History in my life: a memoir of three eras [Illustrated] 9789639776487

Citation preview

.

ESE SaSees seispanes Biron Ronin’SSS Bisons SEEES Bae ASSES Rar Bret SSeS Sess Bond . SES SS SEE Sees Se SEEES Se SEES SSeS oe

Boag PAE senetites anaheldetteten sestran eats seateleitetettects, stcetehte —_aphetileete, seetente esteueetent secantee ctamnteetee cagtittetiee. SES SESE Bantasied este cates Beers cecmetten — santaanel eee cease acetate SESE SEES SERS JEEEESEEEEES, 0 ESESERRE et Ee eeES SRE SESSSEES PatonEE SEES eeeSS Basta Been SSEEeE SES SEER! KEEEEEESRSEEE «RMR Sai PRBS SEES Sieamiumnteanena, — GES, Haienemamemes — Seteaenialnmnaies BREA Seek Bestest SERES PEE SSeS Se SES TS RENEROMISIGse_ Sagonieecnss SES Se SESE SESSA SRE: RII SEE: Sees REESE SESS[SEES SeesSEREESE SESSSE SeeERS SSEES GEEEEESIESS _guSuSimos ee ESSER. cesSee fies:SEES Sas SEES See Se SEs SERS BeeSS ERNE ZEEE Bonen SERES SESSBeeeees poten Beosthng Soest Sees SEER BE Re Bonnin SS EEest SESS esSREESE: isonet Sees SESE SEE SeesSee SEE possess SESS TRESS SES Piste Boasting See SeaSees Becree ESS aineseenmeeesecteatereattererete SEES SESS SSeS SSPOSS SERS SES TEES SEE SeeSESS ieee SESS Bate Set SESS ZEEE SeeSee EERE PRES RAE RSRRE Rain SSS SEES ponsund Se: SSEEES Se BEERS SOMERSET Rateens, See Saha Seer Band Bist Ese EEE Baiasd SESS Bona PER See SEES See HES

pons Se Barony Se Boston SEE ES ERE Earn SES SESE SSS eS SEE SEER pau Se Bacay Ses Ee ER RS ped

sencttetiee Resend Borst Ee EStaotad SE panne SSS SeeSHS SSSSSeS ISS SS St SESE SS Foss SeesSee Senos omnes Tek Sess Retesd TEESE Ses Se SEES Bonny SES eRe SeoIESE Se See SEeoeh eee SESS SEE Based Bases Se SSS See Beinn SESS SEER ccc SSEESS: BoaRese EES SES RES SE ES TESESES Sees SSESEE EEE SEES ess Beans SESS Sees EES Sees Bee Sees FEES ccccedteee Pod SEES Ete,SSeS SSeS SEEEERE Baten SEE SetSee8 pata Sees Brushy Sea EES Bcota SSEEEE SESE seatsSESE Sess eee egies, Sees Sees SEES SES Se SEEBae SheetSSS Sees Se Se See SORES SeeSEES SESE ES2SEERA BASS Bison Roteenion iste See See Re Bentsen are Secs See Ses SES See Sees TES SRE Bay Ses Se Baeabote SR TEES Se Basson Sis See SES ESSS SEs Sites poe Bsasy Biased RES pang Ses SEES Se SES Benscss Rosco Set EEE EEE TEER Sek SEER Bosna SEE SHES TEESE SESS Bong Sees SEESEE Rong SEES EES SAE SEES SS SEES SSeeee Beery SEES SRS Sees Ss ESS Soest eee Sess SES RES SEE See Soke SERRE SEES Sees SS SEE SSE SSE Bate See Beane Rete SS SS Rinneeee SEES beosnced pear Set stH Soe SEES Sehee Biontstesd Sees Ee Saas SSESEES settee AREER esstcteaty SS Booey TES Fores Revsnsd TSE ESSEES SESSSee SESEE Rosen SUSRSE SERRE Resid Seeker SES SsShes ISEEEEE See ESSE: EEE ae SESE IESE Besnend TEES SESE EEEE: EEE: EERE Bonsnad ESSE | EeSaee BaeTESS BonneyBast Saees Seep Tees SESS See SESTREES Boater Tes ERaent Bae SESE SESE Sse SEES ARRERSS SEES Sees Se SOEs aeSeg RSBmonod SeSsSee SSE SSSeee Se Bosca Sees Band Sonia SEES SERSES Baad Sass EE ESE BESS ae SEBEL ee See HESS pace BESS SEE ES SORES See See ESS Se ad se ESE SESeee Peano SeeGEESE SEESBESS TEESE ESE Seine Ses SE es EES een Se SEeESiccceeene: EEESSS SEERenee TR ager Soe SER. ESOS aStina SESE: ARES EeeSEE poses Bains cata BeesBasins ES Se Bento ESS Basis TESS TEERSEES | SEES: sal See SEEEEE RaSisSaTAs Bess SES CoS ES SoS ERE SSR Bosssay Ss.SEES Se SSS Bases Rison

SEE ee TE seuss

,

‘.

