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6/1/1998 - An Introduction to Szekelyudvarhely: Part Two by Christopher P. Ball

An Introduction Szdkelyudvarhely PartTwo BUDAPEST Hungary June By Christopher P Ball THE SZIKELYSATTACK InSz6kelyudvarhelythefoundationofaninterestingfortress stillremains It interesting itsownright piece local history butwould normally warrantaseparatesectionofmyreportonthistownsince littleofthe fortress actuallyremainsanditplaysonlyaminorroleinthetowntoday Nevertheless I willbriefly retell story ofthe fortress namedthe Sz6kelyAttackFortress because ithighlightsthedifferencebetweentheHungariansandtheSz6kelys difference westerners usually overlook While centuries development produced feudal system rounding communities beginning sixteenth century Sz6kelys stillpreservedtheirancientrights Oneoftheserightswastotalad ministrativeandfinancialfreedom inexchangeformilitaryservice Becausethe Sz6kelys excellent warriors Hungarian Kings Princes Transylvania often battl valued highly Eastern Theruinsofthe SzdkelyAttackFortress K6peczi B61a TheHistoryofTransylvania Akad6miaiKiad6 Budapest For example paidno taxes Hungarian King SLOVAKIA UKRAINE Chernovtsy SatuMare Suceava HUNGARY Borsa Botosani MOLD Baia Mare M Zalau Szonok Bistrita Mutes Piatra Oradea Birtin Chisinau Cluj Napoca Vaslui Bacau Tirgu M Sighisoara Aiud Arad Nagyenyed Szkelyu dvary Mures Medias iSfantu Gleorghe UKRAINE Timisoara OltRif epsiszei gySrgy Sibiu Brasov Deva TRANSYLVANIA ALPS ROMANIA Vulcan Buzau Rimnicu Vilcea iTirgu Jiu Pioieste Pitesti Belrad Drobeta Turnu Severin BucharestO Craiova Alexandria Danube Giur Ruse BULGARIA Mohcsin1526 PB ledthemtoimposeafeudal istic structureontheSz6kelysto collectmoretaxes forthe Hungariankingdom Naturally theSz6kelysdidnottakewelltotheHungarian King attempts stripawaytheirandentfightsandprivi leges In 1506effortsbyKingWladislawII taxesonthe Sz6kelys drovethemto revolt againstthe nobility Peasant Uprising ledby Sz6kely namedG6rgyMakfalviD6zsa Theuprisingwasstoppedthat defendersofHungaryagainstforeigninvasion Atthat sameyearwhenitsleaderwascapturedandputtodeathin timeSz6kelyf61dwasintheCarpathianMountains Timisoara TheSz6kelysupportersofthe uprisingwerestill whichmarkedtheeasternmostborderofHungary The aliveandrestless however Sz6kelys specialstatusbeganto change however inthe 15thand16thcenturies fortworeasons First thedevel AftertheDefeatofMolcsin1526 thesituationworsened opmentofamoneyeconomyandthegrowingscarcityof fortheSz6kelys WiththeDefeat theHungarianKingdomwas landforcedSz6kelycommonerstoworkfor Hungarian splitintothreeparts onefa llingunderTurkishcontrol noblesintheregion Second thebadfinancialsituation partremainingHungarianandthethirdpartformingthe oftheHungarianadministration especiallyafterthe independentPrindpalityofTransylvania contain Hungarians defeatatthehandsofTurkishinvadersat ingSz6kelyf61d Turkforcescontinuedtoattackthearea Sz6kelyf61dhasn tmoved buttheHungarianbordermovedwestwardin1920where ithassincestayedwiththeexceptionofa years duringWWII Hungary Hitler regained Transylvania TheprecisestatusofTransylvania isneverreallymadeclearinhistoryandoften flopsbetweenbeingveryindependentof theHungariancrownand atothertimes beingjustanotherterritoryinHungary Part oftheromanprovince ofDacia theregion becamepartofthekingdomofHungaryin In Transylvaniabecamea separate principalityunderthe protection ofthe Turkish sultan It first separate governor Friar George became Principality under Speyer Accord The Principalit jurisdiction rulers diets though decided gradually years Austria which previously claimedTransylvania obtained possession ofthe regionbytheTreaty ofKarlowitz whichconcludedwarbetweenAustriaandTurkey TherulersofTransylvaniaboreeitherthe titleofPrince accordingtothe oldHungarian legal system voivode CPB keepingtheHungariansonperpetualguard Financially inshambles strapped forfurtherrevenueandundercon stant threat Hungarians imposed feudal society andsystemonthe Sz6kelys StartingwithHungary sKingJohnI traditicnal rights privileges Sz6kelys