HUNGARIAN TRADE PERIODICALS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81-01043R003300210007-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 42
• Document Creation Date: January 4, 2017
• Document Release Date: December 18, 2013
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: April 15, 1959
• Content Type: REPORT

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11/4)ob7?2
INFORMATION REPORT INFORMATION REPORT
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This material contains information affecting the National Defense of the United Slates within the meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title
18, U.S.C. Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
C-0 -N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L
REPORT
SUBJECT Hungarian Trade Periodicals DATE DISTR.
NO. PAGES
REFERENCES
DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE &
DATE ACQ.
15 April 1959
50X1 -HUM
SOURCE EVALUATIONS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE 50X1
50X1 -HUM
1. Attached are three trade periodicals in English, published in Hungary.
2. When removed from this cover, the attachments may be considered as
UNCLASSIFIED.
50X1 -HUM
C-0-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L
STATE
(Note: Washington distribution indicated by "X", Field distribution by "#" )
INFORMATION REPORT INFORMATION REPORT
All
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CULTURAL CONTACTS WITH THE WORLD
International cultural co-operation plays a great
and prominent role in bringing about and deepen-
ing the friendship of the peoples and can contribute
to the triumph of the idea of peace.
Hungarian culture grew strong on and found
nourishment in the outstanding creations of Euro-
pean culture, and the achievements of Hungarian
culture contributed in turn to the rultural treasun
of the educated m odd. And just as the national
countenance of the Hungarian people reflects a
knowledge of the Greek and Latin cultures and
familiarity with Dante, Bycon, Goethe, and Dos-
toevsky, the m hole m orld would be poorer ithout
Pet6fi, Munkticsy and Bartok.
And yet for centuries only the most educated,
the most progressive people, apart from the poets
and artists?and a small section of the "elite"?
were given the pleasure of sharing the finest thoughts
of the world's greatest minds and of appreciating
the most splendid m orks of man. The people did
not have the opportunity. Only the 13 years since
the liberation have opened the gates of culture to all.
People's Hungary is making a conscious effort
to acquaint the broad masses with the oeuvres of
the classic and great contemporary writers, com-
posers and artists of the world as well as with the
foremost achievements of Hungarian culture. Hun-
gary is striving for sound cultural and scientific
co-operation with all countries.
A few facts and figures from the major fields
of culture will tell our readers eloquently hom
much is being done along these lines.
Art Ensembles and Artists
The Alexandrov Ensemble, the Piatnitski Cho-
rus, the Ice Revue from Pans, the Chinese Shadom
and Puppet Theatre, the Indonesian Folk Ensemble,
the choir of the Bulgarian Music Academy, the
Skupa marionette group from Czechoslovakia and
many other art ensembles visited Hungary in 1957
and 1958. During the past year and a half we
welcomed in this country such w orld-famous eastern
and western artists as Svetoslav Rikhter, the Soviet
pianist; Jean Effel, the French caricaturist; Frank
Hardy, the Australian m riter; and Lucienne Boyer,
the French chanson singer. The Chinese poet Kung
Mu, the Frenchipianist Robert Casadesus, and the
Egyptian ceramist Hassan Hesmar, and a long list
of other poets, singers, sculptors and painters also
delighted the Hungarian people with their art.
\' less impressive m ere the performances of
Hungarian artists in foreign countries. In the last
18 onths a good man) Hungarian artists spent
some untt. .,broad, to mention only Janos Ferencsik,
Mihaly Szekel? , nnie Fischer, Maria Gyurkovics,
Jozsef Jo iczky, Gyorgy Garai and Lajos Hernadi.
,1 group of young actors, actresses and theatrical
directors attended the festival of drama at Avignon.
Professor Gx ula Germanus held lectures at the
Unix ersity of Cairo. Kalman Nadasdy, the director
of the Hungarian Opera House, directed "Carmen"
at the festival in Verona, and "Rigoletto" in Pa-
lermo. And m e could go on ith the M. Long?
J. rhibaud competitions in Paris, the musical
contest in Munich, the Wismam sky violin competi-
tion in \X arsaw, and many other international events
in the m orld of art, m here Hungarian artists proved
their mettle.
Exhibitions in Hungary and Abroad
\ similar picture is presented by the mutual
exchange of exhibitions. In the course of 1957 and
19s8 Hungar) staged an exhibition of Soviet his-
trionic art; arranged shows of the caricatures of Jean
Effel, a collection of Chinese embroideries, m orks of
Egyptian art, pictures by young Italian painters,
Syrian art orks, a collection of Yugoslav drawings,
Japanese children's drawings, Persian miniatures,
and a L. NESCO-sponsored exhibition of the works
of Leonardo da Vinci.
On the other hand, Hungarian art m as repre-
sented abroad at the shows of the paintings of
Aurel Bernath and the drawings of Gyula Hincz
in Czechoslovakia; at an exhibition of graphic
art, medals and figurines in Rumania; at the exhibi-
tion entitled "Hungarian Revolutionary Art"
shom n in Moscow, Leningrad and Tallin; and at
a display of "Hungarian Masterpieces" arranged
in China.
At the Theatre
The programme policy of the Hungarian
theatres also points to an appreciation of the finest
orks of world culture. Many classics and several
works of world hits were played by the Hungarian
theatres, including Ibsen's "Ghosts" and "Peer
Gynt," Dumas' "Camille," Ostrovsky's "The Fo-
rest," Gorkv's "Holiday-Makers," Goldini's "Liar,"
Bertolt Brecht's "Mother Courage" and "The Good
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Man of szechuan," Vislineysk)'s ?'Optimistic Trag-
edl," Stein's "Hotel Astoria," Tsao Vue's "Rising
Sun," Gian Paolo Callegari's "Le Ragazze Bruciate
Verdi," and Marceau's "The Egg."
World Literature in Hungarian
And if am one examines the belletristic works
published in Hungarian, he will certainly realize
how deeply the Hungarian People's Republic and
the Hungarian people love the outstanding literati
works of all nations. From 1945 to 1957 inclusive,
the Hungarian publishing houses issued a total of
2,6t3 foreign books of fiction, poetry, and drama,
in a total of 24,863,30o copies. This means that
each of the foreign works w as sold in ten
thousand copies on the average?and if we con-
sider that Flungar) has a population of ten million,
this figure speaks very well indeed for the love of
culture in Hungary. And interest is still growing.
In 1957 alone 697 foreign works appeared in Hun-
garian translations?in a total of 6,932,700 copies.
Among these ;47 books of fiction, poetry and drama
(58 Russian, 76 French, 45 German and 60 Englich)
were circulated in 4,5 6s,;oo copies.
The Screen
Of all the arts cinema art affects the broadest
masses of people. Impressive statistics are provided
by the number and natiqualit) of the films show n
and the large number of cinema tickets sold in
Hungary.
Hungarian cinemas show eNer ear about iio
to 120 new films. The Hungarian film industii has
been turning out films at the rate of about 12 or
16 a year, therefore the rest of the films are import-
ed. Cinemas are ver) popular in this country, and
one usually has to buy tickets several days in ad-
vance to be certain of a seat. A compilation of the
films screened in the last few ears according to
the country in which they w ere produced show s
the wide range of imported films.
Films _choir's from 1914 16 1.9)-- kthair,.
_ ircordiN, 16 CoNnThes
Ilunganan 39 \\ est German i c Ar!)-entin, i
Soviet 114 Swedish a Rumaniat,
French 4s American a Chinese T ;
ltahan 26 Finnish i Indian ;
Czech 43 Bulgarian 8 Korean i
Polish 22 Austrian 8 Yugoslax 14
English 12 Japanese 2 Spanish i
East German 33 Mexican a
\ similarl) interesting picture is presented bs
thLqatistics for 1957 alone. In that year 103 new
foreign films were shown in the Hungarian cinemas,
distributed among the producing countries as
follows:
Soviet -8 Bulgarian 4
East German to Polish
Italian 8 French iz
Czechoslovak 6 British 6
In addition we purchased American, Mexican.
rgentme, Rumanian, 'Yugoslav and Spanish films as
well.
The w orld-wide success of Hungarian films
is indicative of a rapid rise in artistic standards.
Before World War II the Hungarian film mdustr)
had no reputation to speak of, but since the libera-
tion a good number of Hungarian films ha x e w on
important prizes at international film festivals and
the hearts of international audiences. "Some w here
in Europe" scored the first major international
success, and w as soon follow ed by "The Soil Linder
Your Feet," and later "Mame the Gooseboy,"
?'Mrs. Derv," "Ethel," "RtikOczi's Lieutenant,"
"Mem -go-round," "Professor Hannibal" and
others. "The Soil Under Your Feet" was ass arded
the Price of I.abour at the Marianske 1.azns festival.
