Cultural Life in Hungary [antikvár]

Hungárián culture has been an organic part of the intellectual life of Europe for over a thousand years, receiving many precious assets from the latter and, on its part, contributing towards its development in many respects. Shakespeare's works, translated by the best poets into Hungárián, belong as organically to Hungárián literary consciousness as does Béla Bartók's music to Europe's musical mother-tongue. And yet, despite the never ceasing influences and counter-influences between Hungárián and European culture, Hungárián intellectual life -with the exception of a few outstanding works or writers-has at all times been but scarcely accessible to the outside world. This fact, apart from other circumstances, may, amongst other things, be chiefly ascribed to the isolated character of the Hungárián language which up to this day has made literary works all but inaccessible to foreign peoples. However, a change has set in during the life of the present generation; after Hungárián music, the first to make itself known to the world, Hungárián science, Hungárián literature and other works of Hungárián culture are alsó beginning to break through the difficulties of the language barrier. An increasing interest outside and the will inside to get through to the outside world are the two driving forces promoting this change. These two currents are an ever increasing world interest in the efforts and aspirations of socialist Hungary cultivating intellectual life which comprises alsó the traditions of the past on the basis of a new economic and social order; and a sincere wish on the part of the builders of Hungárián culture to contribute,