stripped Sz6kelys taxes cattle andweresubjected togeneraltaxation theSz6kelycourt appeals Sz4kelyudvarhely suspended moners which meant Sz6kelys could longer serveasjurorsincourtsoflaw theirlocalmilitaryand legal officeswere taken overby King Chief ofJus theminingandsale ofsalt ofthemajorso urces trade Sz6kelys Hungarian statemonopoly andthe listgoes Muchofthe legalbasis allthiswasputinplace theDietofSigisoarain1562byHungarianKingJohn II Ofmuchgreaterconsequence althoughnot setdownin wasthemeasurebywhichfoot soldiers longer considered under compulsory military service Withthis Sz6kelys thejustifica legal liberties traditionally claimed KingJohnknew imposing order Sz6kelys stripping their rightswouldnotbe Thereforehebuilttwo castles which could enforce system One these built Sz6kelyudvarhely King John right worry The disgruntled Sz6kelys gathered together supporters unsuccess fully attacked fortresstwice They attackedand finally destroyedthe fortress itsname Sz6kelysAttackFortress gainingthemsome concessionswithres pectto theirlandrightsandtaxation Nevertheless transformation Sz6kely society intoalargelyfeudalonewasnearlycomplete TheSz6kelylib ertiesandancientrightswerenever forgotten neitherwere theyeveragain fullyregained Aftertheconcessions theSz6kelysrebuiltthe fortress fortheirownuse Itwasstillarespectablefortressinthe middle ofthe century theend ofthe century destroyed falling intothehandsofforeigninvaders Theruins foundation andinternaltempleremainedlargelyintact forcenturies reminding locals their proud rebellious The Sz6kelyudvarhelybought ruins royal family Unfortunately decidedtobuildaschoolonthe siteoftheoldfortress therebydestroyingthelastremnantsofthetemple What wasleft foundationandpieces ofsome ofthe walls stillbeseentoday Thestoryofthe Sz6kelyAttackFortress isnotonly ofinterestbecauseit ofSz6keleyudvarhelys butalsobecauseitshowswellthehistoricalandself identified differencebetweenSz6kelysandHungarians difference still exists today The difference backtothe early historyofthe IstcenturywhentheHun garians firstcameintotheregionnowcalledHungary Romanian Transylvania Where Sz6kelys fully known One theory claims however thatwhentheHungariansmovedinto found Hungarian speaking Sz6kelys already settled there Howandwhenthe Sz6kelys allyarrivedwillprobablyneverbeknown leavingthem withonlylegendsandmythsto explain their origins The Hungarians Sz6kelys consider selves related dominantbelief since hasbeen Sz6kelyswere descendants theinvadinghordes ofAttilatheHun settledin Transylvania ThisbeliefgavetheSz6kelysgreatpride andtheconvictionthat itwastheywhomaintainedthe military traditions Hun Hungarians entitled themto privileges specialwarrior class ORBNBALZS THEGREATESTSZIKELY Whenonebegins study Sz6kelys depth nameBOrbKn willsurfacenumeroustimeswithinonly Heiswidelyacknowledgedtobe TheGreatest Sz6kely tohaveeverlived Hediedin1890andhisreputation hasonlygrownsince Heissowellknownandrespectedthat manystreetsandschoolsarenamedafterhiminSz6kelyf61d andhisnumerousbooks linetheshelvesofeverygood Sz6kelyhome In Sz6kelyudvarhely stown square K6peczi B61a TheHistoryofTransylvania Akad6rniaiKiad6 Budapest Ibid 7Note ThispartiallyanswersthequestionastowhytheRomanians mostlyRornaniannationalists triedtotracetheirrootsback totheRomans NeithertheHungarians includingSz6kelys northeRomaniansknowexactlywheretheycamefromorwhen theycamefromthere TheHungarianshavenorealwayoffindingout sincetheyprobablymigratedfromNorthAsiasomewhere apathnottraceabletodhy IftheRornanianscouldtracetheirrootsbacktotheRomans whoweredefinitelyintheregionbefore Hungarians thenteycould prove right Transylvania trace their cultural rootsbackto theRoman Empire IntheframeworkofCentralEuropeanlogicknowledgeofanethnicgroup sexactoriginandshowingthat isgreatin somewaymakes groupsomehow superior thosewhocan define their origin attribute their greatness Ibid Thealertreaderwill noticethatintheheadingto sectionthenamesareswitchedaround Hungariansalwaysput family first Christian second My would Ball Chris proper heading switch English