Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
The young couple liked the songs of Pista Dankó, especially these:
and
2
The appointment meant that they had to move to Budapest.
Margit did not want to live in the big city. As a compromise, they
moved to Nagytétény, a village just south of Budapest on the West
(Buda) side of the Danube, from where Rezső could commute to
work by train. (Nagytétény is now District XXII of Budapest). They
rented a room in the house of a German woman by the name of Mári
Milch, who had two sons and two or three cows and sold milk in one
of the markets of Budapest.
László (Laci) was born there on November 13, 1910.
In June 1911 Rezső was appointed file clerk of 2nd class with a
yearly salary of 1200 korona.
This was a permanent job that
provided security to the family.
Rezső signed his oath to be
faithful to His Imperial and
Apostolic Royal Majesty in
February 1912. In May he was
admitted to the Pension Fund
of Servants (sic). In June 1913
his salary was raised to 1300
korona per year. Two years
later he already earned 1400
korona per annum.
3
So help me God (again) The ultimate job security: Rezső is
admitted to the Pension Fund of
Servants
4
the first floor of 3 Greguss Street in a one-room apartment but with a
bathroom. There was an empty ground at the corner of Greguss
Street and Nagyenyed Street. The two children played there. It was
also a place where funeral processions stopped on their way to the
Farkasrét Cemetery. During military funerals the orchestra played
Gotter Halte, the national anthem of the Empire.
Count Károly Khuen-Héderváry was Prime Minister from 17
January 1910 till 22 April 1912. He was followed by László Lukács
(22 April 1912 – 10 June 1913), then by Count István Tisza (10 June
1913 – 15 June 1917). Everything looked just fine.
Let’s rush with the rushing times! I need Dido for cosmetics!
5
Budapest, to show their unhappiness to fight against their Serbian
brothers.
The military discipline in the “K und K“ (Imperial and Royal) Army
was very strict as the following anecdote demonstrates it. The
sergeant explains to his platoon: “The authority of a Private First
Class is such as that of your village Notary. The authority of a
Corporal is such as that of your District Administrator. The authority of
a Lance Sergeant is such as that of your Chief Constable.“ A soldier
asks permission to speak: “What is the authority at home that
corresponds to that of a Sergeant?“ The sergeant replies: “That high
an authority does not exist at your home or anywhere else outside the
Army!“
It was generally assumed that the Empire would be on the
winning side of the war. This belief, however, was based on
emotions, not facts. For example, the authorities totally forgot to take
America’s possible involvement into account. As a result, the war was
not only doomed to defeat but it also led to the end of the Austro-
Hungarian Monarchy.
6
Laci and Ilonka celebrate the war
7
Rezső is enlisted in the Militia with the right to a braid on the sleeve of
his uniform
8
At the Railroad Company Rezső became a freight
transportation expert. He specialized in auditing waybills. This was a
rather complicated task because freights were transported using
different railroads both inside and outside of the country and a
complex system of discounts was in effect.
The family had a permanent permit to travel second-class on all
railroads of Hungary and even on some abroad. Only upper-class
people traveled first class those days. Ladies, gentlemen and
stowaways traveled second class. Third class was for ordinary
people.
Rezső‘s job required a high-school diploma. He had attended a
Gymnasium back in Nagyszalonta for two years only. His Teacher’s
Certificate was not accepted as a replacement, so he had to pass a
matriculation exam for the required diploma in 1916. On top of that,
he had to attend a school for training to become a railroad officer. He
received this diploma a year later. As a result, he had three diplomas.
Neither of them was from an institute of higher education, but he liked
to mention his diplomas each time we had an argument about
something.
9
Rezső is qualified as a railroad officer
10
Rationing bread, flour, fat, sugar. Everything for the Army!
11
Against the horrors of the war
12
On November 7, 1917, the October Revolution triumphed in
Russia.
Lenin
It was clear that the war had been lost. Soldiers deserted the
front en masse. In the ensuing chaos, Count Mihály Károlyi
established a National Council on October 24, 1918. A week later the
“Aster Revolution” broke out (soldiers put this flower on their caps).
13
Tisza was assassinated. Count János Hadik was appointed Prime
Minister, but the “Red Count” Mihály Károlyi replaced him the same
day. He held this post until 11 January 1919.
