities in the United States. An important objective for St. John’s University is to provide an educational experience through the design of “College Europa", which emphasizes similarities and contrasts between East and West. Hungary, as an East Central European country of developing economic, political, and social contrasts, contributes significantly toward the program’s and the University’s goals. The educational tour component to three other countries of Europe (Italy, Austria, and Greece) completes the multi-dimensional learning experience which is “College Europa”. Financial assistance for qualified students is available. For more information, contact: Mrs. Jeanne Mallon, Assistant Director, Student Recruitment Services, St. John's University, Jamaica, New York 11439 (Tel: 718-900-6114). CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA - The HUNGARIAN HERITAGE REVIEW is always saddened when it learns of the passing of Hungarians, who were once well-known in the Hungarian community in America, and continues to be disturbed by the large number of “old-timers” who have gone to their eternal rest during the past 12 months alone. More recently, we were informed by a reader about the death of 86-year-old Irma Komarik, the former operatic singer with the “Zsa Zsa Gabor” accent, who spent the later years of her life as an active member of her local Hungarian community. Then, we learned about the passing of 84-year-old Ervin Nyíregyházi out in Los Angeles, California, who, at the age of only 2 began to play the piano, composed music at the age of 4, and then went on, like Franz Liszt, to perform before European royalty. The subject of a study by Dr. Géza Revesz, the director of Amsterdam’s Psychological Laboratory, who later published his findings under the title of “The Psychology of a Musical Prodigy”, this “reincarnation” of the immortal Franz Liszt, who made his American debut at Carnegie Hall in 1920, died in relative obscurity and poverty, never having been able to realize his great potential as a Master of traditional romantics. BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA -Judging by the number of “Neo- Pagans”, who gathered chantingly together at the Julia Morgan Theater here to practice their particular brand of witchcraft, Neo-Paganism is alive and well in the United States. At this particular coven, for example, the exalted “Mistress of Ceremonies” was Zsuzsanna Budapest (a.k.a. “Z"). An avowed witch, who is also the “Chief Wiccan” of Susan B. Anthony Coven Number 1, Madame “Z” from Budapest claims that she is the direct descendant of a line of Hungarian witches dating back 700 years. A 1956-er, Madame “Z” claims that it was “witch power” that sparked the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and toppled the huge statue of Stalin. She also prophesizes that this insane world’s military-industrial complex will “die in its own fat”. Too bad, Bela Lugosi isn’t around to “Dracula-ize” the national network of Neo-Pagan covens! 6 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE REVIEW JULY 1987