order remainder report Institute Current WorldAffairs The Baldzs Orbdn statue square Wreathes colorsoftheHungarian nationalflag green redand white decorate statue haveevenraised statue To known greatest anything quite honor AsidefrombeingatleastagreatSz6kely thinkhe wouldhavemadeagreatICWAfellowaswell consider myselftobe leastana verageICWAfellow butevenif IcouldclaimtobeagreatICWAfellow Idon tthinkmy hometownofHuntsville Alabamawouldbe erectingany statuesofme Sowhatmadehimso greattotheSz6kelys In outskirts Sz6kelyudvarhely namedLengyelfalva BalizsOrbanwasbornonFebruary His parents aristocrats father baronand aHungarianHussar Captainand mother abaroness In addition motherwas ofmixed ethnic origin ShewashalfHungarianandhalfGreek afactthat becomesrelevantbelow YoungBalzssoon sethimselfofffrom familyby rejecting aristocratic title He close monersin spiritandchose toremainthere Eventodayhe isknown ashewas100yearsago asthe poorbaron He attended school Sz6kelyudvarhely Reformed Church school His studiesandtime thetownmade identify point considered Sz6kelyudvarhely spiritual birth place Heremained there studyingfrom In however lefttheregionuponreceivinga ninvi tation Greek grandmother visit Constantinople During grandmother however TheChurchofIslam seizedherproperty Natu rally family court property turned process lasted years Of those years Balzs spent Szkelyf61d Balzswasanadventurous Hespenthistime abroad He traveled extensively through Turkey Greece Asia Minor visited Palestine Syriaand Egypt Being natural ICWA fellow person hekeptajournalandlaterwroteabouttheregionina volumesetofbooksentitled TravelsintheEast Duringhis stayabroad revolutionbroke inEurope YoungBalzswasunableto return forvarious reasonsandcontentedhissense ofpatriotismbyhelping Hungarianemigrants inTurkey Heleft forLondonin oldyoung There worked British Museum learnedtobeawatchmaker Hemustnothave feltcon inLondonbecause soonmoved Chan Isl Jersey Guernsey where befriended VictorHugo Balzsspent severalyearswith friend asked speak Victor Hugo graveside In Balzs finally returned parents Constantinoplewheretheywerein theeighthyearofthe propertytrial Balzsspent afewmoreyearstherebefore returninghometo Sz6kelyf61d Whenhe arrivedhewas years hadbecome politically minded beganworkingonaplanwithlocalleaderstofreeTransylvania ofwhichSz6kelyf61dwasapart fromtheAustrianEmpire Healsobeganworkon Travels East ThewriterBalzsspentthenext 11yearsofhis outsidepoliticallife exceptfortheminorjoboftown clerk Sz6kelyudvarhely Thiswas perhaps fruitfultime asawriter Theworkhe didthenestablished HISFELLOWSHIP Afterpublishing Travels East Balizsimme diatelytranslatedandpublished TheFairyworld ofthe East orSultanSaifZueliazam alegendhetrans latedfromArabic I Hethenembarkedon averyICWA adventure resulti writing famous ADescription Sz6kelyf61d 1ItisclearthatBalizsspokemanyforeignlanguages likeallgoodICWAfellows couldfindnolistofwhichorhowmany languages spoke CPB Historical Archeological NaturalGeographicalandEth nographicPoint ofView Towrite thishe spent sixyears traveling throughout Sz6kelyf61d horse drawn backpack He visited Sz6kely settlements during people their legends photographed manyofheimportantlandmarksoftheregion naturalandman Thisworkwaspublishedin massivevolumesoverthenext21 years Thelastvolume published before death andoneyear afterVictorHugo This volume Bahizs remem bered ItreadsinmanywayslikeanexcellentICWA report The history there facts pictures Baldzs Orbdn house townofhis birth Lengyelfalva minutes south Szdkely udvarhely there legends people beliefsand tomsand allthebeauty region Balizstook dealwithhissubjectmatterinanelegantmanner verbosity The result volume contains inmanyways ofSz6kelyf61d people HISREMAININGYEARS Balzs Orbin spent final years Sz6kelyf61dandHungary workingandeditinghisbooks forpublication HewasamemberoftheHungarianPar liament frequent political speaker Transylvania memberoftheHungarianAcademyofScienceandperi odicallypublishedpoliticalessays Whenhe diedhehad Orbdn grave recently beautified It minute walkfi house