The enthusiasm was overwhelming and it flared up to an anti-
monarchy attitude. People in cafes sang Gotterhalte, the anthem of
the Empire, replacing the lyrics with the listing of the suits of the so-
called Swiss cards, which were and still are the most widespread type
of playing cards used in Hungary:
14
Revolution has broken out! Up with the Republic!
The Empire signed the armistice that ended the First World War
on November 3, 1918. The Empire was
officially dissolved on November 11. On
November 16, the National Council
proclaimed the Hungarian People’s
Republic. Károlyi became its President on
January 1, 1919. Dénes Berinkey was
Prime Minister from January 18 till March
22, 1919. Károlyi tried his best to establish
order in the country. Among other things,
he allowed the regular sergeants to wear
golden shoulder straps like officers. (The
Soviet Republic later abolished all ranks.
No wonder, most of the commissioned and
non-commissioned officers were against
the Soviet regime.) Károlyi Mihály, the
Red Count
15
The proclamation of the Republic
16
young intellectuals, many of them Jews. In the same month, Kun was
imprisoned for incitement to riot, but his popularity skyrocketed when
a journalist reported that he had been beaten by the police. Kun
emerged from jail triumphant when the Social Democrats handed
power to a government of People's Commissars, who proclaimed the
Hungarian Soviet Republic on March 21, 1919. Sándor Garbai was
Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars from 22 March till
23 June, 1919, followed by Antal Dovcsák (24 June – 1 August), but
the real power belonged to Kun who officially held only the post of
People’s Commissar of Foreign Affairs.
17
The new regime was enthusiastically supported by the
intelligentsia. They sang revolutionary songs like this:
18
Even the greatest Hungarian poets saluted the revolution:
Im eljöttem!
Eljött a Vörös Isten!
És megy s dörgő léptére messze reszket
A sárga Szajna s medréből kicsap,
Jerichós visszhangot ver vén Westminster,
S az Óceán zöld üvegén vörösen
Elõre rezg ezermérföldes árnya,
S átfogja a Fehér Ház vak falát...
Hozsánna néked, új Isten, hozsánna!
Ismerj meg minket, tieid vagyunk!
A szíved hajtó, élő, drága nedv,
A diadalmas vörös lüktetés
A mi bús bérünktől is gazdagult,
S világra ömlő harsonád sodrába
Gyötört torkunk reszkető hangverése
Szerényen s mégis egyítve simul
A kicsiny, árva magyar jaj-patak
A messze zengő, nagy moszkvai árba,
Mely most tisztára mossa a világot;
Hozsánna néked, új Isten, hozsánna!
Legyen szavad teremtés új igéje,
Formáld át sáros, bűnös, ócska bolygónk,
Mit elrontott sok régi, úri isten.
Te istenek közt új és proletár,
Formáld boldoggá pörölyös kezeddel,
Emelj minket roppant tenyereidre
És a magad képére gyúrj át minket!
- Árpád Tóth: Új Isten szól hozzátok, emberek!
Ez az ország a mi országunk,
Itt most már a mi kezünk épít,
Tobzódtatok, tobzódtatok,
Éppen elég volt ezer évig.
Hír és dal ma riongva vág szét
Városfalak közt, falvan, pusztán:
Itt van a nép, megjött a Nép
Vihar-irammal, Hadak Útján.
19
Itt van a nép, trónt ülni fog most
Ezer évig férge a rögnek,
Itél a nép, ítélni fog
S ezerszer jaj a bűnösöknek.
- Endre Ady: A Hadak Útja
Ady Endre
20
Work! Bread is scarce!
21
Szamuely
Tibor
You! Counter-revolutionary, hiding in the dark
and spreading disquieting rumors, tremble!
22
Red soldiers, forward!
In, into the Red Army!
To arms! To arms!
23
August 1, 1919. Kun fled first to Vienna and then to Soviet Russia,
where he was executed during Stalin's purges. Szamuely was killed
around the border with Austria while he was trying to escape.
Gyula Peidl (a Social Democrat) formed a new government but
it lasted only six days. He was followed by István Friedrich (7 August
– 24 November, 1919. Károly Huszár’s government was formed on
November 24. He stayed in power until 14 March 1920, when he was
replaced by Sándor Simonyi-Semadam (14 March – 19 July, 1920).
