O monografie în curs de elaborare despre Béla Jancsó

Abstract

A MONOGRAPH IN PROGRESS ON BÉLA JANCSÓ

(Abstract)

The Jancsó brothers, Béla and Elemér, had a primary role in the history of Hungarian literature and culture in Romania. Their legacy was and is the focus of Péter Cseke and Ildikó Molnár. The monograph written by Ildikó Molnár on Elemér Jancsó (Bezártságélmény és alkotói szabadság) appeared in 2023, while the synthesis on Béla Jancsó is currently being elaborated. Béla Jancsó's talent emerged in 1923 as a promoter of the first generation of writers after World War I. He is mentioned in the prestigious magazine Nyugat in 1926, as a renewer of the literary essay, in the same year in which the famous author László Németh began his writing activity. In their conception, the purpose of writing is the same: to preserve national identity. In this context, we must also appreciate the value of the correspondence between these two writers: literary correspondence is an integral part of their work. Jancsó also kept in touch with his friends in New York, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Bratislava, Szeged, Budapest, Bucharest, Oradea, Timișoara, Târgu-Mureș, Dej, Brașov, Sfântu-Gheorghe, Miercurea Ciuc, Odorheiu Secuiesc, etc.

Jancsó’s correspondence, including scientific annotations, has been published in 4 volumes (2015, 2016, 2019, 2023) in the care of Kriterion Publishing House. A posthumous volume of Jancsó's writings (Érték, erkölcs, közösség – Value, Morality, Community. Kriterion, 2021) has also been published.

Based on these editions, the author of the study concludes: although Jancsó's work and literary activity – following the Soviet imprisonment – were not appreciated, they exude a model of thinking and mentality for the contemporary world. As an argument, two essays by Jancsó are attached to the article: Voltaire's Heart deals with musealization, the second, Accusations against Hungarian Literature in Transylvania is a critical text against the literary historian Elemér Jancsó.

Keywords: literary correspondence, literary monograph, censorship, self-censorship, integrating person.