Institute Current World Affairs children heirs Just prior death wrote Not having family I consider Hungarian peoplemyfamily andit ismyintentiontomakethemmy mainheirs Andthroughhisworks didjust Balzs Orbin Greatest Sz6kely andwasburiedin Szejkefiird6 smalltownjust outside hisbirthplace Today writings again become popular Sz6kelyf61dandotherregions ofTransylvanian During theRomanianCommunistyears hisworkswerebanned The ethnically unique people would andlearn history different ofthe officialRo rnanianCommunisthistory which traces ethnicRoma nians Roman Empire apparently unacceptable Only after changes books again bought freely birthplace Sincethechanges Sz6kelyudvarhelyhasinstalledBahizs Orbin statue square His birthplace renovated memorial built outside ofSz6kelyudvarhely gravesite hasbeen beautifiedwithsmallmemorialsandawoodenfence offfrom fieldwherehe CLOSE Ratherthanclose thisreportwithpersonalcomments onthebeauty ofSz6kelyudvarhelyandits people Igive thelastwordtotheGreatestSz6kely BalzsOrbin While I attheendofmyfellowship amnowleavingt hetown Orbin describes return Sz6kelyudvarhely Line ofSzdkely entrance gates built inmemoTdofBaldzs Orbdn Szejkefirdo Such gates arefrequentlyfound infront ofSzdkely homes endofhis sixyears oftravel His sentimentsuponarrival especially second paragraph however similar tomineupondeparture Wehave arrived themost interesting sicplaceinSz6kelyf61d center themother townofthe mother It isthreetimesamothertomeas isalso mysweetmotherland Whohasn thewarmfeeling surpriseseveryinnocentsoulwhenapproachingthis placewherehehasseenlight forthe firsttime Andbe thisplaceuglyorempty itwillstillbethemostloved placeonearth oftenbeingthepointfromwherea suffering struggle starts always remains pealing beloved since innocent starting sweetmemoriesofchildhood makeitlookbeau tifulandornate Icouldfearamanwhodoesnotrejoice enthusewhenseeinghismotherland because allaffec onandeveryounce ofpatriotismhasleft thatman This makes individual leave ofhumanvocation andturn devil This place themother townofmybeautifulcountry Sz6kelyf61d isbelovedtomebecausethis iswhereI This isthe startingpoint ofthe formationofmysoul theawakeningofmyspirit Thisiswhere Iwasimbued withtheburningaffection thatwecalllove forthemoth erland themostillustriousguidingideaofthe This where I learned about learned aboutits fascinatingandwonderfulhistory Thisiswhere glorious feeling oflove formycountry determiningthepath ofmylife wasconceived getherwithmyawakening 11Balzs Orbn ASzkelyf61d Vlogats Budapest Eur6paK6nyvkiad6 Translationby Crane FellowBalland since July Emese Gll CPB Close upofthe lastgate madebyOrbdn Thecarvingreads With thehelpoftheonetrueGod built inMarch24 1888byBaldsOrbdn Institute CurrentWorld Affairs Institute ofCurrentWo rldAffairs FOURWESTWHEELOCKSTREET HANOVER NEWHAMPSHIRE 03755 ADDRESSCORRECTION REQUESTED Fellows their Activities AdamSmithAlbion Aformerresearch associate atthe Institute EastWest Studies Prague Czech Republic Adamisstudyingandwritingabouttherepublics Central Asia their importance actors within without former Soviet AHarvard graduate History Adamhascompletedthe firstyearofatwo M Litt Degree Russian East European history languages Oxford University EUROPE RUSSIA ChristopherP Ball An economist Chris Ball holds B A fromtheUniversityofAlabama inHuntsvilleandattendedthe International Summer School London School Economics He studied Hungarian years Budapest while serving Project Director Hungarian Atlantic Council As Institute Fellow studying writing about Hungarian minorities former Soviet nations East Central Europe EUROPE RUSSIA Shell yRenaeBrowning Asurgeonspecializing inears hearing Dr Browning studying approaches traditional healersamong theAboriginesofAustraliaand indigenous peoples ofVanuatu hearing lossand problems ShewonherB S inChemistryattheUniversity South studied physician patient relationships China Australia Thomas J Watson Fellowship M D Emory University Atlanta Before ICWA fellowship Fellow Skull Base Surgery Montreal McGill University Department Otolaryngology SOUTH