The revenge of the counter-revolution was horrible. The White
Terror that followed the fall of the Soviet Republic caused the torture
and death of thousands of communists and Jews (of course, without
any legal procedures). We can read about the unspeakable atrocities
committed by the beasts of the white commandos in Andor Gábor’s
Letters from Vienna. The castrations, buryings alive, hangings, and
other tortures and mass executions committed in Siófok and
Orgovány were especially well documented.
24
Rezső is a political prisoner Proofs of Rezső’s reporting to
the Police
25
Ábrahám Rezső is acquitted of the charges for his behavior during
the so-called (sic) Soviet Government. April 15, 1921.
Horthy Miklós
26
After the Romanian occupation he ceremoniously entered “guilty
Budapest” (his own words) riding a white horse on November 14,
1919. On March 1, 1920 he was proclaimed Ő Főméltósága a
Magyar Királyság Kormányzója (His Serene Highness, Governor
Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary).
Endre Nagy characterized him in his Cabaret:
Volt egyszer egy tenger,
Azon volt egy ember,
Felmászott a trónra,
Nem mászik le róla.
Indeed, athough he was Regent of the Hungarian Kingdom, he
was not planning to allow the King to occupy his throne. When King
Károly IV attempted to do so, Horthy’s troops unceremoniously threw
him out of Hungary.
27
His Serene Highness
28
Therefore, it was justified that after the collapse of the Austro-
Hungarian Empire the Romanians,
Slovaks, Serbs and Croats were allowed
to join Romania and the newly formed
countries of Czechoslovakia and the State
of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs,
respectively. However, the creators of this
Treaty headed by the senile French Prime
Minister, Georges Clemenceau (1841-
1929) established the new borders
without regard of the actual distribution of
the population. They took away two thirds
of historic Hungary including such
territories as, for example, the Csallóköz
where the population was almost purely Georges Clemenceau
Hungarian. The entire province of Transylvania was summarily
swallowed by Romania including all of the Hungarian Székelys.
29
This is our cross! He is our supreme leader!
This is our Motherland!
30
Horthy’s troops in front of the Royal Castle
Vitéz nagybányai Horthy Miklós initiates new members into his Order
of Courageous Warriors
32
Opening an academic year of the Pázmány Péter University
33
Bethlen István (far right) and his Cabinet
34
Hogyha a tárcám elcsórja egy szegény zsebmetsző,
Nevetek egyet, de becsapódott ő.
Ha a végrehajtó jön foglalni engemet,
Nevetek egyet, s felkérem, hogy foglaljon helyet.
Ha a lábamra hág egy mázsás asszonyság,
Én igy röhögök: “Ne keljen fel, érezze jól Magát!”
Nevet a zsé, nevet a faj, nevet az izr, nevet a gaj,
Nevet a színház, hál’ Isten nincs baj.
Shoeblack
35
Shimmy was the fashionable new dance:
Jön-e velem Nagysád shimmyt járni?
Bizsereg a talpam, nem tud várni,
Ha a zenekarban hottentotta tam-tam szól.
Shimmy ma a táncok fennkölt csúcsa,
Már a csecsemő is mind ezt nyúzza,
Ajándékba kaptuk eztet mink az Antanttól.
Erre tanít mostan Pest és Danzig,
Ez lesz a divat itt hundred zwanzig,
Most kreálta épp egy néger bölcs a Kongónál.
Csak a szerecsen nő volt rá büszke,
De ma lobog érte minden nőcske,
Shimmy, shimmy, shimmy szívem csücske,
Shimmy nélkül nincsen bál!
36
Ilonka around 1920
37
Tibi is inoculated against smallpox
38
Ábrahám Rezső around 1924
Rezső is a Controller
39
Laci was a very smart and quite mercurial boy. He played
excellent chess since early childhood and was quick to take a boxing
stance and hit everyone (including adults) whom he did not like. Once
he came home from school beaming: “Dad, I know German,” he
yelled. “What do you know?” inquired Rezső. Laci answered: “A, a,
a…, I have forgotten the rest.“
The children went to school in Attila Street. Rezső wanted Laci
to go to a gymnasium (see Béla’s story in Chapter 3) after the 4th
grade. The Verbőczy Gymnasium was at the end of the same street,
opposite the Horváth Garden. (As the popular song said: Legyen a
Horváth Kertben Budán, úgy este fél nyolc után.) Rezső went to the
director of the school in his railroad officer’s uniform and was greeted
with the respect due to a Hungarian gentleman of high standing. This
respect immediately evaporated when the director looked at Laci’s
documents that stated his religion. So, Laci went to an ordinary
middle school.