"From Blossom-time to Autumn Frost," a nature
film in colour, captured the prize for popular
scientific films, and also w on a certificate of honour
in Edinburgh. Another nature film, "In the Forest
of the Falcons," on honourable mention at the
film festival in Paris, and similar recognition went
to "Professor Hannibal" in 1957 ifl Karlovx Van
and the nature film "Cradles" in Cannes.
The range of interest for some of our films
is show n b) the fact that z c countries bought
"Merr) -go-round", 23 purchased "Riikoczes Lieute-
nant" and since the film festival at Cannes the
screening rights of "Iron Flow er" have been in
great demand. Particularly popular are the Hun-
garian nature films in foreign countries. "Story of
a Falcon'', "Kingdom on the Waters," "From
Blossom-time to \utumn Frost'', "In the Forest
of the Falcons," "Aquarium," "Kati and the
Wildcat," and many other similar productions w ere
seen and praised in a large number of countries.
From the foregoing it can be seen how great a
part I{ungar is pla)ing it world cultural affairs.
\\ e love anti appreciate the progressive art of the
w odd? art that teaches anti inspires the noblest
human feelings. And w e are proud of the fact that
the best in Hungarian art has w on the approval of
experts and the interest anti admiration of the gen-
eral public. F. V.
?
YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE HANSAG
The w heat is still green in
these parts when harvest is in
full swing in other regions of
the country. Hemp fields follow
the wheat plots, then grassland
stretches for miles and miles bor-
dered by dense willow s, and finall)
the meadows gradually change
into marshland. The bubbles
softl) rise to the surface of the
ss ater, it is the fathomless mud at
work, that is sending its gases to
the surface. The ethereal, snow -
white calyx of thew ild lotus bathes
in the dew, and the ra) s of the
early morning sunshine are de-
composed into the colours of the
rainbow by the opaque petals.
The intergrown network of
sea s% eed lazily spreads over the
ater surface; and here and there
a coot takes off in the clearings
to go on its morning stroll.
This is the Hansag, greatest
marshland of Hungary, the silent,
romantic world of the swamp
where the decisive w ord is still
pronounced by nature.
Laughing and merry youth
have swarmed now to this region
and have built their camp in the
vicinity of the flatland, in the
eastern part of the Hansag. The
tents have been peopled by 430
students from secondary schools
of Budapest and the countryside.
in the summer, they were follow-
ed by 1,5oo university students
ho came to contribute, with a
fortnight of voluntar w ork, to
the conquest of the Hansig. Two
thousand young w orkers, peasants
and intellectuals took part in
Sunday shockw ork, and added
some 2,300 acres to the arable
land; and most of this area will
already be ploughed in the
autumn.
These young people have join-
ed in a struggle that has been
going on for centuries; it is the
inhabitants, the natives of the
Hansig region who best appre-
ciate the value of this splendid
deed.
The struggle has been going
on since man settled in this
district. The bog obstinate!) de-
fended its own realm. Multicol-
oured, flowery meadow s stmched
into the midst of du. reed,
AL00.4.4.11.61-Ait?
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Mu a hille mak, a mrckl,
but if man or beast dared to
set foot on them, the swamp
received the curious w ith a deadly
embrace. Man feared this m)s-
terious world but did not retreat,
the unknow n empire unceasingl)
allured him. The glittering will-u'-
rhe-w isp, the nighth how ling
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41,
-
72,,m-emm
it the reed v. ulves, the depth of
the bog made human souls
tremble. Superstition thrived even
more in these parts than reed-
grass or the fleur-de-lis of the
marshes.
Still, man had to make friends
ith this world, for fearful as
it was, it w as certainly better
than serfdom. Serfs preferred the
sw amp to the w hipping post or
the shackle, and into the Hansag
they came?to seek refuge. They
occupied the borderland of the
marsh and settled down to a new
life. The led the existence of
hunters and fishermen, and start-
ed out in their punts to conquer
the swamp. Bitter was their
struggle, and yet?they succeed-
ed, for the rich Hansig revealed
its treasures to those who were
bold enough to venture beyond
the well-known areas. The swamp
as deep but the water shallow
and the backs of the fish popped
out of it. Carp and crucian carp
could be picked by hand?and
by the thousands. Waterfowl of
tasty flesh were always to be
found in the traps. The hunters
and fishermen could hardly carry
home what the Hansag gave so
generously. Gradually, villages
came to surround the Hansig
at the borders of the marshland,
1.11e deer is blowy, Soo
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from Mosonszentpeter to Bali.
And w hen the Hanst stiffened
into winter frost, nimble fingers
wove the straw mats by lantern
light, in the villages.
That's how it was. The marsh
as useful to the poor, and the
rich also got the peat out of it;
but nobody dared to think of
the full conquest of the fen. Those
who would have had the means
to do it resigned themselves to
the fact that the swamp w as
mightier even than they them-
selves, that it swallowed not only
men but even their money, and
for ever...
It is now just the descendants
of those who first saw deep into
the heart of these lands who are
out to conquer this "white spot"
of our country. The bog ruled
the lives of their forefathers;
now it is they who will rule the
marsh. The natives of the soil of
the brown turf happily salute the
students who came to have their
share in this age-old struggle.
These young people do not know
much about the Hansag?onl)
as much as is revealed by the
schoolbooks. They only grew
enthusiastic about it when they
learned that the countr? can
Fresh :dater brought along
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I he Canal If working all right
greatly benefit from their hard
and honest work.
Invasion of Volunteers
e lack space to describe how
)ming people registered in the
schools when they learned about
the appeal of the KISZ, the
Young Communist League. A
single example will suffice to
illuminate the spirit of the "Han -
sag movement." The KISZ Cen-
tral Headquarters counted upon
zo young men from the Eotvos Ly-
ceum in Budapest, but 187 register-
ed. How ever, only i io could be
accepted; therefore, those having
passed their final examinations
were advised to have a good rest
and then get ready for the univer-
sity admission exammatii ns.
This is how the registration,
ere made:
Bela Berzsak, teacher of histor% ,
headmaster of the 3/c form (a
one-legged man by the way) asked
his class: "Well boys, who'll
come with me?" One third of
the total registered. Parental con-
sent, medical examination, a bit
of good advice for the trip?
and off they went. Well, not all
of them, a few boys were declared
unfit by the doctor, as for in-
stance, Laszlo Labancz. Lasz16
took it very much to heart. He,
of all people, cannot go to the
Hansig, just he w ho w eighs 170
I "isitor
lb., and has been an active sports-
man since early childhood? That
was just it... He had an athletic
heart. But he had strength too,
the strength of two other "ordi-
nary" persons. So w by couldn't he
go? He went to see another doctor.
Here he got a paper proving him
to be fit for light work. He still
did not consider it enough and
went to see the most competent
person, the district sport physi-
cian, from whom he finally got
an excellent qualification.
Now he fully realizes what
happy experiences he would have
been deprived of by the first re-
sult had he resigned himself to
it. What a wonderful fortnight!
The tent is used only for sleep, all
the rest of the time is spent out-
doors. They do not have to mount
the tram if they want to have a
sunbath, "the beach" is right on
the spot, the rays of the sun bathe
them every moment (if it is not
raining, of course).
They rise at half past five.
Teacher Bela Berzsak says that
in the first days they had to be
"prayed" out of bed, but now
they jump out easily. Work till
z p. m., then they have spare
rhat game shall it be
time from lunch till tattoo: so
they play football or chess, read
or roam about in the wilderness,
listen to the radio or fuss about
with the tape recording apparatus.
Many a Little Makes
a Mickle
That is how the m ork accom-
plished here can best be character-
ized. The organizers of the move-
ment knew from the very
outset that they could not -equire
much of secondary school boys.
The boys undertook to move an
average of 3 cubic metres of soil
per day and per person, one third,
that is, of the average daily output
of a professional navvy. There
were days when the average per-
formance did not reach this level,
on other days, however, it was
even surpassed. Weather, too,
often acted as a brake on the
young people's activities.
At the beginning of Jul) when
we first visited the volunteers a
day-long cloudburst poured
down on the area. It did not
stop till four in the afternoon.
The whole region was turned
into marshland. Supply lorries
and carts sank into the mud. But
the enthusiasm of youth made
up for what mechanical and ani-
mal power could not do. They
freed the supply carts which got
stuck in the mud and then,
without being requested to do so,
took their tools and went out to
work. It was not until dark, and
upon the urging of the brigade
leaders, that they returned to the
camp.
