On János Esterházy, in the Spirit of Central European Dialogue
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ON JÁNOS ESTERHÁZY, IN THE SPIRIT OF CENTRAL EUROPEAN DIALOGUE ŅIVÉ PODZOBORIE – ÉLŐ ZOBORALJA – LIVING ZOBOR REGION Original title: Esterházy Jánosról a közép-európai dialógus jegyében – O Jánosovi Esterházym v duchu stredoeurópskeho dialógu Editor: Zilizi Zoltán, PhD Reviewers: Prof. PaedDr. Ńtefan Ńutaj, DrSc., doc. PaedDr. Peter Andruńka, PhD. Language editor: Ildikó Haraszti, Mgr. Translation into English by: Lucia Faltin, MA ON JÁNOS ESTERHÁZY, IN THE SPIRIT OF CENTRAL EUROPEAN DIALOGUE ŅIVÉ PODZOBORIE – ÉLŐ ZOBORALJA – LIVING ZOBOR REGION, 2017 A program a Szovjetunióba hurcolt politikai foglyok és kényszermunkások emlékéve alkalmából az Emberi Erőforrások Minisztériumának az Emberi Erőforrás Támogatáskezelő útján nyújtott támogatásával valósul meg. Program realizovaný v rámci pamätného roka politických väzňov a občanov násilne odvlečených na nútené práce do Sovietskeho zväzu Správcom dotácií ľudských zdrojov Ministerstva ľudských zdrojov Maćarska. The programme is supported by the Ministry of Human Resources of Hungary through the Human Resources Fund Administrator within the framework of the Memorial Year of Political Prisoners and People Violently Deported to Forced Labour in the Soviet Union. CONTENTS FOREWORD On János Esterházy – in the Spirit of Central European Dialogue – Conference and Round Table Discussion in Nitra – Zoltán Zilizi .......................................................... 7 OPENING REMARKS Csaba Gy. Kiss .......................................................................................................................................... 8 Csaba Balogh ............................................................................................................................................ 9 Frantińek Miklońko .................................................................................................................................. 10 Jan Rydel ................................................................................................................................................. 11 Attila Komzsík ......................................................................................................................................... 13 STUDIES János Esterházy – A Central European Politician The Polish Perspective – Arkadiusz Adamczyk, Paulina Bąkowicz ......................................................... 15 Political Alternatives for Esterházy János before the First Vienna Award – László Szarka ................... 26 János Esterházy, the Bedrock of Slovak–Hungarian Reconciliation – Imre Molnár .............................. 37 János Esterházy in the Political Life of Slovakia in 1938–1945 – Ondrej Podolec ................................. 47 Mediation Activities of János Esterházy between the Slovak and Hungarian Government in the Period of 1939–1942 with Particular Emphasis on Jewish Question – István Janek .............................. 57 Minority Policy of Horthy´s Hungary in the Context of Attitudes of János Esterházy – Ján Mitáč ....... 77 János Esterházy in Archival Documents of the First Czechoslovak Republic– Andrej Tóth .................. 85 The Fate of Political Élites in Central and Eastern Europe in Soviet Gulags – Case Studies (János Esterházy, gen. Johan Laidoner and Jan Stanisław Jankowski)– Dariusz Rogut ......................... 95 The Role of Vavro Ńrobár in the Pardon of János Esterházy (Hitherto Unknown Documents – Letters by Elżbieta and Lujza Esterházy to V. Ńrobár of 2 June 1949) – Ferdinand Vrábel ............. 100 5 DISCUSSION Ondrej Podolec ..................................................................................................................................... 107 Tomasz Chłoń ........................................................................................................................................ 107 Imre Lebovits ......................................................................................................................................... 108 Arkadiusz Adamczyk ............................................................................................................................... 109 László Szarka ........................................................................................................................................ 110 Imre Molnár ......................................................................................................................................... 111 ROUND TABLE .................................................................................................................................... 112 IN CONCLUSION – Imre Polyák .......................................................................................................... 