BLANK PAGE

H Mlemoir of Three tras SER.

Ivan -T. Berend

Central burepean University Press Budapest — New York

© 2009 by Ivan T. Berend Published in 2009 by Central European University Press An imprint of the Central European University Share Company

Nador utca 11, H-1051 Budapest, Hungary

Tel: +36-1-327-3138 or 327-3000 , Fax: +36-1-327-3183 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.ceupress.com

400 West 59th Street, New York NY 10019, USA Tel: +1-212-547-6932

| Fax: + 1-646-557-2416 E-mail: [email protected] All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the permission of the Publisher.

ISBN 978-963-9776-48-7 cloth

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Berend, Ivan. History in my life : a memoir of three eras / Ivan T. Berend. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-96397 76487 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Socialism--Europe, Eastern. 2. Socialism--Europe, Central.

3. Intellectuals--Hungary--Biography. I. Title. HX240.7.A6B474 2009 335.092--dc22 {B}

2009021684

Printed in Hungary by Akaprint Kft.

Table of Contents

Introduction and Acknowledgement 1 My Family in Budapest in the 1930s 5 With my mother, father and brother Ervin in 1935. | 7

The End of Childhood | 21 Dachau—and the Sudosteuropa-Gesellschaft's Conference in Munich 31

The Gebirgsjagerschule in Mittenwald 39

Where is My Home? 43

The 1956 Revolution in My Life 5Q

My Universities 75 A Widening World, Learning by Traveling 95 In the International Community of Historians; Friends all Over the World 107

Experiencing and Writing History: a Special Friend, Books and Debates 119

Teaching in Two Different University Systems 155

My Globalized Family | 169

In the Establishment 175 In the Storm of Regime Change 207

America | 243 References 975 Leaving Hungary for Los Angeles 233

List of Photos , 277

I dedicate this book to my generation who experienced “the best of times

and the worst of times,” the tragedy, pain, success, and happiness of the 20th century. However, I recommend it most to Western readers, who ave often taught oversimplified interpretations of life behind the

Iron Curtain. While writing my memoirs, I thought a lot about the past: about my

late parents, grandmother, and brother, I though about my friends, | who are very important for me, but also about the thousands of stu-

dents I have taught in Hungary and the United States during my more than half-century caveer as a teacher. However, my thoughts soared even more often to the future, to the life of

my beloved family, wife, daughters and grandchildren, who may com-

pare their life experience with mine, and who may learn that we can

cope with the most dramatic challenges of life.

Introduction and Acknowledgement

_ bear witness to the most horrible times of twentieth-century Central Europe: its industrialized mass murder, genocide, oppression, hyperinflation and poverty, its revolutions and struggle for a better life. [ was born at an unfortunate time in an unfortunate place, Budapest, Hungary during the Great Depression. The authoritarian regime became a close ally of Hitler, shifted more and more to the Right, then established a Nazi system, which sent me the teenager to Hungarian prisons and Nazi-German concentration camp. I survived and returned to a Hungary that turned to democracy, land reform, and free elections, but in a few years, under Soviet occupation, intro-

|1

duced a terrible Stalinist-communist regime. After a decade, a heroic and bloody revolution destroyed it, but it was soon reestablished by the Soviet Army. Stalinism, nevertheless, was replaced with a more moderate, reformoriented system with freedom to travel and research. After a third of a century a new, this time peaceful revolution destroyed communism and established real democracy. I became part of a historical experiment to cope with traditional backwardness, experienced major failures, and learned important lessons from them. In the most troubled but interesting of historical times, I became a historian who did not remain a passive witness but decided to take an active part in those changes. Now, I am presenting my own history to illuminate life in a Central European country during fascism and communism. West-

Introduction | | ern readers often have an oversimplified view of the Cold War decades; they

do not differentiate between the Eastern countries and the various periods under communist rule, as if all of them had been the same, without any real difference between the 1950s and 1980s. What I experienced and the way I reacted to those experiences may help a better understanding of a unique and extremely interesting chapter of twentieth century history. When the best known Hungarian dissident, George Konrad, recently published his memoirs, one writer noted on the back cover of the book: “to read A Guest in My Own Country is to experience the recent history of EastCentral Europe from inside.” That is only partly true; inside, yes, but from

a certain angle. Nevertheless, one may approach this history from several viewpoints. Here I will present the experience of history from my own.