Besides the volunteers and the
local population, scientists are
also doing valuable work. The
outposts of modern agricultural
techniques are working at Fertod
and Sopronhorpacs. Acclimati-
zation experiments of new va-
rieties of animals and plants are
carried on at the experimental
farms, and the mass prodt., of
medicinal plants has been set as
a goal. The soil of this area is
highly suitable for this.
Model Garden
of To-morrow
A realistic picture of to-mor-
row's gentle Hansig lives in the
imagination of scientists. Bogs.
reeds, underground aters are
A gulp of water does you good
marked on present-day maps in
irregular patches. By to-morrow
the map will look like the minia-
ture copy of a model garden. The
stagnant fen of ancient times will
be drained off by a system of
new canals. These arteries will
carry off the refuse of nature into
the main canal, to clean up this
region once and for all. The ca-
nals will divide the area into
squares. From above, it will look
like emerald in silver frames.
Stripes of forests will be planted
near the canals, forests of ash, of
alder, of Canadian and silver
poplar. In the absence of trees,
the north-west wind rushing
down through the "Bratislava
gate" would carry off the soul
of the Hansiig, the loose turf cov-
er. Once the final picture is formed
the Hansig will be beautiful.
The will-o'-the-wisp will die
aw ay, and with the disappearance
of the marshy tracts the source
of superstition will also dry up.
The grand feeling of having trans-
formed nature is more proliferous
than the rush or other swamp
plant:. It is the beauty of the fu-
ture that has set up its centre
here. Of the future w hich be-
longs to the young generation.
111zkids Gerenesir
Photos by Antal Furniser
5
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The Kodtlly Choir of Debrecen
For a long time we have held that in over-
coming national prejudices, in creating mutual
understanding and friendship, the best and shrewdest
diplomats are often surpassed by the ambassadors
of culture. Almost every day this is being proved
to be true by life itself. Take what happened in
Llangollen recently, for example.
After an absence of eleven years, Hungary
this year again sent her representatives to the tradi-
tional festival of folk music in Wales. And the
fifty Debrecen lasses, fond of singing, and nearly the
same number of dancing boys and girls proved to
be?in the strictest sense of the word?the
ambassadors of Hungarian culture. The Zoltan
Kod? Choir of Debrecen brought home a first
prize and although the Bihari Dance Ensemble did
not win a placement, yet it scored a striking success,
much greater than the ensembles which won prizes;
and both earned loads and loads of praise. But
perhaps even more significant than the fine success
in itself is the fact that they have obtained sincere
appreciation and new friends for people's democratic
Hungary.
Their task, however, was not an easy one.
They were received with suspicion and, to say the
least, by an unfriendly press. The Daily Express, for
instance, (in a banner headline splashed across a
whole page) wrote: "We won't dance with reds,"
and reported that the Hungarian emigre dance
group on hearing of the arrival of our ensembles
withdrew fmin the competition and left Llangollen.
"iron curtain" and
A similar note as struck by the rest of tilt British
munist propaganda."
aobfou?tcotnhle
The competition w as very strong, ,reover
dpeappiecrtsed'itll'iee' dangers
the Debrecen girls had bad luck at the yen begin-
ning. Their ensemble was late in entering for the
competition of female choirs and therefore could
not participate, although they had been preparing
for a long time, with an unperformed m ork by
Kochily: the first movement of "Hegyi ijszaka"
(Mountain Night). At the junior competition, On
the other hand, the competitors were not to per-
form national pieces, but only the tw o obligatory
numbers, a work of Palestrina in Latin and the
song "As Torrents in Summer" by Elgar in English
or Welsh.
And the excited Debrecen girls, in their cream-
coloured robes, scored a tremendous success. "Their
entry prox cd to be a passport to victory too," w rote
Theiampoo/Post on the itth of July, "because these
students... had endeared themselves to ever % body
with their cheerfulness and vivacity". In The ,South
Fairs Echo, George Elgin remarked that as far as
the public is concerned, these performers "from
behind the iron curtain" have beaten the Americans.
(The American choir finished second.) This same
paper?and the Manchesier Guardian as w ell--
remarked also that, curiously enough, it was the
Hungarians ho demonstrated at Llangollen, how
to interpret Elgar. And the musical director of the
Festn al, Mr. Gwynne Williams, after announcing
the results of the competition of choirs and haying
presented the Debrecen girls with the first prize
said: "I'm at a loss for words. It w as beautiful
throughout!"
It is worth mentioning that the success at Llan-
gollen of the Zoltan Kod? Choir is all the more
significant as its members have been singing to-
gether for hardly more than a year and a half. The
choir was formed in 1955 but has been working in
its present composition only since March, 1957. As
the girls say, the visit at Debrecen of Soviet corn-
poser Novikov w as a landmark in the development
of their choir. Novikov heard and criticized them.
He gave them valuable advice and predicted a great
future for them.
The Janos Bihari Dance Group got an equally
arm reception on its appearance as the choir but
could not win a prize. Obviously, certain political
considerations played a role in it too. But the main
reason w as the fact that at the Eisteddfod there was
a controversial question of principle: What are the
Thomas Bowl: congratulates choir-leader Gyorg Gulyds
The Budapest dance ensemble Jdnor Bihar,
competitors supposed to show? Folk dances in
their ancient, primitive form or the adaptation of
their elements to the stage? Eventually, the former
viewpoint prevailed in the jury, therefore it w as
logical that the Hungarian group with its fine
stage performance w as rated lower than other, weak-
ker ensembles.
This is how the official part of the Llangollen
Eisteddfod came off. But as our singers and dancers
can tell, the informal part, too, was really interest-
ing and exciting. Mr. Gyorgy Gulyas, conductor of
the Kod? Choir, had this to say at a press conference
after their arrival:
"We are very proud of the first prize. But this
pride is equalled at least by the pleasure we derive
from the friendships we formed during and after
the competition with Americans, Swedes, Danes,
and of course with our hosts, the charming Welsh
people. We made friends first of all with our hosts,
the gracious inhabitants of the small town of Cefr,
the majority of whom w ork in the big American
factor) there. After our successful appearance we
gave a formal concert in their honour which was
received by them with great warmth and pleasure.
And, with the Welsh musical experts we had in-
teresting talks and exchanged experiences regarding
their tonic solmfa and our solmization system. We
found the two essentially to be related. From this
the \X elsh concluded that the Hungarian and the
Welsh people are kindred souls. We readily subscribe
to this view .
"We made friends with other participants of
the Llangollen competition from several countries.
The Americans, for instance, greeted us with a song
after the presentation of the prizes. Of course, we
reciprocated w ith a song of our own?"Kosziinto"
(Salute) by Kodily. They again answered by singing
and suddenly w e found ourselves engaged in a leng-
thy "dialogue" of this kind. We established simi-
larly warm ties with other foreign groups too. And
these ties should survive long after the festival!
We pledged to continue preserving these mu-
sical friendships in the future," said Gyorgy
Gulvas.
As for the dancers, they too found new friends
and follow ing one of their London performances
the, c\ c , received an invitation to tour India. They
w ill go on their tour in February.
This is what happened at Llangollen. Actually,
there is nothing unusual about it. In fact, it is rather
natural for those who are separated from each other
by political views and so many things from the
standpoint of their way of life to achieve understand-
ing and form real friendship through the language
of songs, dance and culture.
Judit Kaye:
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SCHOOL FOR HONEYMOONERS
The "Liberty" rests in her dock on
the Danube, at Budapest's centrally
located Vigado Square, like a swan
preening itself on the mirror of the
lake. She is white and gentle like a
fairy, only she is bit broad abeam?
the paddle-wheels widen her trim
lines just as years of happy marriage
round out the once slender figure of
a young girl.
We amble up the gangway in a
leisurely fashion and take our time
looking about. There is no reason
to rush?we are just off for a short
pleasure cruise We have all the time
in the world as did the belles and
beaux of old Pest a century ago. We
are not going by boat just to take a
shortcut to obuda.
A proud and splendid boat is the
"Liberty." Her snowy body gleams, her
brasswork reflects the lights, and the
fine wood panelling of the dining
room and lounge suggests quiet ele-
gance. How inviting the tables laid
with white damask and glittering china
look on the deck and in the dining
room below! Waiters glide by carrying
silver trays and hovering about the
dining couples like swallows under
the eaves.