122 IMAGES ................................................................................................................................................. 123 6 CONFERENCE AND ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION ON JÁNOS ESTERHÁZY –IN THE SPIRIT OF CENTRAL EUROPEAN DIALOGUE NITRA Hungarians living in Slovakia have always considered it important to broker cooperation between theirmother country and Slovak society. Also the conference about János Esterházy held on 5 March 2014 in Nitra and convened by the Civic Association Living Zobor Region with support from the European Network Remembrance and Solidarity should contribute to these efforts. It is not an exaggeration to suggest that Esterházy is a worshipped figure in Hungarian historical memory. Nonetheless, it is no secret either that views on him differ across Central Europe. The peoples in the region have different accounts of his social action. Indeed, the difference in perspectives held by the Hungarians and Slovaks is quite marked. The conference was an attempt to bring closer the two historical perspectives. We intended to contribute to the convergence of opinions on János Esterházy through dialogue and discussion.Therefore, as a sign of mutual respect, in addition to the Hungarian context, we gave space to even diametrically opposing specialist accounts from Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. When planning the conference, we deemed this important also to give the residents in the region of Nitra, and Hungarian and Slovak students in Nitra an opportunity to familiarise themselves with different accounts on Esterházy. The space for specialist discussions was provided by the Faculty of Central European Studies of Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra. The packed auditorium is an evidence of interest. We consider it an important step forward that the conference on Esterházy held on 5 March 2014 was the first since his passing that enabled professional assessment of his personality at the Slovak state university, as well as in his native country. The academics who kindly accepted our invitation to serve as academic board of the conference are Csaba Gy. Kiss, Professor at the University of Warsawand Academic Director of the European Network Remembrance and Solidarity, and Professor Jan Rydel, Chairman of the Management Committee of the European Network Remembrance and Solidarity. In addition to Csaba Balogh, at the time of the confe- rence the Ambassador of Hungary to Slovakia, we had the pleasure of the presence of Tomasz Chłoń, Polish Ambassador toSlovakia and of Vladimír Belovič, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation and European Affairs of the Slovak Ministry of Education. We were also delighted to have with us students from three Hungarian secondary schools in Slovakia (Ńahy,Dolné Obdokovce, Galanta) to explore a subject that is certainly not on the top of the pops among the youth. In addition to the participants and supporters, I wish to convey special gratitude to FrantińekMiklońko as a representative of the public for his willingness to represent it in a dialogue on the subject. Hungarian and Slovak readers of the Conference Proceedings will no doubt note the different accounts on János Esterházy. It was a pleasure to have an opportunity to become acquainted with them, thus extending our knowledge that benefits from the different perspectives. To further this aim and the debates that might ensure, the present publication is available in a number of languages that might be a means to an end. Zoltán Zilizi,Civic Association Living Zobor Region 7 CSABA GY. KISS European Network Remembrance and Solidarity (ENRS), Chairman of Academic Board, Professor of Warsaw University This event is an opportunity to share Visegrad spirit. Hence it is appropriate to greet you in a manner appropriate to Visegrad: Serdecznie witam Państwa! Zdravímvás srdečně! Isten hozta Önöket! Pozdravujem vás srdečne! In connection with the conference I recall an initiative from several years ago called My Hero, Your Enemy. We see in it a paradigmatic view of our shared past. The spirit of nationalism on one hand, and the opposition to the spirit of nationalism on the other hand. The logic of who is going to win resembles the inevitable Manichean ambiguity. Such thinking was imposed on us also during Communism. The history of national narratives runs along the same track. Politicalélites, however, may abuse it as a means to arbitrarily transform friends to enemies and vice versa. They may determine how we think about the past. How can academics fight this knowing that there is no history that would be objective and fair to everyone? Are they to find some transnational pulpit from where they will try to look the so often disappointing Central European reality? I do not think it