Laci studied to play the violin, Ilonka the piano, without too
much success. The two children spent all their summers in Őcsény.
There, Ilonka met her first love, László Filler.
40
Laci is through with elementary Laci graduated from middle
school school
41
Benito Mussolini
42
A little piece of the emerging “socialist realism:” Female workers and
peasants! All to the elections! Under the red flag, together with men!
– We bring fright to the bourgeoisie!
43
The Nazis were already marching
This was also the era of the roaring Twenties. Josephine Baker
conquered the world by singing with very few clothes on. Everybody
danced charleston:
44
Szívemben vágy parazsa nő,
meggyújt egy fekete nő tüzes szemével.
Beleszerettem rögtön, csak az a baj,
hogy szívem olvad, akár a pirítóson a vaj.
Az én babám egy fekete nő,
a szeme fénylő fekete kő.
Fekete hajú, fekete fajú,
jól tudom, boldog, akit megölel ő.
Fekete gyöngysor van a nyakán,
fekete testén csak a banán.
Piros, mint tűz a szája,
a charlestont úgy riszálja,
az én kis fekete babám!
Josephine Baker
45
After her husband’s death in 1917, Róza (Rezső’s mother) lived
alone until 1929. She sold geese at the market together with her
daughters, Margit, Cili, and Mili. The Marksteins, parents of the later
well-known humorous actor, Alfonzó (József Markos) sold geese
there, too. Róza convinced the younger Margit (her daughter-in-law)
that she should buy geese from the peasant women right at the
railroad station. Goose trading was a good business in those days,
especially because of great demand for the liver of forcibly fed geese
(this cruel practice is illegal now). The goose traders were mostly
Jews. To this day, the anti-Semites shout “Libások!” (goose traders)
in soccer stadiums to demonstrate against the MTK soccer club that
used to be affiliated with Jews.
46
Margit had to spend most of her time resting with cold water on
her chest. This was the accepted practice to treat heart diseases
then. Housekeeping and cooking became Ilonka’s job. She was only
12 years old when she started cooking for the entire family. She had
to stand on a footstool to reach the top of the oven!
They rented a big house (five rooms and a veranda) with a
large garden around it at 6 Szép Street, Mátyásföld. The rent was not
very expensive because the owner lived in Romania, but when he
returned he gave them notice. In June they moved to a newer part of
Mátyásföld, 11/A László Street. Their real estate agent was Sándor
Szentkirályszabadjai Mozgai, a retired captain of the Austro-
Hungarian Army. Ödön asked him if there were any furriers in
Mátyásföld. He replied with disgust: “Come now! Only gentlemen live
here!”
It was a relatively good time for the family, not counting Margit’s
illness. The Consolidation worked well and Rezső had a good salary
(270 pengő per month). This was the time when Count Kunó
Klebelsberg, the Minister of Culture, managed to reform the
Hungarian educational system. He created 5,000 new schools in rural
areas, established new types of high schools, and fundamentally
improved the university system by supporting academic research.
There was a Jewish community in Mátyásföld. Its rashe kol
(chairman) was Mr. Szekeres, a rich needlework merchant. He
wanted his daughter to marry Laci. He was not the only one. Laci was
a very handsome, smart young man with a good job, but he was not
thinking about marriage at all.
47
Laci’s graduation tableau
48
Laci was an excellent sportsman. He won several fencing,
rowing, and target practice competitions. One of his prizes was a
good size bronze lion on a marble base. I am sorry it disappeared
after Laci‘s death.
The most influential and richest man in the Jewish community
in Mátyásföld was Lipót Götzl, the inventor, manufacturer, and
distributor of Szidol, a very popular liquid for cleaning silver tableware
and copper door handles. We will meet him again soon.