There are couples everywhere by
the small tables?girls and young
8
men, who make your heart flutter
with the memories of youth, and quiet
old pairs, at whose
sight your face
involuntarily softens into a touche,:
smile; new friends and passionate los -
crs, soberly affectionate husbands and
wives, and nostalgic oldsters with
dimmed eyes. Not a single unaccom-
panied man or unescorted girl did
I see when we cast off, and the usual
groups of merry makers were also
missing.
A floating restaurant, a boat for
romance, I thought in the first min-
utes. A luxury liner... The yacht of
kings and financial magnates is in
Budapest a pleasure boat for ordinary
people whose sense of joy has not
been dulled yet.
We were just approaching the Buda
side when my eyes fell on an auburn-
haired girl in a red frock with white
polka-dots. Her red handbag dropped
to the floor right in front of me as
the leather strap with which she had
casually slung it over her shoulder
became unbuckled. I picked it up for
her, and she shot me a cursory glance
from the depths of her greenish eyes,
half-hidden by long, soft-brown lashes.
Her eyes were unforgettable.
When the trees of Margaret Island
were bowing to us, those wonderful
green eyes were already resting on a
tall blond boy sitting next to her. By
the time the boat was turning around
at Roman Beach, they were standing
together in the bow and the dark
auburn and light blond heads were
leaning together into the star-studded
darkness of the real summer night.
The bridge is the highest point of
the boat. I thought it must be a grand
feeling to look down from there and
take in the view of the vessel in the
skipper's company. As a child I had
always dreamt of being a sea-captain
almost as ardently as being a coach-
man. So I ventured up on the bridge.
The skipper put up with me with the
gentle tolerance that belongs to old
sea-dogs even when they lead a fresh-
water existence.
I listened to the whisper of the
waves and to the laconic statements
of the captain on the news of the Dan-
ube from Regensburg to Sulina.
We were gliding again just under
the Margaret Bridge when, like a
roguish faun, his chest ban, and shiny-
like that of his mate anu colleague
the stoker, up from the depths of
the boat came Tivadar, the chef, the
commander of the galley ard the mas-
ter of all gastric pleasI.IL s His big
round head glittered like t
i rx big cop-
per cauldron n 11,c I praised
his fried leg of \ i-?,, hich my
pal.ite responded as ss aro ly as my eyes
rtaCt to the most beauntul pictures
and my cars to the sm lest music.
Hut his attention m as m allele:ring, As
I followed his glance and the skipper's,
our eyes focused on the bow.
On the benches of the deck, or
leaning against the railing there %s ere
couples, and, almost imperceptibly
like gossamer threads, but ever so
much stronger, the first ties of love
were being woven between them. The
murmuring Danube prompted the
stumbling sentences, ss Inch would
soon gain courage and round them-
selves into fluent declarations of love.
The sparkling Hungarian ss toes and
bitter-sweet vermouth served at the
cozily small tables helped to open up
the hearts and lips, and the dance-
floor brought them closer together
And in the bow of the ship, their
backs turned to the captain and the
tables, the hearts and lips found each
other. Of course, those st ho had come
in two's could afford to skip the
preliminaries and begin right there...
My new friend the skipper blew a
command into the speaking tube and
then turned to mc:
``You know, I often think that
the smith at Gretna Green must feel
as I do. I am sure that the numb'. r
of secret marriages arranged on ine
boat rivals the statistics for the fa-
mous smithy of that Scottish village. ?
The "Liberty" is a river boat, hut
she is a liner of love, and a school f,,r
honeymooners. A pleasure crui,t
aboard this vessel can make your lit.
or break your heart. Watch out!
K or oda
THEY ARE PROUD OF THEIR PROFESSION...
The Budapest School of Local
Industries No. to is now going to
occupy a building of its own. The
institute was established four years
?
?
15` IMMO I r
The cabinet maker's is a good trade
ago for the training of young people
who base chosen handicraft and dec-
oration as their vocation. A hundred
and thirty of the school have already
passed the examinations prescribed for
skilled workers. The school had four
hundred and eighty pupils last year,
and even this number was not enough
because the so-called local industries
need more and more people every
year, so that it is imperative to maintain
a reserve of young forces to replace
the older generation.
The full term of training is three
years for students coming from pri-
mary schools and a year and a half
for those who have finished the se-
condary school. Practical training takes
place either in the training shops of the
state undertakings and the co-operati-
ves or in the workshops of selected tra-
desmen. Higher education and special
training are given in the so-called vo-
cational circles attached to the school.
Professional pride is not among
the subjects for v. Inch marks arc
awarded: if it were, there IS no doubt
that the students of th,s ould
obtain the best marks. Well, ;Lee have
all the reason to be proud of their
trade: those ho have chosen to be-
come gold-, silver- or bronzesmiths,
glass polishers, porcelain painters,
stone- or wood-carvers are striding
in the wake of masters of high repute
m hose work IS halloued by tradition.
During our conversation with the
students of the school we asked ss hy
they had chosen their respective crafts,
and it was ss ith obvious pride that
they explained their reasons.
"I pondered a good deal," said a
boy of the first form, "before coming
to a decision as to what I should do.
Should I become a turner, a motor
mechanic or a general mechanic They
are nice and useful trades, no doubt,
but I had something different in mind.
I was not quite sure of what it was
exactly and so I could not really tell
I am, as a matter of fact, being trained
in a special branch of bronzcsmiths'
art, the making of chandeliers, but
I feel a keen interest in everything
connected with my craft."
"Choosing a craft was not difficult
for me," says a young girl. "My fath-
er, grandfather, and all my forefathers
were goldsmiths in their time. This
tradition had to be kept up, and, since
I have no brother, it was natural for
me to fall in line. I do not regret my
choice, and it gives mc a special
pleasure to prove that girls, too, are
able to hold their oss n in this craft
ss hich needs much skill and a good
deal of taste."
A young woodcarving student who
came to the school after having finished
the secondary school said this:
"What I specially like in my craft is
that all our works have to meet both
practical and aesthetical requirements.
Knowing that Hungarian furniture en-
joys great esteem abroad I am more
than pleased by the feeling that I,
This little stone ind son has the staff of a real craftsman
m by I chose the craft of a bronzesmith.
However it may be, all I can say is that
I have really grown fond of my work.
too, may contribute to promoting
our international renown."
So these young people arc not lack-
9
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The master goldsmith and his pupil
ing enthusiasm at the beginning of
their career... Professional jealousy,
something that used to impede re-
placement in these crafts, is alien to
them. Masters of the old days, like
those of the old guilds, were jealous
of their trade secrets which they dis-
closed to nobody but their own chil-
dren. Under the old system they were
justifiably concerned for their daily
bread. Demand has become so strong
in recent times that masters need no
longer be afraid of the rising genera-
tion. They are now ready and w filing
to initiate their successors in the
"tricks" of their trade, to hand over
their accumulated knowledge?but
expect from them high-quality work
in exchange.
When the school year was over,
the board of teachers held a conference
with the best students to discuss the
problem of how to attract young
people who seem to have professional
ability coupled ee ith artistic sense. As
a result of the conference, the school
arranged an exhibition in one of the
artists' clubs of the capital. It had the
object of demonstrating the degree
of craftsmanship achieved, by the stu-
dents in their respective branches, the
10
exhibition had, moreover, the pur-
pose of assisting young peOple and,
therefore, included not only the k% orls
submitted but also chartsand diagra ''s
in which the different working Proc. "-
es were illustrated, moreover, spec.al
albums containing the history of a
number of crafts, whilc?to facilitate
the problem of the choice of craft
?a sort of vocational guidance was
given through the magnetoPhone
The gold- and silversmiths published
the following data regarding the his-
tory of their craft "The great age of
the craft in Hungary began in the 16th
century. Master Antomus of Kassa,
_Linos Lippay in the 17th and Jozsef
Szentpeteri in the toli century, en-
joyed European fame as the most
outstanding representatives of the
goldsmith's art. Great progress has
been made since then, and the inter-
national market is still eager to buy
the products of Hungarian goldsmiths
A beau41 sup
in which national traditions are taste-
fully blended with modern finish.
Technical progress has made it neces-
sary to divide the craft into independ-
ent branches goldsmiths, silver-
smiths, bronzesmiths, jewellers and
engravers are now ad:1%s members of
separate crafts. Apprentices of these
skills are trained in the National Mint,
the Municipal \X :itch aid Jewellery
Enterprise and also :mous co-oper-
atives."
