Hungarian Heritage Review, 1991 (20. évfolyam, 1-11. szám)
1991-02-01 / 2. szám
Ambasador of the Republic of Hungary to the United States of America: HIS EXCELLENCY PETER ZWACK (Editor's Note: No longer a naturalized citizen of the United States, the subject of this profile may not meet our long-establish criteria for inclusion in this section. Nevertheless, we felt that he meets it because he once was a citizen, and because he seems to be "Americanized" judging by the way he is doing his job as the official representative of the new Republic of Hungary in the U.S.) Exemplifying the strange twists-and-turns of fate which influence the destinies of mortal men, is His Excellency Peter Zwack, the new Ambassador of the Republic of Hungary to the United States of America. For, in his case, he went from Hungarian industrialist to Hungarian refugee, from Hungarian refugee to naturalized American citizen, from naturalized American citizen to successful businessman, from successful American businessman to Hungarian citizen, and from Hungarian citizen to Ambassador of the Republic of Hungary to the United States of America! While the strange twistsand-turns of fate tossed him from here to there and back again, the man now responsible for the diplomatic representation of his country in America managed to become educated in Hungary, Switzerland, Italy, and here in the United States. He also speaks Hungarian, English, Italian, German, and French fluently. What's more, his eldest son is a Captain in the United States Army! To be sure, Peter Zwack can be regarded as American as "Apple Pie" in spite of his having renounced his American citizenship! Peter Zwack was born in Budapest on May 21 st, 1934, the scion of a prominent Hungarian family, who founded J. Zwack & Company in 1840, Hungary's largest and best-known distrillery for the production of a digestive liquor called "Unicum" which, in time, became world famous. This product was based upon a secret recipe dating back to 1790, and remains "top secret" to this very day. Even when the Communists jackbooted their way into power in Hungary in 1948, and confiscated J. Zwack & Company in the hope of reaping a huge dollar-harvest, they couldn't produce the liquor because by then the Zwack family had escapted with the secret recipe for it to Italy and, later on, emigrated with it to the United States. When he arrived in the United States, Peter Zwack did what he had to do to make a living: he went to work and worked hard at the various jobs he was able to get until, in time, he emerged as a successful businessman. Along the way, he got married and became the father of five children born in Chicago and in New York, all of whom, of course, are American-born citizens of Hungarian descent! During this time, he, too, became a naturalized American citizen and, in the refugee-wake of the Soviet crushed Hungarian Revolution of 1956, helped to raise funds for the "First Aid for Hungary" organization headed up by Herbert Hoover and Sargent Shriver. Unfortunately, however, his mariage didn't work out and, in 1970, he returned to Europe and settled in Florence, Italy, to take care of his family's interests. Remarried there, he became the father of two more children, both Italianborn. In 1987, he became the first Hungarian-born industrialist to return to his native country from exile. Two years later, he bought back his family's confiscated properties, including J. Zwack & Company, thereby paving-theway for others to do the same. Once again, J. Zwack & Company was back in business producing "Unicum", whose label during the Communist regime had served as a symbol of the resistance. In 1989, he was elected Chairman of the government-sponsored, "Enterprise Fund", established to help develop small and medium-sized, private and corporate enterprises. Then, on July 4th, came the big step: Peter Zwack was appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Hungary to the United States of America, after having been obliged to renounce his American citizenship. This, as he readily admits, was not an easy thing for him to do! Judging by the numerous press interviews he has given, and by what he has said in public While making appearances before Hungarian audiences throughout the United States, the "HHR'S" assessment of His Excellency Peter Zwack's intentions, above and beyond his diplomatic responsibilities, are to promote ORGANIZED GOODWILL toward the new Republic of Hungary; to encourage private and corporate investments in the Hungarian economy; and to help stimulate greater interest in, as well as active involvement in, the promotion of cultural activities. Where he has demonstrated his "Americanization" and of how things get done here in the U.S., is in his advocacy of lifting the "languagebarrier" in order to make it possible for American-born citizens of Hungarian descent, who outnumber the Hungarian-born in America by far, to become active in Hungarian community life. And, in this advocacy, he has the unqualified endorsement and support of the Hungarian Heri—continued next page 14 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE REVIEW FEBRUARY 1991