ASIA ChenoaEgawa AnenrolledmemberoftheLummi Indian Nation Chenoa spending years living among mesoAmerican Indians studying successful successful cooperative organizations designed helpthe Indians market their manufactures agricultural products crafts without relying middlemen Aformer trade specialistfortheAmerican IndianTradeandDevelopment Council Pacific Northwest Chenoa B A International Busines Spanish University Washington Seattle THEAMERICAS Paige Evans A playwright former Literary Manager Manhattan Theatre Club NewYork City Paige looking Cuba through performing Witha History LiteratureBA Harvard shehasserved counselor Buckhorn Children Center Buckhorn Kentucky Arts Editor International Courier Rome Italy adjunct professor teaching course Contemporary American Playwrights NewYork University She joined theManhattanTheatreClubin1990 THEAMERICAS WhitneyMason Afreelarin dlelevision journal Whitbegan hiscareerbyfoundinga newspapercalled The Siberian Review Novosibirsk worked editor Vladivostok News wrote Asiaweek magazine Hong Kong In switched radio video journalism working Bosnia Korea forCBS AsanICWAFellow heisstudyingandwriting aboutTurkey roleas nexusbetween Eastand West tweentraditionalandsecularIslam EUROPE RUSSIA Mar Mi haelson A program manager Save Children inTheGambia MarchasmovedacrossAfricato Horn there assess nation building Eritrea Ethiopia conditions permitting availingand unavailing humanitarian efforts northern Somalia southern Sudan WithaB A politicalsciencefromTufts ayearof degree study atthe London School ofEconomicsand Master Intemational PeaceStudiesfrom NotreDame describes postgraduate years seven years experience internationaldevelopmentprogrammingand peace research SAHARA Jean Benott Nadeau AFrench Canadian journalist playwright Jean BenoTt studied drama National Theater School Montreal received B A McGill University Political Science History The holder several Canadian magazine investigative journalism awards spending ICWA fellowship years inFrancestudying resistanceoftheFrench thetrendofeconomicand culturalglobalization EUROPE RUSSIA Susan Sterner Astaff photographer Associated PressinLosAngeles SusanreceivedherB A inInterna tional Studies CulturalAnthropology EmoryUniver sityandaMaster LatinAmerican Studies atVanderbilt AP gaveherawide ranging withassignmentsin Haiti Mexico andalongtheUS Mexicanborder in1998shewasaco nomineefora Pulitzer Prizeforaseriesonchild labor Herfel lowshiptopic livesand statusofBrazilianwomen THEAMERICAS TyroneTurner Aphotojournalist Black Star whosework appeared U S newspapers magazines TyroneholdsaMaster sdegree inGovernmentand Latin American politics Georgetown University produced international photo essays topics Rwandan genocide mining Indonesia latter nominatedfora Pulitzer AsanICWAFellowhe iswriting photographing Brazilian youth their lives rural andurbansettings THEAMERICAS Daniel B Wright Asinologist Master Degree International Relationsfrom Nitze School ofAdvanced International StudiesoftheJohns Hopkins University Dan fellowship immerses southwest China Guizhou Province where journalist Shou Guowei theirtwochildren MargaretandJon willbasethemselves years Duyun Previously specialist onAsianand Chinese affairs fortheWashington consulting Andreae Vick Associates Dan studied Chinese literatureatBeijing UniversityandholdsaMaster Divinity degree Fuller Theological Seminary Pasadena California EASTASIA Chosen basis character vious experience promise Institute Fellows areyoung professionalsfunded spend minimum oftwo years carry designed programs ofstudy writing outside United States The Fellows required report their findings experiences field month They write subject asformally informallyasthey T result unique porting analysis periodic assess mentofinternational eventsand issues Author Ball Christopher P Title ICWALetters Europe Russia ISSN Imprint Institute Current World Affairs Hanover NH Material Type Serial Language English Frequency Monthly Other Regions Sub Saharan Africa South Asia Mideast North Africa East Asia TheAmericas