The metalsnwhq, too, have some-
thing to be proud of Bu ..pest used to
be called the c,$.- of :tes towards
the end of the last t it The gates,
balconies arid , lattices ith
their beautiful wrought :run patterns
formed characteristic f, tures of the
cApital. Most of the I ,ters w ho
ss rought them have passe$1 av
a few are still among us a ager to
impart their art to the youl?, so as
to leave a new generation ht. hid,
worthy of their venerable cr.o
The corner of the cabinet Ma
the exhibition flaunted the motto in
the craft. "Furniture is artistic only
if it is good in structure and beautiful
in form." Artistic pieces of furniture,
real works of art made by such old
celebrities as Endre Thek or jo/sef
Lingel, pieces now in the custody of
the National Museum, were represent-
ed by way of photographs.
We must not omit to mention the
fashioners of inlaid work. This vener-
able craft has always been a w
ide-
spread one, and its Hungarian rcpt.c
sentatives always occupied places of
hon our.
Although the exhibition could con-
vey only a general idea of the achieve-
ments of our industrial apprentices,
its results were nonetheless highly
satisfactor). Not less than 1,400 young
people applied for admittance to the
School of Local Industries this year.
The visitors of the exhibition gained
the conviction that the new generation
would prove worthy successors of
the old, famous masters.
.1frkItis Palos
A girl can become a goldsmith, too
by
Ferenc Karintby
What an autumn' What unexpected, belated bliss'
Before dying, the aging year once more brightens up in
all its splendour. every new day is as gentle, as honey-
sweet a joy as hours of no pain, of peace and tranquility
are to an old man suffering from some ravaging ailment.
Again and again the sun wanders over the country in
its May-time youth; its purely radiating heat or its warmth
filtered through a veil of clouds spurs you to take
off your coat or -at noon - even your jacket,
it playfully glitters on the thousand and one colour-
shades of the carpet of dry leaves, sparkles on the hovering
gossamer and on the mirror-like surface of the water.
In the pond, the water full of seaw ced reaches up to
your knees, tens of thousands of gulls squeak over it;
and all the clogs of the village of Pusztaszabolcs bark and
wrangle for the offals on the shore. The water of Livia II,
one of the fishponds of the Pusztaszabolcs state farm, is
being drained off, the autumnal "fishing-off" is well under
way, this year's fish harvest being gathered in. On the upper
parts where the water is shallow, the marshy pond-bottom
has already popped up; and here, in the deepest corner,
in the bed as the fishermen call it, almost a dozen of them
are wading in the water ss hue handling the big tram I.
The best of the fish gather here, the colour of the water
becomes muddy, the excitement thickens under its sur-
face, all movement quickens, white foam and thousands of
tiny waves arc formed, and the excitement extends to the
world above the surface the white bellies of bouncing,
splashing fish flash here and there The last one caught,
the fishermen begin to empty the trawl w ith baskets, and
the baskets soon get filled with floundering silver. Most
of the fish are carp, beautiful ones, golden-yellow and
even rainbow -coloured; fat ones they are, many of them
weigh as much as six, seven or eight pounds, or even more.
Their enemies, the long, speckled, greenish and elusive
pikes, w ith their jaws of beasts of prey, twist around them
like snakes, and the black-and-grey, muscular sheat-fish
also molest the carps, their enormous moustache and pro-
truding eyes are like those of a drill-sergeant. Numerous arc
the small fry. crucian, bleak, and others.
Up to the shore the basket goes, and the fish to the
sorting-out table, from there to the wooden tubs filled
with water where carp associates w ith carp, pike keeps
company to pike. It isn't a long sojourn, how ever, the
next stop is a basket again, and from there the fish are
moved to the small, brick-shaped winter basins.
In the small basins one or two pikes are allotted to
a bunch of carps, just to chase about those sluggish carps a
bit, which arc inclined to feel melancholy, and to do away
with the unfit to survive; care must be taken, however, that
the pikes are smaller, otherwise they devour even the
healthy carps. With the sheat-fish, it's a different story;
this gluttonous brigand of the fish society should be
exterminated from every fish-pond; only, it is wellnigh
impossible to exterminate it fully. In vain is the pond
drained off, it hides in the pools among the reed, in its
clumpy nest where it gathers strength and then starts on
fresh assaults A sixty-pound specimen is well remembered
here, a rare occurrence in fish-ponds (according to Otto
Hero in, a Hungarian naturalist of renown, there are even
four-hundred-pound sheat-fish in the Danube). We stretch
out on the gra ss beside the reed, on the shore, and old
man Pali J6zsa, the fishing master who has been working
here for thirty-four years, is a little moved when he calls
to mind that famous fish of troubled waters from long ago.
"\X e knew that sheat-fish very well, only we didn't
see it for three years at the time and thought that it had
got lost somehow. Yes, that fish knew us, too, and when
we were about to drain off the pond, he went and disap-
peared. Well, one fine day, it must have been in autumn,
just like now, the rope of the trawl got stuck in some kind
of stump. I had myself pulled there by a boat, to release
that rope When I wanted to start back, the big pole I
shoved myself with, slipped on something amidst the
thick bulrush and but I tumbled into the water. What
made the pole slipa I started to poke around with a knife
11
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and was sure to find something, for the bulrush gave fishy
clattering noises. So wc brought a sack along, and I began
to cut thc rush. It must bc the nest?we thought. This
was the shearing place of the Count Zichy family before
the fish-pond was made, the sheep were sheared here, and
a well must have been here somewhere, too. That's where
that cunning beast must have hidden whenever we drained
off the pond; there remained always some water in that pit
and the strongly rooted bulrush concealed it so much
that we never noticed it till then. Well, when I got it
cleaned, we let the sack right down into the water. And
lo, we saw that his head had got stuck in the sack. His
head must have been as big as my hat. A lazy dog he was,
we pulled him out easy, water had gone off above him
more than three days before and he didn't get enough
oxygen. Almost five feet, he was, and sixty pounds. They
took him to Budapest and displayed him in the market
hall."
A sturdy, hefty fellow old man Pali was, and his nose,
red as the October dawns, was a shining proof of what he
himself never denied: that fish is not his only passion He
gives a few confidential instructions now, and the small
sweep-net with a ring is thrown out four or five times by
a fisherman till old man Pali is finally satisfied with the
result and selects two muscular ones, of beautiful golden
belly. Something up his sleeve, for the guests, I guess!
Then we put on the rubber' boots, reaching right up to
our belly, take a forked stick in our hands, and off we
go into the ebbing pond, among the excited fish and the
similarly excited mews.
Old man Pali is our guide, he clatters by the reed,
right on to the boggy soil. Up to the knees, up to the
thighs we wade in the water, no, this is not water any more,
a mixture it is, a mixture of seaweed, mud and fish. And lust
how "fishy" that mixture is, is felt by our legs; something
hits against our boots, something seething and bubbling,
a thick, slushy mass. We can hardly wade forward in that
thick seaweed carpet enveloping everything, after the
12
d is i drained off, all. ilthis will have to be burned, for it
Pis?tnhe nunbcroneiy of all fish?it shuts off the water
from the oxygeo andis the home of all st.rts of parasites.
Even the fish ha" c to struggle if they w am to swim nn.
the water is el?bing, and they bump into thL sand-banks,
into the dark mud-bank; not all of them find the sloping
ditches leading tow ards the bed, and the channels on the
bottom of the pond. Old man Pali helps a m tithing carp,
he catches it with his bare hands and sends the poor thing
on to the right path. The gulls, on the other hand, are
no benevolent: again and again, they swoop down
nd t thoen take off with small as booty in thcir
a s
The sky has become overcast in the meantime, and it has
started to rain, but a soft little warm rain it is on this glo-
rious autumn day.
Water below, water above, never mind; rather take
down the words of our guide, entangled in seaweed,
about the life of the fish in this pond. As every other kind
of life, this too is the outcome of love: it is in spring, in
March, to be exact, that spawning begins. The most
beautiful spawner is chosen for future mother; she is put
into the spau fling pond where she meets two smaller
raters, the fathers-to-be. The job is done by this family
triangle: in a short time, about a hundred thousand off-
springs are swimming around in the basin. When they
reach the age of eight days, they arc filtered out with a fine
tulle net and transferred into the pond for the young where
they arc destined to stay till autumn comes. At that time
they weigh about two to three ounces, and are subjected
to a new change of domicile: into the stock pond they go.
They do not grow further in this new place until the next
spring, and even lose weight. In March, at last, they arc
moved into the genuine big fish pond, the nursery pond,
now they can cat and put on weight at their liking, they
are fed with lupine, chestnut and gauntry seed. Next
autumn, at the age of a year and a half they attain the
weii4ht of OA lb., z lb. or even more. This year, thirt? -
nine thousand young were placed into Livia II, this ponu
of about iso acres, and It is really a pity that many of them
perished as a consequence of the long winter and disease.