The Ábraháms were lucky to get acquainted with Dr. László
Szemere who was a wonderful, compassionate, and very intelligent
physician. In addition, he was also a poet who translated Hungarian
poems into German! His book Ungarische Dichtungen was
recognized as an excellent introduction of Hungarian poetry for the
German audience. He was also a doctor for the Southern Railroad
Company, so he became the family doctor of the Ábraháms. He was
born before Rezső’s father, but was a very vigorous man. He went on
house calls on his bike until he was 90 years old. When Margit
needed him, he came even in the middle of the night. Once Margit
complained about a pain in her belly and asked the doctor where the
appendix was. He replied: “I know, but will not tell you.”
On Sundays Ödön visited with his wife. They played music
together. Rezső played the violin, Ödön the cello, Laci the cimbalom,
and Sári sang (she had a good voice).
During Margit’s illness old Róza always felt when she was
needed and appeared immediately. She loved Margit from the bottom
of her heart. When the family moved to László Street, she moved in
with them.
49
Tibi, Ilonka, Laci, and Gyuri
A Hungarian peasant girl:
Ilonka in 1930
50
Akácos út, ha végig megyek rajtad én,
Eszembe jut egy régi szép regény:
Nyáreste volt, madár dalolt a fán,
S itt kóborolt, csavargott egy cigány,
Megszólítám: De jó hogy megtalállak itt,
A legszebb lány tudod-e, hol lakik?
Ott arra lenn, túl az akácsoron,
Ma estelen egy ház elé osonj.
Egy ablaknál állj meg cigány,
Úgy muzsikálj, hogy sírjon az a szép leány,
Olyan legyen, mint egy szerelmi könnyes vallomás.
De csak csendesen,
Ne hallja senki más.
51
These times are well represented by the annual publication of
the Triple Books of the newspaper “Az Est:” one book for men, one
for women, and one for children. The Book of Women was dedicated
“to working women as a useful tool, to rich women as a gorgeous
ornament, to young girls as a headlight to the future, and to elderly
ladies as a music box with the sweet songs of the past.”
52
Franciska Gaál (aka Szidónia Silberspitz, aka Fáni
Galizenstein) was the most popular actress at this time. When Fyodor
Shalyapin, the great Russian singer, gave a guest performance in
Budapest, he had a little affair with Franciska. A frivolous story said
that the lovers were walking in the rain, and then Saljapin ázott, Gaál
Franci ázott.
(Try to translate this from Hungarian!)
Young servant girls sang songs like this:
Meguntam az életemet, felmegyek Budapestre.
Ott sétálok a fő utcán minden áldott este.
Kicsínosítom magamat, a fejemet jól feltartom,
Majd valaki belém szeret odakint a Dunaparton.
Meanwhile, the family enjoyed its peaceful existence in
Mátyásföld.
53
Count Gyula Károlyi became prime minister on August 19, 1931.
He held this office until October 4, 1932. On September 13, 1931,
Szilveszter Matuska blew up the viaduct near Biatorbágy under the
Budapest-Vienna express. Matuska had nothing to do with the
communists, but the government used this act to announce martial
law and do away with the communists who were still in Hungary.
Sándor Fürst and Imre Sallai were executed in spite of strong
international protest.
54
The openly fascist Gyula Gömbös became prime minister on
October 4, 1932. Although he died on October 6, 1936, Hungary
started her irreversible path to total catastrophe under him.
Vitéz jákfai Gömbös Gyula (sitting in the middle) and his Cabinet
55
Horthy’s soldiers (including Laci)
56
Diófából, sej-haj, diófából nem csinálnak koporsót,
A bakának sej-haj, a bakának nem írnak búcsúztatót.
Ágyúgolyó lesz a baka búcsúztatója,
Barna kislány, sej-haj, barna kislány lesz a megsiratója .
57
Postcards from Etel and Ödön
58
Letter from Ilonka Letter from Gyuri (the gipsy)
Letter from Tibi (the frog croaking) Letter from Aunt Fáni
(see Chapter 5)
59
Excerpt from a long letter from his colleagues (He was very popular!
Note his nicknames: Ábris, Áborka, Ámpor).
60
The family celebrated Rezső’s fiftieth birthday on December 18,
1932. They bought him a leisure coat, a bottle of cognac, four
packets of tobaco, two pairs of socks. They also prepared a bottle of
coffee liquor for him.
A month later, on January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler became
Chancellor of Germany.
61