I have a special advantage to tell this story to the Western readers because my life, with a sudden change, continued in Los Angeles. I made a career in a Communist country and then a second one in the United States.

Writing my memoirs in the latter they may offer a better comparison and understanding. Besides, it allows me to share my impressions of my new home country as I see it parallel from within and without. My presentation here is not a strict chronological record: the past history of our life is always part of our present, and the future incorporated into our past. My childhood experiences became a part of my professional life, strongly influencing my way of thinking, while my high-school studies have determined my entire life. The historical events became part of my work as a historian, and as a historian I felt inspired to try and influence history. I consider myself lucky and enriched by the experience of hard times. Autobiography is a subjective genre. It reflects my perception of events, and my role in the history I experienced. I am sure that some readers will disagree with some of my views and my interpretation of certain historical events and phenomena. I tried to be as frank as possible regarding my motivations, my way of thinking, and my actions, and I checked my memory against the historical record when sources allowed that. This memoir is full of history: it is the memoir of a historian, but it is still not a history book.

I am strongly indebted to those who have read the manuscript and offered their views and even editing contributions. As always, I am most grateful to Kati, my wife and most honest critic of my manuscripts, includ2

Introduction

ing this one. A number of wonderful friends also made important critical remarks and good suggestions regarding certain parts and chapters, but I would like in particular to mention David Summers, who polished the first version of the manuscript, and Priscilla Heim, who also volunteered to thoroughly edit the entire manuscript. SER

3

| BLANK PAGE

My Family in Budapest in the 1930s

am” vy rin g the first decade of my life between the Great Dep ression and

the beginning of World War II, I was not aware of horrible times, existential fears and dangers. I was born in December 1930 in Budapest. This was one of the worst years of the devastating Great Depression in Hungary and world-wide. Unemployment, bankruptcies, and poverty reached peak numbers everywhere. The world’s industrial output declined by 30 percent, grain prices by 60 percent; twenty million Europeans became unemployed.

Life expectancy at birth was less than 60 years in the United States and about 55 in Hungary. It was a very different world from the one we know today. Even small amounts of money had huge value. As a popular Hungarian song of those years put it, “havi 200 pengé fixszel az ember kinnyen vic-

cel,” (with a monthly salary of 200 pengé it easy to make jokes, i.e. easy to

live). The dollar value of that amount was roughly $40. This was quite a_ universal phenomenon: the price of a new house in the United States was about $7,000 and the cost of a gallon of gasoline 10 cents, although the Texas oil fields had just been discovered that year. My parents were certainly somewhat disappointed not to have a baby girl, as they had hoped, after already having a son. According to the family annals my grandmother went out to the corridor in the apartment house where my family lived and informed the entire house by shouting: “we waited for a girl but got a second boy!” The future was uncertain, and fear 3)

istory in My Lif s

2

eee =. ee _ ©. _ e a ( ) egie._oa ee oo a : i= aS Be Sse ccna eG ( ) ,

pee ee Se ee aeeewpisrenamoeres — SSR RS Pigeons ARES OBIE SS SS a eareeeaaena eSeR eS SS Been lr Seer Seen: SS RE ee . Reape memes ifC rr eee: Seer. . ee — — >ESeS oe SR EE ee sce ee BA es aed PSE ESS SSSR RNa RSee ERPeo Ca a apee a= . SRS SSS aT

BS eS aeree i.eeSE aee enEee Se ee oo | ec cnirst .pee So ER ee ae Soe |. a=|Se Sees: ee: ae ee REPS eer eae Baca arma Rue mamomrme nc eeeee ee see eer seH ee as | Seer ae a a pe ea eS Loa Rance Sa ee aa Shenae OSES i ERE Se SUSE ee SECO eae amas Ber iets ae ee ae. ESOS Ses ae SS

So ee eenOES Ra RRS BS eeteBonimnerana as enRRR = RRR oe — RRR RRR Bennie aterRR onsoR ena— RRERER ER RRR Oe * es n SCODRSEES Res Cena POOR SOS Sepistricee St gpaTERA Chenieenerconee oo RRR aaa eapore ooo RRR RRRae aS % eee eeeneeRear OR “Serene seamen sas Sipser Seo Sper ats Renee sence SRN