TO-morrow, when the whole water of the pond
will have run down, "gleaners" will start to search the
dried-up bed, every hole, every hollow of it, with pitch-
orks, sacks, poles and baskets helping in their work.
There are nests in which hundreds of pounds of fish can
be found in this fashion.
Time flies and the rain continues to fall; we wade out
on to the slippery, steep shore. Old man Pali starts off
towards a house, the quarters of Szililgyi, fisher of the farm.
Suddenly an odour stimulating to nostrils and Adam's
apple strikes mc, the odour of a place where cooking and
baking is going on, and paprika and other spices are
not spared either... We have been out since seven in
the morning, so our stomach announces its existence
rather aggressively; but for the time being it's only the
fresh air we can swallow.
"Come in, please, have a scat," the friendly invitation
is issued. And it doesn't take much asking. The table in
the spacious kitchen is already laid, and Mrs. Szilagyi
throws a last faggot on the lire. There is an attractive
embroidered wallcloth with the inscription: "My husband
drinks no wine, the money saved is mine." And the picture
illustrates this happy state of affairs. It seems, however,
that the validity of the inscription docs not extend to
plum brandy, for our host fills our glasses, clinks and we
all drink the beverage: so lunch can be served!
And served it is all right! Dark-red fisherman's sauce
bubbles in the tall pot, from among the pieces of red
paprika cut small and out of the depths of the sauce with
pleasant odour, pieces of carp pop out suggesting the
imposing size of the animal. The room is filled with the
spicy, nose-tickling steam of cooked fish, and in moments
like this every second of delay is torture. But there isn't
any delay worth mentioning, for old man Pali, as our elder
and as chief expert in the matter rises, attacks the pot
with a ladle and puts one or two selected pieces of carp on
each plate. We look on blear-eyed, but nothing doing,
at seems it must be done like this, first the fish, then he
heavy red sauce to flood the fish in the deep plate. Good
appetite, good appetite, we say, as it is customary in Hun-
gary, and the ceremony begins. It is the sauce we taste
first, it's strong, concentrated, spicy, full of paprika, but
it mut be like this, a fisherman's sauce that is weak is no
fisherman's sauce at all, and people with a delicate stomach
should cat rice pudding with milk. Then it's the turn of
the fish, and it's old man Pah again who provides the good
example; he has the white bone out of the soft flesh in a
ufiy, and there arc no other bones in it anymore. The carp
that splashed and floundered a few hours ago, melts away
between our teeth. So it is; all things, earthly and aquatic,
pass away. The plates are empty, the stomachs filled,
the eyes a bit misty, but everybody asks for some more.
Meanwhile, some good wine has been poured into
the thick-walled glasses, and the conversation starts off.
About fish, of course. Old man Pah says he likes them
better in the peasant manner, cooked in the cauldron,
just like that. Szilagyi says he prefers fish as a mixed dish;
the small, bony, jelly-like fish below, the noble, white ones
above. Compared to them, I am but a modest beginner,
with some vague memories of fish dishes in famous Buda-
pest restaurants; I had better not interfere, I restrict myself
to watching and swallowing the soup. Which means increas-
ing strain, at that.
But there's no way back now. The plates are changed,
and roast crucian, the carp's cousin, is the next dish, a
good piece of fish, broad and flat, about a palm's size,
turned in flour flavoured with paprika and quickly fried
in bread-crumbs.
Well, all good things come to an end, so one must
take leave High time, too, for if we stay on they bring a
new dish perhaps. Let's drink the last glass of wine to
the health of the housewife, and then out we go in the
autumnal afternoon. It has stopped raining, the sky is
red at the edge of the ragged clouds. The wet trawl has
been spread out to dry; the last red rays of the sun take a
last dip in the ponds. We are so full of fish that we might
dive as well into one of the ponds. Dusk falls over the country-
side, and silence; wild geese fly by on the skies drifting
into an inky blue, you can distinctly hear them honking.
Drawings by Jdzsef Szlir-Szabd
13
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EALITY
The fact is that though the licence has not
been issued yet, the co-operative farm is al-
ready operating, so much so that it has already
surpassed its rival the "old co-op" in intensive
farming. They call their rival "old" not only because
it has been formed quite some time ago, but also
because its members are veritable Methuselahs?
just imagine some of them have even passed their
yoth birthday! That's a fantastic age?at least in the
eyes of the members of the young, as yet unlicens-
ed "Progress" at Fenyeslitke which is a unique co-op
farm, for it has had to modify the model rule book
adopted by most of its sister co-ops and make its
o n rules. One of the major points in their special
constitution declares that only persons under 14
years of age may be members of the "Progress,"
hereas youngsters under 16 years of age are banned
from membership in all other co-operatives.
"Well, what kind of a game is this)" some
people will ask. And right they are, for this is a
game, indeed, and what a wonderful game!
It m as invented by the teachers and young
pioneers of the Primary School at Fenyeslitke,
pioneers in t o senses of the word. A piece of
weed-infested land, part of the schoolvard, gave
them the idea. Almost every village school has a
piece of land like this, bearing nothing but cowslips
and larkspurs. It ?s as on this estate that 31 children,
7 WO co-op presidents cxrbane experiences
oung pioneers all, founded the "Progress" Co-0 pe -
anye rarm.
So the had the land all in one piece. And m ho
furnished the loan needed for investments Perhaps
decide that it would be wrong to use up more
credit. They knew that they had to repair their
debts and become self-supporting. The meticulously
kept accounts include the following items on the
income side: Greens ? i Ft. Green-peas ? iz Ft.
Again Green-peas ? 46 Ft. Again Greens ? z Ft.
Even the smallest items are carefully entered.
In this children's \\ orld with its very adult
organization even the customers are children. The
fact is that the "Progress" sells its fresh greens
and vegetables to the village kindergarten. For-
merly the cook of the kindergarten used to take
the train to the market at Kisvarcla to obtain fresh
vegetables. It is little \\ onder, therefore, that many
adults are very pleased about this co-op game. For
this is one game ?s hich one can't help taking just
a wee bit seriously.
No Favouritism!
One should see lum seriously they take their
work units! Every member has his own Work-unit
Book?Eut that is only natural. A young man from
The performances are registered by an evpert bookkeeper
the National Bank? No, it \N as the pioneers' orchestra.
From the money the orchestra earned they bought
their brood animals, for no co-operative can do
ithout some animal husbandry. Then, true to
the best traditions of the co-operative movement,
the old "Sfindor Fiirst" co-operative farm loaded
sowing seeds, fine clover, hybrid maize and three
sacks of expensive chemical fertilizer. So NN ing peas,
parsle) seeds and young cabbage plants ?? ere contrib-
uted by ?? elk ishers and everything ?? as reads
- them to begin modern intensive farming.
Some work, this same
There is no favouritism, no special "influence"
in this co-operative, everbody is rated strictly accord-
ing to his merits.
There is, for instance, a notorious idler in the
group. For a long time the membership had been
patient, hoping that the recalcitrant would mend
his N1 ays. But by now they had enough of his slack-
ing and decided to expel him from their ranks at
the next meeting. Perhaps only children can be so
strict and just.
7 he teacher teaches now to hack
A Self-supporting Enterprise
Yes, modern intensive farming with lucrative
Ln,ps to bring quick returns, for they certainly
needed the money. The membership of the "Prog-
rL:s" was mature and sober-minded enough to
.he crop-raising team, for instance, alleged that he
had hoed two ro?? s of maize the day before. Quick
as a wink the team leader gave him a dressing down,
telling him in no uncertain terms to stop fibbing,
for there had been an orchestra rehearsal that day.
"Murderous Mike"
and the Unpensioned "Oldsters"
But the N are not only strict and exacting, they
manage to remain at the same time ordinary, playful
children.
pride of the co-op is the livestock. Beauti-
ful, ?? ell-developed Belgian rabbits. And the call
the prize rabbit?a big and strong buck? "Murder-
ous like." Only children can make up such
astonishing names.
And, of course, they play the adult. Lajos
Suhaida, the president, is a snub-nosed thirteen-
year-old. When he rises to speak, he first clears his
throat, then, \N ith a leisurely gesture, he puts his
fists on the table for support. He must have learned
tthis e genuinely "presidential" gesture from Uncle
Imre Fazekas, the president of the "old" co-opera-
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(
Then there are the eight-graders, who have, as
a matter of fact, graduated from primary school.
They call themseves the "veterans," "unpensioned,"
"oldsters," and nom ithstanding their "ripe old
age," they still amble out daily to the fields, imitat-
ing s ith every look and movement the old peasants
who cannot wrest themselves away from the land.
