Professor Ilona Németh
* 1963
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“I think, the tensions between the Slovaks and the Hungarians did not exist at all. There were much more important connections, we were united by something else, I think it was not a problem. Now I know, despite the fact that the MNI/HII was based on the principles of basic democracy, where everyone could interfere with everything, simply because the consensus must be found, so that someone could voice our opinion. We had eight to ten hours long debates. It was a major experience for me to create my opinion. I really appreciated that nothing there was based on the approval of the majority. Now I say about the MNI, that the minority opinion was always included because we had the discussion until we found the consensus. It is a very demanding process, mentally and timewise, it is hard to imagine a parliament or a country that would be based on the same principles, but for me it was the most acceptable way. I want to say, in the course of time I see, that even if I perceived it this way, still there was some kind of hierarchy among us, because some people had more influence over the decision making and some connections developed because someone had to represent the MNI. Some of us could speak better Slovak, or had more experience, or could negotiate better – pronouncedly Szigeti, Hunčík and others, they represented the Initiative within the VPN. It was also because some people became friends much faster and co-operated deeper with Martin Bútora, Šimečka and so on. We knew them too, me as very young, but there is a huge age and knowledge gap between us. Now we are friends, but back then the distance was much bigger than I realized at that time.”
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"My uncle established the Csemadok. In the 50s he traveled through the Hungarian regions and gave speeches and was very well-known. I think that Miklos Duray who obviously wasn‘t a communist, but may be he was, I can’t say, knew exactly, what background my uncle has from the Csemadok and that he has been a dissident for 20 years since 1968. Not only nationalism but also the dissidence united them. The shades why people would unite were based on something else. I think they belonged together not because of nationalism because of minority politics they represented in the same way and where they always had some enemies. They did found a party called the Coexistence but all their politics was and Duray’s still is based on looking for the enemy and our ideology, our attitude was based on the cooperation. The cooperation, however, was not acceptable for them.”
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„To me it appears quite simple. The changes came to Dunajska Streda slower and then the people from the factories… I remember my husband worked in the Ister company… the groups of people in all those companies organized that change. Many small groups in each factory. I can‘t remember any schools, companies or factories where the management would be against. I can‘t remember at all, because it was solved within those companies usually. But I may be naive. I remember we … I can‘t respond… the people from the management may remember better, but I can say the change was sharp and the tings happened naturally. It may not be true. We were the quasi-revolutionaires having speeches in the streets and … as I worked in Bratislava later on and can’t remember those individual tragedies that happened in some places, which is a mistake, but I cant’t remember.”
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Full recordings
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22.01.2019
(audio)
duration: 01:51:13
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If you happen to be a part of such social change as we were in 1989, then you believe you can have an impact
Ilona Németh was born to a Hungarian family on 28th of January, 1963 in Dunajska Streda. Her father was a member of the Communist Party. Despite the fact that her father held high positions in the party after 1969, Ilona sensitively perceived social and political situation. She graduated at the Hungarian College of Applied Art. During her studies she was very active among various opposition groups and carried Hungarian samizdat literature through the borders. In 1986 she returned to Southern Slovakia and participated in protest actions although her son was born. She worked for the Hungarian book publisher Madách and co-founded the graphic column of the Iródia magazine for independent Hungarian writers. In 1987 together with József Juhász they established an independent Studio erté promoting so far unofficial alternative and experimental art. In the same year they started to organize the festival in Nove Zamky. Together with 20 Hungarian dissidents and young activists she co-founded Hungarian Independent Initiative in secret on 18th November 1989 and was its active representant in November revolutionary actions. At the same time she worked for the HII in the headquarters of the VPN in Bratislava. For two years she worked in Nap – an independent Hungarian magazine as a graphic designer. She has never applied for any political post. She left politics in 1991 and remained an active artist with frequent exhibitions in both Slovakia and abroad. Since 2007 she has been a professor at the Department of Intermedia and Multimedia of the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava. She is still socially engaged.
