Hungarian Heritage Review, 1991 (20. évfolyam, 1-11. szám)
1991-09-01 / 9. szám
Dear Sirs: Enclosed is my one year subscription renewal plus a contribution to the "HHR Benefit Fund". I only wish that my grandparents and father were still alive, that I might share and enjoy the Hungarian Heritage Review with them. Although their ancestors were amongst those Zimmermans from Germany, who sailed down the Danube River on rafts in the early 1700's and settled in Kisszékely, Tolna, and farther south in Slatinick, Slavonia, as far as they were concerned they were Hungarian by birth and only German through ethnic origins. So, while standing on Fisherman's Bastion and overlooking the Danube while on a brief visit to Budapest in 1984,1 was struck by the romantic, if not nostalgic, urge to try and trace my heritage in Hungary and back up the Danube. Since then, scanning birth, death, and marriage microfilms at the LSD Genealogical Research Library in Independence, Missouri, has provided me with some information. However, although there is no problem translating the records when written in German or Latin, the records which are written in Hungarian are nearly impossible. The LDS doesn't seem to offer any help with Hungarian terminology, as it applies to these statistical records. I wonder if the Hungarian Heritage Review is in a position to offer any suggestions for doing Hungarian genealogical research or refer one to a source who can be of assistance? Also, could anyone advise me where I might locate a detailed, historical map of tum-of-the-century Hungary, which would include the frontier province of Slavonia with the city and village names that were used at that time? Best wishes and continued success with the Hungarian Heritage Review! Barbara Zimmerman Baker Leeton, Missouri (EDITOR'S NOTE: For genealogical assistance, write to: Kathy Karocki, 124 Esther Street, Toledo, Ohio 43605, whose article on the subject will be published in our next issue. About the map, contact: Puski-Corvin, 251 E. 82nd Street, New York, N.Y. 10028.) ********** Dear Mr. Pulitzer: Thank you very much for the back issue of HHR which you sent with notice of my subscription. Thanks also for the reprints which you included. I was introduced to HHR by Esther de Ipolyi, here in Houston. She let me borrow all of her back issues and I have been xeroxing articles for my collection. I am particularly interested in Hungarian history during the period before the Turkish occupation. It is very difficult to find such material in translation. I am trying to teach myself Hungarian, with the aid of a very good textbook, excellent tapes and some of the local Hungarians. I do belong to the Houston Hungarian group 0, but most of their functions in the past have been solely conducted in Hungarian. We have new leadership now which recognizes that not everyone speaks Hungarian and that people of Hungarian descent are proud of it and want to be part of the culture, therefore they make an effort to include us by translating the monthly bulletin into English and at least giving a synopsis, in English, of what is said at the meetings. I will be making my third trip to Hungary (the first since the end of communism) in the Fall. I hope to try out my meager Hungarian and to learn a lot more. If I find anything interesting, perhaps I will write a little piece for HHR. I will be going at least as far as Sarospatek - perhaps the Rákóczi castle would be a good subject to photograph and write about! I will tell my friends and relatives about HHR. Andrew M. Gombos, Jr. Houston, Texas (EDITOR'S NOTE: It is very encouraging, indeed, to know that the Houston Hungarian Group's new leadership has realized that bi-lingualism is the "key" to survival and growth. The "HHR" firmly believes that unless American-born citizens of Hungarian descent are brought into the mainstream of Hungarian community life, and the language-barrier is lifted to permit it, the days of a viable Hungarian community in America are numbered.) Dear Mr. Pulitzer: I greatly appreciate your efforts to continue publishing in spite of adversity and to help try to revitalize the Hungarian community. I wish more Hungarian- Americans realized how fortunate we are to have the HHR! Patricia Takacs Lynhurst, Ohio SEPTEMBER 1991 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE REVIEW 3
