Not Only by Accident. Arthur Koestler’s Reception in Post-war Hungary, 1945–1948
This article is the first part of a series of publications on Arthur Koestler’s reception in Hungary during its transition to Communism. Given the author’s iconic status as an anti-Communist writer, it is reasonable to suppose that his texts would have been banned and his name rarely uttered, mu...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
| Published: |
Scientia Publishing House
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Acta Universitatis Sapientiae: Philologica |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://acta.sapientia.ro/content/docs/9-595701.pdf |
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| Summary: | This article is the first part of a series of publications on Arthur
Koestler’s reception in Hungary during its transition to Communism. Given
the author’s iconic status as an anti-Communist writer, it is reasonable
to suppose that his texts would have been banned and his name rarely
uttered, much less printed, in Hungary before the 1989 regime change. It
is thus not surprising that this view is virtually uncontested by scholars
both in Hungary and beyond. Yet, as shown here on the basis of thirtyone articles published between April 1945 and June 1948 in Hungarian
dailies, journals, and magazines, at least in this early and transitional
period, Koestler’s writing is not only frequently mentioned but actively
discussed. Furthermore, through a closer analysis of the contents of these
texts, five specific categories of mentions are identified: (1) Koestler cited
as a journalist reporting on contemporary events; (2) his opinion quoted as
that of an authority figure; (3) polemics towards Koestler’s views; (4) reports
on the foreign reception of Hungarian literature, including Koestler; and (5)
Koestler used as a public scapegoat. |
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| ISSN: | 2067-5151 2068-2956 |