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"The post-Trianon border demarcations moved millions of Hungarian families to other countries, which not only posed political, but also social and cultural challenges for these communities." - Mihály Lakatos, senior researcher at the Institute for Hungarian Unity and Zsolt Koppány Nagy, Attila József Prize-winning writer, pointed out in a lecture at MCC Debrecen.
The question of the identity of Hungarians living beyond the borders, the historical context and the social consequences are all areas that affect the audience on several levels. From a historical point of view, the situation of Hungarians beyond the borders is primarily determined by the Trianon Peace Treaty and its consequences. The lecture pointed out that the post-Trianon border demarcations displaced millions of Hungarian families to other countries, which not only posed political but also social and cultural challenges for these communities. Part of Hungarian society considered this situation as temporary. For a long time, people hoped that the borders could change and national cohesion could be restored.
From a literary point of view, Zsolt Koppány Nagy's "Songs of a Guest Worker" shed light on the subject from a more personal perspective. The excerpts read out reflected with painful honesty the lived reality of Hungarians living beyond the border.
The comments based on personal experiences also played a significant role in the performance, as the stories of the people concerned gave a more direct insight into the identity crisis and difficulties of Hungarians living beyond the border. It became clear to the audience that these people are not only separated from the motherland by physical borders, but are also constantly challenged by the political and social environment. In particular, Mihály Lakatos highlighted the role of the education system and state power, which in many cases aimed to suppress national consciousness.
The lecture also focused on the social context of "romanisation", which is not only linked to the ideological goals of the authorities, but also had a strong impact on the personal identity of the people concerned. As a consequence of "romanisation", many people felt excluded from their own communities, while the questioning of their national identity became commonplace rather than reinforcing it.