Ltrestock IT taken rare of
Only the pipestem is absent from between their
teeth.
Plans and Perspectives
Well, this is the ?'Progress" Co-operative Farm
of Fenyeslitke. It has also big development plans
calling for irrigation gardening, a tree nursery
for fruit saplings, and basket-weaving for an
income in winter. Everything is right as a trivet
here.
Not even the parents, most of them individual
farmers m ith conservative views, can hold their
smiles of acknowledgement. What does the future,
stenous adulthood hold? Will the game turn
into a serious undertaking? Who knows... At any
rate the children enjoy this new game prodigiousl%
?and educationalists find it good pedagogy. Our
congratulations to the teachers who invented it!
Mdrta
Photos by Ilona
16
NEW LYING-IN HOME IN THE NEW TOWN
Sztalinvaros is the youngest town in Hungary.
The streets lined with trees, the well-cared-for
parks,. ,
the flower-trimmed windows, people
speak
and the ab
he pride
aboutand joy itn which oztaunvitros pop
their new est institutions all make one feel how
fond its inhabitants are of the young city they have
helped to
m
obuilyd.
During my
in town, the porter at the hotel,
the clerk at the bank and a foundryworker from
the Iron Works all asked me:
"Have you seen our new lying-in home?"
There are obstetrical, gynaecological and a
paediatrics departments in the three-story red-brick
building. The groundfloor houses a creche to the
great delight of the hard-working people of the
neighbourhood.
Dr. Dezs6 Kiss, the obstetrician in charge,
escorted me around the tastefully designed building.
The walls are painted a restful and refreshing green,
and attractive wrought-iron chandeliers and bracket-
lamps decorate the halls. A great deal of thought
and care have been devoted to both planning and
the execution, as this is only right in the case of a
sanatorium which is so dear to our hearts. The tm o
operating rooms have been furnished with the most
up-to-date anaesthetic equipment, revolving operat-
ing tables and lights. The beds of the new-born
babies are in glass boxes with an air-conditioning
system that regulates the air temperature and hu-
1 rruclity. The dining room, its walls panelled w ith
1 blond w ood, has a serving pantry attached to it, to
hich a lift carries the food. There is an abundance
of flow ers in all the windows.
We looked into a three-bed room. woman
doctor, the wife of a titter and an office w orker
w ere lying in the beds next to each other.
Mrs. Kalman Nagy, the fitter's wife, a charming
blond, was just nursing her three-day-old son, the
second boy in the family.
"You can hardly imagine how much easier
even thing is w hen we are in such a lovely environ-
ment. They treat us as if w e w ere in an elegant sa-
natorium," Mrs. Nagy told us. She w as full of
praise for the doctors, the nurses, the cook and
the food.
Mrs. Sandor Math's eves were bright w ith
-a:Tiness. She had just given birth to her third
.iaLghter.
The babies are contentedly sleeping, or eating,
:Li the mothers happy in this hospital. And the
d ?ctors? They and the entire hospital staff are very
that the new lying-in home has been built.
the people of the young town, who built it, are
I pr. ud. They have every reason to be.
Rosa Feher
".. and sleep thesither at
the furl
John Anderson, nu Jo."
The young artist stands motionless
on the platform. The last words
are still echoing in the silence under the
high archways. The words of Burns
of the eternal emotions are still ring-
ing in the ears of the audience of
about 5oo people. After that the
actress bows to the audience and
there is a burst of applause.
The audience consists of young
men and women between the ages of
eighteen and twenty-four. Only young
people are able to listen to poetry so
eagerly. They are full of vitality and
thirsting for beauty?and of course
they are proud that the stage shere
the poem was delivered is theirs,
their own creation.
We have been hearing the pro-
gramme of the University Stage, the
"Burns Memorial Evening," arranged
as a part of the series of the Musical
Literary Evenings.
The long-standing scheme became
reality a year ago on the initiative
of several enthusiastic professors and
students and with the support of the
official organs: The university stu-
dents' own theatrical stage came into
existence.
The student body of the Budapest
Lorand Eotvos University alread) had
a reciting group, a choir and even an
orchestra which gave concerts occa-
sionally. But some of the students
wanted more, they wanted to have
a permanent, theatrical forum.
They awaited the opening perform-
ance with great excitement, wonder-
ing how their initiative would be
received. Would they score a success?
On the first evening, however, they
played to an empty house. They had
scarcely any attendance. But their
programme was excellent. The inter-
pretation was of a high standard. The
enthusiasm of the small audience was
so warm that the news spread quickly:
something was born which was nice,
y.hich was their own and which was
deserving of appreciatIOn. For the
third performance the %as al-
ready filled. Later the seats were
booked even in advance. And at the
end of the year the) achieved that four
of the performances had to be repeated.
Their aim was primarily that the
foremost works of Hungarian and
world literature should he taught not
only in the schoolrooms, at lectures,
and in the reading rooms of the libra-
ries, but that the % orks of art should
come to life again through the inter-
pretation of the most outstanding art-
ists and in this way the cultural
treasures should become a real, per-
sonal experience?part of their per-
sonality, their life.
They do not strictly folio:: the
curriculum nor strive for any particu-
lar historical order. Their aim is rather
to bring to life great historical person-
alities, or they may choose a more
comprehensive theme. The pro-
grammes entitled "My Sisters, Women
Poets" were a tremendous hit last
year. They were composed of works
of women poets and writers. The al-
ternation of the recited poems and
prosaic works made the performance
not only more colourful but also sug-
gested how much and in which way
the different artistic trends, and trends
of ideas and styles are intertwined.
"Through the Pores of the \\ orld"
is the title of a series of evenings
filling this year's programme %hich is
dedicated to the foremost representa-
tives of world literature and is selected
from the great translations of literarj.
works. Commemorations and im-
portant anniversaries are contributing
to the frame of this year's programme.
In the academic year 1958-59 they are
commemorating, for instance, the
fortieth anniversary of the death of
the great Hungarian poet, Endre Ady.
They are arranging a special evening
composed of his poems and songs.
Although the University Stage does
not customarily put on plays filling
whole evenings, its programme being
made up expressly of individual se-
lected works, of reciting es emngs
ss ith definite subjects, nevertheless
they are revising this year two his-
torical I lungarian dramas of literary
value from the sixteenth century. Great
preparations and feverish excitement
are preceding the presentation; this
is going to he the opening night of
the University Dramatic Ensemble.
The revival of the medieval texts and
the stage direction itself constitute
exceptional difficulties. Therefore the
rehearsals began immediately after the
opening of the semester.
The programme of the University
Stage is arranged by a committee of
professors and students. The actors
are primarily professional artists, but
occasionally the students themselves
appear. The choir, the reciting chorus
and the orchestra consist of students
and there are quite a few talented
reciting artists in the reciting chorus.
There are today already daily pres-
entations on the University Stage.
Besides the Musical Literary Evenings
they have several other programmes:
debates on history, social sciences,
philosophy, history of art, psychology
and esthetics. Sometimes a professor of
one of the departments holds a lecture
hich is followed by a discussion.
The themes are knov. n by the students
v.-ell in advance and they too prepare
papers as contributions to the scienti-
fic discussion.
This year a musical series was be-
gun. Chamber music, selected parts
of operas, works of I laydn and Han-
del and of the most modern compos-
ers figure in their programme.
The company of the University
Stage is a ver) enthusiastic one. The
members are full of ambition and
ideas. the treasury of literature, art
and science is so rich and they would
like to produce all the fine works on
their stage.
The) are young! And these young
people are just now getting acquaint-
ed with the Past eagerly, passionately
and humbly, for they want to conquer
the Future.
Ester Kiss
17
/14
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IN LOVE WITH DRAWING
Portrait of a Young Hungarian Illustrator
He keeps drawing and draw In, with a feverish
yearning haste, as if he just succeeded in grasping
what he had sought for a long time and as it his
excitement gave _him signals of alarm: do it now,
this is it, at last.
Just now, this turbulent spirit is urging him
to draw a fattish accountant with a perspiring fore-
head, here, on the terrace of the sidewalk caf?
Quickly the rustling pencil flashes on the paper, as
if tracing only, w ith obstinate impatience, some
pattern laid out in advance, and as if the illustrator
?Endre Sziisz is his name?did nothing but put
brakes on that speeding draw ing instrument.
Experts say that there is no better book illus-
trator in Hungary today, and none more modern
than Endre Szasz; not a single one has more insight
into his subject.
