É. Apor , I. Ormos (ed.): Goldziher Memorial Conference, June 21–22, 2000, Budapest.

HAZAI, György: Opening Address

GYÖRGY HAZAI On this fascinating scene of the international academic work, Hungarian Oriental studies occupy, without any doubt, an almost unique place. Oriental studies in Hungary appeared in the nineteenth century and their birth was deeply connected to the spiritual background of national rebirth, to the formation of the nation, an incipient self-awareness and renewal. Among Hungarians living at that time under foreign domination, and surrounded by peoples speaking different languages, the question was naturally put: Where is our place in Europe? What is our real origin? Where are we from? The quest for answers to the problems of national identity opened a way to the emerging studies concerning the ties of Hungarians with the East. Two outstanding scholars, the names of whom are well known in the history of Oriental studies, Alexander Csorna de Kőrös and Ármin Vámbéry, devoted their lives to do research into the linguistic and historical aspects of this fascinating subject of Hungarian prehistory. It is certainly paradoxical that the scholarly results of these two outstanding Orientalists were not achieved in the field of research to which they had been emotionally attached. Alexander Csorna de Körös became the founder of Tibetan studies and he died on the eve of his long-awaited journey, during which he hoped to discover the traces of ancient Hungarians in Inner Asia. In this respect Ármin Vámbéry, who had the intention to follow the example of Alexander Csorna de Kőrös, was luckier. He succeeded in carrying out many linguistic and ethnological studies of this chapter of Hungarian history. But his real merits connect him far more with other academic fields, namely with certain areas of Turkish studies, which were in statu nascendi in the second half of the nineteenth century. The scholarly interest and work of Ignác Goldziher was far from the romantic trend and approach, which was most characteristic of the pioneering, or heroic period of Oriental studies in Hungary. Originally his scholarly work grew out of what he inherited from his Jewish cultural environment and contemporary learning, whatever was offered by European scholarship at that time. It is to the credit of his scholarly activities that he was able to integrate this spiritual capital into a series of outstanding works exercising a major influence on Islamic studies for a long time. What can Hungarian Orientalists learn today from the heritage of the pioneers of Oriental studies in our country? Interests and aims may be different, in which specific aspects and topics of the national history should certainly find their proper place, but the knowledge and methods should always correspond to the level of international scholarship of the given period. In my opinion the strict application of this criterion should be considered as the most important message of Ignác Goldziher's lifelong work for generations of Hungarian Orientalists to come, which, fortunately, has been able to prove its validity in many precious scholarly works to date. 12