Hungarian Review Publishes Fifth Issue in 2017

Washington, DC – The “Hungarian Review”, the English-language affiliate of the bi-monthly journal Magyar Szemle, edited by Gyula Kodolányi and John O’Sullivan, has published its fifth issue for 2017.


On the cover: Kálvin Square, Budapest. All structures by Miklós Ybl, with the Hungarian National Museum in the background, Mihály Pollack, 1837-1846. Illustration published by courtesy of József Sisa.

The first part of this issue deals with topics such as the challenges of the European integration process; national sovereignty; President Trump’s relationship with Central Europe and the transatlantic alliance and Albania’s communist history. In his article entitled “Differentiation or Disintegration – Rethinking and Preserving the European Union”, János Martonyi states: “The right response to the new challenges and opportunities in the external area is not differentiation — whatever form it might take — but more united policies and actions. As for security and defense, the basic objective must be to establish progressively a “strategic autonomy” for Europe in the framework of the transatlantic alliance. The meaning of this autonomy needs further clarification and more precise definition with all the elements of policies, responsibilities and capabilities. The first very important step has now been made in the right direction”.

As for President Trump and his policy towards Central Europe, in his article entitled “A New Atlantic Alliance – President Trump’s Commitment to Central Europe and its Co-operation”, Géza Jeszenszky underlines: “Following the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States, there were fears — based on both his pre- and post-elections statements — that the new administration may really consider NATO outdated and Article 5, the pledge to defend any of the allies against aggression, may no longer be valid. Following the President’s recent foreign tours observers have had to modify the picture of Trump’s relationship to Europe.”

The ‘Current’ section also includes other articles from Miháy Varga (“Reclaiming National Sovereignty – Reflections at the Award Ceremony of the Friends of Hungary Foundation”) and John O’Sullivan (“Tales of Communist Albania”).

This issue carries the tradition of recent Hungarian Reviews by having a separate section on the ’56 Hungarian Revolution. In his essay entitled “The Travels of the Hungarian Revolution”, Tibor Fischer writes: “The 1956 Revolution was a rare, an almost unique event, a spontaneous, leaderless revolution: small groups of fighters battling the mighty Red Army to a standstill in the streets of Budapest. As a story, apart from the lack of a happy ending, it could not be better. And because the Revolution died young, its perfect complexion was unmarred.”

This section has other contributions from Thomas Cooper (“Hungarian Voices on 1956: Down Fell the Statue of Goliath”); Csilla Bertha (“”The Happening of Truth” – Editing an Anthology on the 1956 Hungarian Revolution”); Writings from Down Fell the Statue of Goliath by István Örkény, László Nagy, Ferenc Buda, Anna Kiss and György Petri; Mátyás Sárközi (“Extra Hungariam – On the Intellectual Life of Hungarian Exiles after 1956”) and Zoltán Tófalvi (“Death March Redux: The’56 Revolutionaries of Transylvania”).

The periodical then continues with a ‘History’ section with essays from Jerzy Snopek (“Two Great Performers: Andrzej Zamoyski and István Széchenyi”) and Alberto Indelicato (“Two Italians against Béla Kun”).

The ‘History’ section is followed by the ‘Essays’ section that has a contribution by Gordon McKechnie (“Tarcal and the Wine of Kings – Travelling in the Tokaj region”).

Finally, ‘The Arts’ section features an article by Nicholas T. Parsons (“Motherland and Progress: Hungarian Architecture and Design 1800-1900”).

Currently, 40 issues of the Hungarian Review from 2010 through 2017 can be ordered from amazon.com; or directly from the publisher; or by calling the Coalition office in Washington.

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