Bes eae cara Peper ee es perce ea ipeeinenteeeg eran ee

Bee eee ce Se: eeSees Bee CES eeRRR SAoe Be PRR SEE Ber Sea Eee area oo Ratee RS SECLGa a OOO eeeeeSaupe eo :ea ee eenics ee eee eeaa Sia Bein Se OSS ah he Se aa een Sic ne mene eae ap 3 umn oS

SP ee Se oo ee . ee BE Se eR eee ae ee es oe .

ee eeeee Cea aaeSeee SeSAeee enareSEoS Geese oe Se CUES _ee ee Ss BOSS SSS ne Seae ape BU uanie EE ieee eee Bemba ten enhnnsenone eit ye Soe CURES SESE 3 SUSAR SERRE Ra seen esses

eee SES SES Ee RRR OS uaa uampemens ee ee oo Beene nyRE SR an eRScone aa es ia eeee eSee SDoe — SR aioe acerca ones eee oS SS Ee soi a meats RO basement TEREa RROOO RS Seco ee sercnstectrtctanat Spessrcnicnnenonenncene Se cosas nner SEER SSRNsiren SRR SE Steen SS OR aR see nage nane 3rR _ ee Pera oa SRR ns aR ara ria mien naa a Ls ra ae SSS Sense saa oe :aaes ae ee eS Be eee cera Se eRhcekuewenn as es eet ea Roum as Brenan Siataee SOOM SORES RENE as Sie ae SOCORRO TT SERN See LEER ROR SNROR See RIOR SS eePes as sachsen ates Beier Sateen ee

a— _oo ##~—~- RSE a oe ee aa Be an en se sca cee mas een oe HEE Eee SE RS sartinstnoeneeateacectcatg SOAR eee ciopoman cise: reap nemoce satetentesoceens 1 SRR RRR RO rn RC ace RRs

a. oc ee ae Bn EE RRR SSRPo ReSE ete RR ee Pena otcgeccie a ease nets oe _ i.e a pioneer tae ESS eer SEE Sei Sao ORR

eee 2 a ee a sa oe ,

oe a geen ccnaSe Saeaett ence Poniunuauaeaeneuemmeee SORE TR RRS ecient Ree caste . oSeeNee Sencar ee eee eeeenemas eee ees SR ee Bice a SoS ee i a a a Sn a ee ne ee Ste Canes ge Sees Soa ee ee pistes Peta cece cena ,rt—~—“*w™CO*tsSrsSSrsSSiC (‘ws Ses Bocce SRO Oe es ee Pecan ca gioe BESS SSS SEE ss er SORE RR Sake ReMANO teres este RR SRS sierehsteeseie ear crc Resta stance ener Pers

GEA SCOR SRBe Ses oc cane cer iIROL USES: —— RRS Se ORO RAR Ure ernie acece ne salient SERRERAMI BO eR caeeee recSees PEERS rea Eas eeone i eee RRR SCS EARee emcee SESS ee ira duuncuniatanne reRMR eGPCRS ccs ane aiee oo —.

— ee es se Rae a ERS ge ctasuatinue nena watea ,.ee -T-.hlUmhvehmhlUlUClU OD | es ss. $5 Sa RE a—.rrrrC~—~”~S— ae SSE aeer aianCaN ees ee eeeeeee aeats aoO a ee BER oes ee a EER Eas ne Re RS aeh SUES SB eee ee eeeee -. seein Say eae eee en SRR Peenrerseree : caueneaeemeennanaaene Aptrusconnenani an ASSES Re an Sas ae a

oe eerie amen etree teeny es Rie RNS See ee a ee eeeee —er eee —O—C—=é« ewhile otalinStalin’ s shoWwW trial f Ww Il famine it generated; e

I*£t1|A Wh | ne years

-~jEewils aws 1n H ungary foreshadowed the coming Holoca

the war erupted, I was ni old. When Regent Mikl6 S rOn -

©. a «rr _ _. _

==. a a—e.u.}es ., eee — Css Ff i ee =. a .. _—_ My F Family B y in inBudapest

in th

pee = —eee Cs7.ie r—ss——~—C gre nersete en aeeeaa BA =. c ee. - ee aA a Seige RROD SION UAESpanair sahaemureaeientiny Pasa ncan eae te a cn

i #@+#2#2&7«T7=—=SCSCS=—i‘—i—“‘“OOsSs