He is 3z; one would take him for a footballer
ho?bet een tw o championship games?has
taken a degree in philosophy; or an actor
having his day off; or again a diplomat on holiday
who forgot to put on a tie for today. Every second
hair on his head is grey and every first a smiling
brown. It makes his intense, restless expression
remind us even more of an imaginary portrait of
that incredible youth Rimbaud. What is more,
Endre Szasz quotes Rimbaud in the very first min-
ute of our encounter:
"Je &en al/au, les poings dans mes poches aeries;
Mon paletot aussi devenent ideal..."
(I walked, and into rags my tw o fists decayed in
my pockets, The cloak on my shoulder frayed into
idea and no more.)
Nevertheless, he w ears the best suit in this
distinguished caf?nd recites this poem of miser
while tasting his parfait.
He too was a wonder boy. He was four years
old when he made the portrait of an angling uncle
of his: the drawing was a good likeness of the model
and since then his every meeting with the pencil
has been a stubborn triumph. At 14 he is already
painting and a year later his prosperous father, a
surgeon, throw s him out, for instead of preparing
li ilhatration to I Von by .Endre Szdsz
for the difficult tasks of "real" life like every serious
child, "that good-for-nothing brat draw s, draw s
and draws, in copybooks, on drawing paper, on
the margin of books, on wails, on furniture, even
onto the mirror of lakes and rivers, he draws,
draws and draws like one obsessed, enchanted?
and above all like an utterly irresponsible person.
It's sheer madness, you can't bear it anymore..."
He is 17 when his native tow n leases a studio
for him; at 18, he gets over the first tension and
somew hat questionable success of his first exhibition.
Acquaintances cram his pockets with letters of
introduction and even tuck money into one of
those pockets, then send him to Budapest, to the
Academy of Fine Arts.
He mislays the letters of introduction, and to
say that he deals in a practical manner with his
money w ould be an utter misrepresentation of the
facts. And he does not deal sparingly with his interest-
ing and very marked talent of a painter either; he
paints for his own pleasure, then soon gets fed up
with his pictures, paints new ones over them and
in the meantime, as if just trying on some unworn
apparel, he tries his hand at etching w ith his habitual
hasty curiosity: and it is more and more the human
body that draws his interest as an artist. Every
subject of his art is man?or to be more exact, his
pictures show lovely women, passionate men, and
poor people, sad people, with wrinkles of care and
sorrow on their faces, represented with deep and
heartfelt pity.
After finishing his studies at the Academy,
Endre Szisz organizes the first collective studio
and then, employed by a decoration enterprise, he
paints giant portraits by the dozen.
Then he falls in love with book illustrating.
More than 150 books preserve the results of this
salutary passion which seems to be a lasting one,
too. And as I write these lines, the musing jail-birds
of the Hungarian Villon translation, the shattered
and shocking Raskolnikov of "Crime and Punish-
ment," the mysteriously beautiful lady of Priestley's
"Black-out in Gretley," and the rebellious young
girl's face on the jacket of the Hungarian edition
of Colette's "Le Ble en Herbe" seem to be flashing
before my eyes from the regiment of Endre Szasz's
oeuvre.
Mumbling in an off-hand manner he tells me
now that it is only after forty that the question
ions by Lndre Steitz to Omar Khayyam
of someone's becoming a painter or not is decided;
ull then, the candidate must continuously take exami-
nations in integrity; his main task being to find
his w ay in life, to preserve as much as possible from
his childhood faith, from the pure intentions and
partialit of his A oung years. One has to read much
to become a good illustrator, one has to live through
lives and lives with each and every new book, to
stand one's ground in a multitude of situations, to
feel compassion and bear aversion, to fight bravely
and to suffer the fate of passive victims. That is how
one must do it, otherw ise one can have nothing
tin i/Iujlraiio,: lo Ilion by Endre Sas;
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more than illusions about exuberant delight in life,
about melancholic suffering, about staunch struggL2,
faith and, of course, love.
Then Endre Szasz continues reciting poems
the French Boy, from "The Comedy of Thirst,"
and?as he says?a woman's head has come
out of it, that's what has remained on the paper
now, in the wake of his playful pencil: one of the
heroines of .Alexei Tolstoy's "Golgotha." He has
just drawn her in order to make her acquaintance...
He goes on drawing while waiting for his wife.
What else could she be but an actress, beautiful
and attractively romantic, the type about whom
An Afternoon in the Coffeehouse (Draame by Endre Szasz)
restless college boys dream on blue summer nights
and whose picture sentimental barber's assistants
sneakingly cut out of the theatrical magazine.
Endre Szasz says about himself that he has
not created anything yet, he has only tried how the
pencil runs on the paper, the brush on the canvas,
and human imagination in fields yet undiscovered.
He says this very quietly, as a bashful and
awkward confession, with a trace of fright in his
eyes: what an adventure?that's what he seems
to say?what an adventure to which every artist
gives himself, in order to live, to burn and to give
light! And he goes on drawing, drawing and draw-
ing?without interruption like someone feeling an
unquenchable thirst for lines.
90
Ern5 Bajor Nag
dete10111ASLIVI tmotati
11119COACtiiS -4640(1Ct,
International contacts of Hungarian arts are constant-
1? broadening nowadays, even with faraway countries.
web .110mn.a, well-known Japanese music critic, and
i3arada Ukti, secretary of the Indian Academy of Fine Arts,
recently mourned in Budapest; while Michael Olrer, Cana-
dian music critic, spent a week in this country during
which he met Zoltan Kod? and made the acquaintance
of several folk artists.
Georges Goy, French writer and his wife arrived in
Budapest to study the literary and artistic life of the capital.
Fridiric Irumnser, French musicologist, was also a guest in
Hungary, and Fritz Cremer, member of the German Aca-
demy of Arts, visited the Hungarian capital to prepare his
exhibition of sculptures and graphic works. Constanttn
Blendea, restorer and painter, and :1Iirrea Kernbach, architect,
visited Hungary within the framework of the Rumanian-
Hungarian cultural agreement. The Albanian writer Mum-
fer Djadpu enjoyed a three-week study trip in Hungary.
Lien Tebin-yo, Chinese professor, painter, came to Hun-
gary for the exhibition of "Chinese National Style Painting."
The exhibiton was warmly received by Hungarian visitors
at the Budapest Ernst Museum. Cerender, professor of the
High School of Agricultural Sciences in Ulan Bator and
Nambajceren, set designer of the State Musical Theatre of
Mongolia, spent a number of days in Hungary on a study
trip. The Soviet "Birch-tree" ensemble of 56 members
revisited Budapest at the end of July and gave a series of
performances in the Hungarian capital. The ensemble
showed the best of everything to be found in Soviet dance
culture, their songs and dances were enthusiastically recei-
ved by Budapest audiences.
Many Hungarian artists, research workers and experts
visited foreign lands. Jen5Adam participated in the congress
of musical pedagogy held in Copenhagen. Six of our most
talented young actors attended the Avignon festival in France.
Gabor Gars, graphic artist, and Ferenc Laborcz, sculptor,
inaugurated their exhibition in Rumania. The gifted young
graphic artist Adam 127iirtz spent a month in Rumania,
on a study trip. The first time since Hungary's liberation,
two of our well-known singers, Plc...ref Joriczky and Miklos
Erdely, received invitations for a trial performance at the
Bayreuth Music Festival. Scindor Toth, G_yorg Florkay, Endre
Val-hely:, Ferenc S.:Yuji, Alm Marta Vermes, Jdzsef Engel,
Gusztar Seridt-Szaupe, Gabor Gal and .1.ftss Edith Fabry ho
have long-term engagements with opera houses in the Ger-
man Democratic Republic are spending their -vacation at
home; and these talented young singers and musicians
have a great deal to tell their colleagues and friends about
their experiences.
Altss Klari To/nay, Mtbdb. Szemet and Janos Toth
attended the Moscow premiere of the Hungarian motion
picture "Dam." An exhibition of Hungarian rel, olutionary
fine arts was opened in Tallin at the end of July.
The one-month collective exhibition of represcnta-
tix cs of Soviet fine arts in Budapest N% as a big success.
A Hungarian delegation was also present at the in-
ternational film festival at Karlovy Vary, Czechoslovakia.
he I lungarian film "Pillar of Salt" won a third prize. A
to ,-member Hungarian delegation has been invited to the
celebrations to be held on the occasion of the :5th anni-
ve-?ary of the famous Czech Burian Theatre, also at
Kar!ovy Vary. The ensemble of the Burian Theatre held
guL,- performances in Budapest in September ?N 'nen
"Ra Trap'' by the Czech author Viktor Dyk, Brecht 's
"B