The Eighth Tribe, 1978 (5. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1978-01-01 / 1. szám
January, 1978 THE EIGHTH TRIBE Page 11 but also about other aspects of contemporary Hungarian society. This is so even though these codes deal only with a few select areas of Hungarian life and society. Like contemporary Europeans in general, at that time the Magyars too lived mostly by “customary law.” Written law had only a limited usage in those days, and dealt only with those aspects of everyday life that customary law left untouched. And in Hungary of St. Stephen’s time there were only two such areas: Christianity and monarchical centralization. Both of these were new and as yet alien to Magyar national traditions, and thus they had to be nurtured with the help of a written law. Although resisted by most Magyars, the ideals of Christianity and the principles of a centralized monarchy soon triumphed, and in the course of the next thousand years they became part of the very fabric of Hungarian Civilization. 81 Our Heritage in America Column Editor: Joseph Széplaki HUNGARIANS IN AMERICA (continued from previous issues) Reprinted from: The Hungarians in America 1583-1974; by Joseph Széplaki. The book can be ordered from the editor. Second Wave: Economic Immigration (1870-1917) 1885 The Hungarian Association (Magyar Társulat) was organized in New York under the presidency of the famous Hungarian surgeon Dr. Árpád Gerster for the purpose of aiding the Hungarian immigrants arriving in New York. It supplied legal advice, provided money and clothes for the needy, bought return tickets for destitute immigrants desirous of going back to Hungary, sent a guide to the port of entry in America, and specialized in the transfer of funds. It also operated a travel bureau. The Association was dissolved in 1896 as a result of financial difficulties. A number of Hungarian fraternal insurance companies came into existence after the tidal wave of Hungarian mass immigration had reached America. One of the largest, oldest, and most important organizations, the Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association (Verhovay Segély Egylet), was founded at Hazelton, Pennsylvania in 1886. At its first public meeting in 1887, the Association possessed $86.18. It began to make fast progress in 1909. By 1926, the Association had $1,636,054.00. Eventually, it became one of the big four Hungarian-American insurance agencies. The Verhovay association is said to have been organized by Hungarian miners after a sick Hungarian roomer bad been thrown out into the street for inability to pay his rent. The Hungarian immigrants joined the Hungarian associations rather than the American laabor unions because the former gave wider coverage and their native tongue was spoken there. Aside from providing indispensable insurance, the Hungarian associations became centers of social life. They were characterized by strong national sentiment. November 15. Mihály Munkácsy, the world-famous Hungarian painter, arrived in New York. His monumental painting “Christ before Pilate” was shown to the representatives of the press on November 17. The exhibition was a tremendous success, and the painting was bought by John Wanamaker, who kept it on display in his store in Philadelphia. Munkácsy returned to Europe, but left behind great works of art in museums, libraries, and private collections. His celebrated painting of the blind Milton dictating his poetry to his daughters is still displayed at the New York Public Library. 1887 A health benefit and funeral association, The Count Batthyány Association, was founded in Cleveland, Ohio. It was named after the martyred Hungarian Premier of 1848, whose fate struck a sympathetic chord in the breast of Hungarian immigrants. 1888 January. József Black immigrated to America in 1857. He settled in Cleveland in 1873. President Grover Cleveland appointed him United States consul in Budapest, Hungary, in 1888. 1889 The first Hungarian literary society was formed in New York. 1891 The Hungarian language newspaper Szabadság (Liberty) was founded in Cleveland. Starting as a weekly, it developed into the first full-fledged Hungarian American daily newspaper. Its founder was Tihamér Kohányi. President Taft attended the celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the newspaper. 1892 The first Hungarian Catholic parish was started by Charles Bohn in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1894, he also founded the weekly Catholic Hungarians' Sunday, which is still published today. The Federation of Hungarian Fraternal Societies (Magyar Betegsegélyző Egyletek Szövetsége) was founded in Bridgeport, Connecticut, attempting to unite all Hungarian American fraternal societies. A convention of the Federation was held in Philadelphia, Pa., but the delegates could not agree on a common goal. The Federation expired two years later, and small fraternal organizations mushroomed. In the midwest, a fraternal association (the Baross Gábor Association) was founded in St. Paul, Minnesota. The association existed until 1973.
