HUNGARY AFTER GLASNOST:
A
SYMPOSIUM
Edith Kurzweil:
We want to welcome all of you to meet our
Hungarian friends. Some of you have asked me why
Partisan Review
is sponsoring the visit of seven Hungarian psychoanalysts. I will tell
you briefly. I was at a conference on the history of psychoanalysis in
Trieste-one of two Americans, the other one I didn't know. The
Hungarians realized I was alone, and they took me in. I became part
of their group, especially when they found out that three of my
grandparents were Hungarian. We became good friends. I also
realized at the conference that they had interesting things to say
which we in America hadn't heard about, particularly about Hun–
garian psychoanalysis. I thought I would try to arrange a visit for
them-which took nearly three years. However, thanks to a member
of our Advisory Board I contacted the Soros Foundation. After the
Soros Foundation commited itself to pay for transportation, our Ad–
visory Board helped in many ways . My plan worked because the
Columbia Psychoanalytic Institute, mostly thanks to Helen Meyers,
Qtto Kernberg and Ethel Person, agreed to cooperate in a con–
ference bringing American psychoanalysts together with their
Hungarian colleagues . We had the big meeting yesterday thanks to
Ira Katznelson, the Dean ofthe Graduate Faculty ofthe New School
for Social Research.
It
was very well attended, and everybody
seemed happy; the Americans were happy, the Hungarians were
happy, at least so they told me, and even people from the audience
kept coming up to say how pleased they were to have witnessed this
"historical event." Helen gave a marvelous party for them last night,
and seminars on Friday and this morning. Tonight we're here for
dinner and conversation at Joanna's. Before I forget, I also want to
thank those of our friends who have put up our Hungarian guests,
who thereby really have gotten to know how one lives in New York.
Next week they will find out how one lives in Boston.
This evening we're not going to talk about psychoanalysis, ex–
cept peripherally, if it comes in. We mostly want to know what's go–
ing on in Hungary . Our friends will tell us, and they want you to ask
questions. William Phillips will moderate and Gyorgy Hidas will
begin with an introduction . He, as well as Gabor Szonyi, Ivan Lust,
and Gyorgy Vikar, are doctors as well as psychoanalysts. Judith
Editor's Note: This discussion took place on November 13 , 1988, in New York City,
at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Rose .
