Hungarian Studies Newsletter, 1978 (6. évfolyam, 16-18. szám)

1978 / 16. szám

The decision to bring Hungary into the Christian community involved the country in the power struggle between the Pope and the Emperor. Resistance among the magnates to “German Christianity” led Stephen to turn to the Pope for a crown. “The sending of a royal crown by Sylvester II to Stephen of Hungary had been a conscious act by the Roman pontiff.” The independence thus asserted was endangered in the years following Stephen’s death, but King Andrew restored the laws and institutions initiated by Stephen and pursued a generally anti-German policy by establishing contacts with both, non-German courts in Europe and the Byzantine Church.

The delicate balance between the traditional forces and the Christian church broke down under Andrew’s brother and successor, Bela I and deteriorated even more under Solomon, Andrew’s son. Ladislas, who became king in 1077, continued a propapal and anti-German policy, although by the early 1090’s he was emphasizing his royal prerogatives in ecclesiastical matters also. Ladislas emphasized the close collaboration between the king and the hierarchy and all inhabitants of the realm.

The author is Assoc. Prof, of History at Texas A&M U. CH

Congdon, Lee, “Karl Mannheim as Philosopher,” Journal of European Studies VII (1977) 1-18.

Karl Mannheim was attracted to the “counter culture,” represented by the Nyugat and the Huszadik Század, although he was not drawn to the positivist outlook represented by the latter. His chief mentor was Georg Luka'cs, and he became associated with the short-lived journal, A Szellem. These men looked toward German idealism and believed that the soul (spirit) could be confronted only through the various forms of “human thought and action.” In 1915, Mannheim began to attend the Saturday afternoon discussions on metaphysics at the home of Béla Balázs. These afternoons led to a series of lectures in 1917. In these, Mannheim advocated a revival of metaphysical idealism as a means of reversing the alienation of the soul from the cultural form. In 1919 Mannheim left Hungary for Germany, but he continued to develop the ideas of the Szellem. The work of Béla Zalai was particularly important in the evolution of Mannheim’s epistemology which led to his conclusion in Ideology and Utopia that a new approach to knowledge was needed, namely a historical ontology.

The author is Prof, of History at Madison Coll. Harrisonburg, Va. □

Munkachy, Louis, “The Significance of Zoltán Kodály to the Hungarian Nation,” The Eighth Tribe V:2 (February 1978) 3-5.

The author, who studied under Kodály gives a first-hand account on Kodály’s dreams and activities. He wished “to create and promote music that was Hungarian and modern at the same time." He succeeded by collecting folk songs with Béla Bartók just before the impact of the mass media undermined the last vestiges of musical tradition. He and his associates successfully fed back the “new” music into the society at large, constituting a serious competition to popular “Gypsy music” which romanticized alleged national values. In developing a special method for teaching music appreciation, Kodály became responsible for the creation of thousands of choral groups and ensembles in Budapest alone, and for the music appreciation of millions of people the world over. “Kodály became a symbol for everything that

is noble and true in the Hungarian tradition."

The author is on the faculty of Duquesne U. O

Balassa, Bela, "The Economic Reform in Hungary Ten Years After,” Working Papers in Economics #36, published by the Dept, of Political Economy, The Johns Hopkins U., December 1977. 33 pages, table, biblio. (mimeo)

The author explains how the new economic mechanism led to improvements in the efficiency of the Hungarian economy as reflected in the acceleration of productivity growth. The first five years of the reform saw a gradual change toward liberalization, a trend which has slowed until recently. Hungary needs to expand its exports, especially to the West, “in order to pay for imports necessary for raising the technological level” of the industry. Such expansion would put new emphasis on the role of profits as production incentives and as source of investment financing. Central intervention must be limited. Steps have been made and the need for further changes has been recognized by the government. “This is reflected in the October 25,1977 party resolution which provides general guidelines for freeing prices and giving greater freedom of decision-making to firm managers.”

The author is Prof, of Political Economy at the Johns Hopkins U. O

Eddie, Scott M. “The Terms and Patterns of Hungarian Foreign Trade, 1882-1913,” Journal of Economic History,

XXXVII: 2 (June 1977) 329-358.

The study focuses on the historical controversy concerning the effects of the common external policy of Austro-Hungary and its customs union. The customs frontier between Austria and Hungary was lifted when Austria occupied Hungary after the abortive revolution of 1848-1849. Subsequently, “The early years of the Dual Monarchy saw Austria-Hungary drawn more fully into the free competition of the world market than in any period before or since.” But by the end of the century strong neoprotectionist tendencies appeared. Traditional exchange of food for Austrian industrial products was maintained but the reverse of this pattern became true in Hungary’s trade with the rest of the world. Political forces, especially Austrian farmers and Hungarian industrialists ai med at separation, and these strivings had an adverse affect on economic integration. In spite of such pressure, the economic union between Austria and Hungary was never dissolved, the threat of independent tariff for Hungary was never carried out, the customs union remained intact, and the free movement of capital, labor, a single currency and common central bank continued. The study shows that “the manufacturing sector in Hungary adapted quickly and well to the economic conditions it faced outside the monarchy. Whether the much larger traditional export sector, agriculture plus milling, could have adapted as quickly (and without enormous costs of transition) to an unprotected market cannot be known.”

Eddie is Prof, of Economics at the U. of Toronto and author, of a related article: "Cui bono? Magyarország és a dualista Monarchia védó'vámpolitikája” (Cui Bono? Protectionist tariff policies of Hungary and the Dual Monarchy) Történelmi Szemle 1976: 1-2, 156-166. □

Lekai, Louis J. “Medieval Cistercians and their Social Environment; the Case of Hungary,” Analecta Cisterciensia XXXII: 1-2 (Jan.-Dee., 1976) 251-280.

NO. 16, 1978 HUNGARIAN STUDIES NEWSLETTER

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