‘I have found my home here.

’
A subjective summary of the current situation of the German-speaking minority in Hungary

Evelin Szarka

The night is falling, tiny shadows are diddling on the white walls. A wrinkle-faced man is coming
down the slope; he is whispering some German words to his dog calmly. He suddenly stops and
stuffs his pipe. The spot is Hajós, a small village famous for Europe’s longest path of wine cellars in
the Southern part of Hungary. Who is this strange man? The answer opens up the exciting story of a
local community.

The silent man slowly sits on a green wooden bench and while he is waiting for his friends, he
begins to tell about the pleasure of living there. His Swabian ancestors were settled in Hajós 300
years ago as pioneers by the archbishop of Kalocsa to repopulate the area and grow vine plants.
Their integration was easy and quick. Although many international conflicts had affected these
families, thanks to their skills and close relationships formed with local Hungarian people, Swabian
farmers could stay and preserve their traditions, language and culture.

Now we are just sitting and watching the spectacular twilight with discursive thoughts. As an
inheritor of the multiethnic Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy, Hungary had to deal constantly with
minority issues in its 20th century history. Moreover, the fact that ten percent of the population -
approximately 1 million people - belongs to a minority and they live scattered geographically
throughout the country makes even more complicated to handle the delicate questions of minorities.
Undoubtedly, Hungarian people have always felt strong empathy with these people as nearly one
third of the Hungarians live outside the borders of the mother country. This was one of the main
reasons why they made efforts to save them from discrimination and guarantee a friendly and
liveable environment for the aforementioned small communities.

The 1993 “Law on the rights of national and ethnic minorities” and its amendments approved by the
Parliament in 2005 mean effective legal instruments for protecting one ethnic (the Roma) and 12
national minorities who can give evidence of having lived in Hungary for more than 100 years.
Approximately 200 000 German-speaking citizens can profit from these legislative actions in the
country.

The minority self-government system gives them the right to act instead of or within the local
government structures. In the first case most of the elected representatives belong to a minority
while the latter happens when at least one third of the representatives are members of minority
groups. Their main goal is to boost the visibility and the effectiveness of the self-governments
through participating in decision making in the fields of culture and education. What’s more, the
law entitles them to maintain their own educational and cultural institutions where their language
can be used according to the Constitution.

The man raises his head abruptly and gives a mischievous smile. He recalls his memories of the
local wine festival broadcasted on TV and the cheers of the members of the minority brass band just
having heard that they won new musical instruments via a project funded by the Department of
National and Ethnic Minorities. This latter is responsible for the elaboration of minority policy
concepts, the preparation and the co-ordination of the execution of concerning government
decisions, as well as the monitoring and the continuous evaluation of the situation of the minorities.
It also coordinates the exchange of information between the government and the minority
communities, maintains contacts both with the kin-states of the minorities living in Hungary and
with international institutions and organisations which are active in the field of minority protection.
The man speaks with respect about the efforts made by the department, even though he complains
about the democratic deficit, namely the gap between everyday people and high politics; he seems
to feel a bit distant from governmental decisions. Moreover, he criticizes the weak and often not
legally binding instrumental methods, actions and measures of the Parliamentary Commissioner for
Ethnic and National Minority Rights although he admits its important role in raising awareness of
minority issues amongst the Hungarians. We discuss the function of the foundation for the German-
speaking minority in Hajós which not only helps to strengthen their self-perception by organizing
special events, but also puts emphasis on carrying out successful projects in order to raise their
living standards. He is talking enthusiastically about the little children delighted with new toys and
colourful, illustrated storybooks bought by the foundation last year.

He wants to see many excited glowing faces all over the world thus he agrees to press on minority
issues during the Hungarian presidency in 2011, too. As one of the priorities it could bring together
the nations across Central Europe to stand for minority rights all over the European Union. Hungary
should promote the implementation of various legislative actions regarding minorities in the
community, as well as peer reviews, effective monitoring processes, best practices and exchange of
experiences. Indirectly, it might build a pathway to guarantee better living conditions also for
Hungarians living outside the borders.

It is time to go now. The friends of the man are approaching us in a cacophony of different
languages, vivid debate and loud laughter. The old man’s eyes are filling with tears while he is
taking out a book from his pocket. It is about his village, his family and his friends – people with
different ethnic backgrounds who share the same history. He stares at the front page for a moment
and gives the volume to me. ‘Read it and you may understand how I feel’ says emotionally. ‘I do
not need it anymore. All is right here. Inside me’ points to his heart and scuttles to greet his friends.
His last words are echoing in my mind. ‘I know where I belong. I found my home here.’