Hungarian Studies Newsletter, 1984 (12. évfolyam, 39-42. szám)

1984 / 39-40. szám

neither the term ‘conservative’ nor ‘radical rightist’ (or ‘fascist’) isentirely accurateorappropriate. Ineffect, Horthy was a new kind of political creature, a kind of link between the two basic varieties of right-wing ideology. On most issues Horthy was to stand firmly on the side of the traditional conservatives” in a system that was basically pluralistic in nature. The author is prof, of history at the U. of Cincinnati. D

Sozan, Michael, “Mate Selection throughout History in an European Ethnic Community." East European Quarterly 17:2(summer 1983)229-250.

This study is based on anthropological field research conducted for a year (1973-4) at the village of Unterwart (AlsóŐr) in Burgenland. The author is concerned with changing patterns of mate selection by Magyars throughout history in the part Eastern Austria, called Burgenland, which was an intergral part of Hungary for centuries. The principal forces influencing mate selection include changes from dominant group status to that of an ethnic island surrounded by German and Croatian speaking Austrians. “Once a highly homogeneous group of warrior-peasants, Magyars adopted the value system of post World War II Austria. Village endogamy is being replaced by exogamy, conservatism by receptivity toward modernization, and inter-ethnic strife by a greater tolerance toward other ethnic groups. The over-all result is that ethnic stability in a once highly predictable pluralist nation is threatened, and by implication, the cultural diversity of East Central Europe will undergo radical change.” The author focuses on this phenomenon and studies its implications in the village under investigation. The author is assoc, prof, of sociology and anthropology at Slippery Rock, State Coll. □

Szendrey,Thomas, “Hungarian-American Theatre.” In Ethnic Theatre in the United States, ed. by Maxine Seller, Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1983, pp. 191-220.

Historians tell us that the earliest manifestation of organized cultural activity by Hungarian immigrants can be traced back to the 1850s. The first Hungarian play on record in the U.S. was Ferenc Csepreghy’s A szökött katona (The Deserter), presented in New York City in 1869. This and other plays must have pleased the audience because the idea soon spread to most major Hungarian settlements. István Gabor, secretary of the Verhovay Association called on Cleveland Hungarians in the March 1891 issue of Az Amerikai Nemzetőr to foster theatrical life. After 1914 cultural activities became increasingly institutionalized. In terms of content, theatrical taste was related to contemporary conditions in the U.S. Folk play and operetta constituted 90% of all productions. After a decline of activities during World War II, the theatrical efforts did not surpass their prewar level, due mainly to demographic changes in the Hungarian population and to the competition of films and television. The some 40,000 refugees of 1956 brought a new appetite and direction to cultural activities, and for a while stages came to life again. Nevertheless, the 1970s saw a marked decline in Hungarian amateur theater. The author concludes his study with a survey of relationships between Hungarian and American theaters. The author is prof, of history at Gannon Coll. □

Assessment of the Brooklyn College Program on Society in Change. Two appraisals of Bela K. Kiraly’s program on Society in Change appeared recently, one in the U.S. and one in Hungary. A review by John H. Beeler was published in the October 1983 (pp. 141-3) issue of Military Affairs under

NO. 39-40, SPRING-SUMMER 1984 HUNGARIAN STUDIES NEWSLETTER

the title “The State of the Art — Recent Scholarship in Late Medieval and Early Modern Military History.” The assessment in Hungary appeared in Hungarológiai oktatás régen és ma (Education in Hungarian Studies in the Past and the Present). Budapest: Tankönyv kiadó, 1983. D

AASHH NEWS

The December 1983 issue of the American Association for the Study of Hungarian History newsletter contains a wealth of professional news about the activities of members and, in general, on Hugarian-related scholarly work. It reports on the annual meeting of the AASHH held in conjunction with the 98th annual meeting of the American Historical Association, at San Francisco in December 1983. The business meeting was preceded by a panel discussion on SOCIAL CHANGE IN 20TH CENTURY HUNGARY, chaired by István Deák (Columbia U.). Papers were presented by Josheph Held (Rutgers U.) on Changes in Peasant Life in the Inter- War Period; Ivan Szelenyi (U. of Wisconsin) on Changes in the Rural Society of Contemporary Hungary; and Ivan Volgyes (U. of Nebraska) on Reflections on Changes in Hungarian and East European Society. Discussants were Charles Gati (Union Coll.) and György Ránki (Indiana U.)

The AASHH also sponsored two panels at the October 22-23 meeting of AAASS. Panel I. POLITICAL REFUGEES AND EMIGRE POLITICS SINCE WORLD WAR II. Chaired by Linda Frey, (U. of Montana.) Papers: The Romanian Pattern Stephen Fischer-Galati, (U. of Colorado); The German Pattern, Flucht und Vertreiburg Peter Klassen, (Calif. St. U., Fresno); Slavs in Hungary and Hungarians in Slavic Countries Francis Wagner, (Library of Congress); Commentator: Peter Sugar (U. of Washington). Panel II. THE IMPACT OF ETHNICITY IN TRANSYLVANIAN CITIES. Chaired by Stephen Fischer-Galati. Papers: The Saxons George Weber, (U. of Munster); The Romanians Vlad Georgescu, (Radio Free Europe); and The Hungarians Béla Vágó, (U. of Tel Aviv).

Among other actions, the association extended life-long honorary presidency to Stephen D. Kertész (U. of Nortre Dame); saluted Bela K. Király (CUNY-Brooklyn Coll.) at the occasion of his retirement; elected a new slate of officers: Joseph Held, president; Bennett Kovrig (U. of Toronto) vicepresident; and two new members to the Executive Committee: Gabor Vermes (Rutgers U.) and William D. McCagg (Michigan St. U.). It approved a proposal for closer cooperation with the Czechoslovak History Conference headed by Ruben E. Weltsch (SUNY-Stony Brook); and awarded its 1983 book prize to Lee Condon (James Madison U.) for his study The Young Lukács. The newsletter contains also a list of publications by AASHH-affiliated scholars, and a membership list. Interested persons may write to the secretary-treasurer of the AASHH: Edsel Walter Stroup, 4117 West 214th Street, Cleveland, OH 44126. D

MEETINGS

HUNGARY IN THE 1980’s was the title of a two-day conference jointly sponsored by the Institute on East Central Europe of Columbia U., and the Hungarian Chair of Indiana U. The conference took place at Columbia U. on October 28 and 29, 1983, and involved a multi-disciplinary and inter(Continued on Page 10)

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