„The Hungarian uprising has set forces in motion whose full impact is yet to be felt.” In 1966 Otto von Habsburg evaluated the events of 1956 in Hungary with the above thoughts.[1]
The president of the Hungarian Freedom Fighters Federation in the USA, Professor dr. András Pogány[2], asked Otto von Habsburg to write a few lines in Hungarian for their commemorative volume to be published on the occasion of the tenth anniversary. Otto von Habsburg wrote a short review entitled “It started in Budapest”.[3] The title itself refers to his well-known view that the Hungarian Revolution decisively weakened Soviet communist power. On the occasion of the anniversary, he reaffirmed that the blood sacrifice of the people involved was not in vain.
The Hungarian revolution in perspective-FINAL
The English version of the text can be found in the volume entitled The Hungarian Revolution in Perspective, edited by Francis S. Wagner and published by the F. F. Memorial Foundation in 1967.
Habsburg Ottó Budapesten kezdődött
The Hungarian document is from the correspondence of Otto von Habsburg with Emil Csonka.[4] Otto von Habsburg exchanged letters with his biographer over several decades.[5] Part of the correspondence is kept by our Foundation and the Collection of Manuscripts of Petőfi Literary Museum (the estate of Emil Csonka). Emil Csonka, historian and journal editor, was editor-in-chief of the Munich-based political and cultural journal Új Európa (New Europe) from 1962 to 1982. Otto von Habsburg frequently published articles in the newspaper. The editors of the newspaper regularly commemorated the events of 1956. Professor András Pogány himself has written on the subject on several occasions. Professor András Pogány himself has written on the subject on several occasions. The title of his article published on the 25th anniversary, in issue 6 of 1981, Everything started in Budapest… – may be a reference to the title of the earlier anniversary article by Otto von Habsburg.
On the 66th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, our Foundation commemorates the historic events by publishing the writings of its namesake, Otto von Habsburg.
Eszter Gaálné Barcs
Document reference: HOAL-I.2.b. Emil Csonka correspondence (in preparation)
[1] For a detailed account of Otto von Habsburg’s activities in relation to the Hungarian events of 1956, see: Gergely Fejérdy: Habsburg Ottó és az 1956-os forradalom. (Otto von Habsburg and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.) Századok, 2021, 5, 1003-1024. https://szazadok.hu/doc/szazadok_2020_05_PRESS.pdf (Date of download: 10.10.2022)
[2] András H. Pogány (1919-1995), university professor, president of the Hungarian Freedom Fighters Federation.
[3] The text in English can be found: Francis S. Wagner (edited): The Hungarian Revolution in Perspective. Washington, D. C., F. F. Memorial Foundation, 1967. p. 35–36.
[4] Emil Csonka (1923-1982): journalist, historian, colleague of Radio Free Europe.
[5] Emil Csonka: Habsburg Ottó. Egy különös sors története. (Otto von Habsurg. The story of a strange fate.) Munich, Új Európa, 1972.
