Organization: UAKOM SAV Banska Bystrica, CSFR
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Newsgroups: bit.listserv.slovak-l
Date:         Fri, 13 Nov 1992 08:19:38 MET
From:         KUBASKA@UAKOM.CS
Subject:      Re: Slovak-Hungarian Conflicts

 Dear Joe:
 I enjoy the discussion with you because it is interesting for
 me to get the oppinions from "the other side" (please don't
 take it literaly) directly. To your question about my name:
 Marian is male name in slovak. It's female equivalent is
 Mariana. My last name is also male one and my bride-to-be will
 take the surname Kubaskova.

> I would put my money on what I guess from your last name.

  So you would lose it.

  I hope you admit that our discussion about S-H conflict is
  theoretical one. I don't want to say that there is not some kind
  of antipathy between slovaks and hungarians for the historical
  reasons already mentioned. I also don't want to say that here in
  Slovakia are not some people with extreme oppinions but their
  political influence is too small. So that I would appreciate to
  change the subject from: S-H Conflicts to:S-H relations. I would
  also prefer the discussion about the things that realy hapened
  in SR now.
  I would like to hear from you what you expect the rights of
  hungarians in SR should be. I still don't know what you understad
  under the term authonomy.

> >   The Hungarians treat their right of selfdetermination in Hungary.
> >   Slovaks and Czechs will treat it in Slovak republic and in Czech re-
> >   public respectively.
>
> So that's that?  You make it sound as if there were only Slovaks in
> Slovakia who alone are entitled for selfdetermination.  BTW, when is the
> next Slovakian national census due?  That should show pretty much how
> many non-Slovaks there are.

  No there are slovaks,hungarians,poles,... in SR. But hungarians
  treat their right of selfdetermination in Hungary. It is a quality
  of the nation not of person. That doesn't mean that hungarians are
  second category people in S. They have the same rights as Slovaks
  plus minority rights. I would like you  understand that it is the
  question of the emotions, that every slovak in USA, Hungary,
  Slovakia,.. may say for himself that he has his motherland
  somewhere in Europe. It is question of our naturel and nothing
  more. It sertainly is not the wish to supress our minorities-
  our citizens.That is what the preambule of our constitution
  is about. "We slovak nation.....together with the members of
  national minorities...so that we citizens of Slovakia.."

> I doubt you've read his controversial writings, or are familiar enough
> with the Hungarian domestic scene to pass judgement on that.  Much of
> what got out of Hungary about Csurka's writings is through channels

  Yes, you are right. I would appreciate the transcription of it.

> >   I heard enough of Mr. Duray. But I hear no one things that have to
> >   be proved to be true or not from him.
>
> Well, if you simply dismiss Duray's complaints as lies, than there is
> not much pont in arguing between us, either.  After all, I can't
> possibly know the Slovak situation as much as he does.

  If you know about anything regarding to ethnic supression in S
  ( Mr Duraj probably knows but didn't say what exactly, so that you
  can't wonder I have doubt about truth of his statements. Any problem
  that has to be clearly defined before he is solved) let us know.

> But even then, if the person didn't speak or write Slovak,
> and there is no record that he considered himself as such, can he still
> be made into a Slovak by historians?

  No. They would be "historians".

> A case in point is -- who I understand is your national hero -- Mate(j?)
> Cak.  In Hungarian history he is known as Csak Mate' and as far as I
> understand his ancestors can be traced back directly to the original
> Hungarian conquerors of the Carpathian basin.  So, what is the basis for
> him being declared now a Slovak national hero?  Just because he ran his
> own little renegade "kingdom" opposing the central authority of the
> Hungarian king?  Since he was not a positive figure in Hungarian
> history, you can have him, but I've been always curious about this.

  I never hear anything else about the Matus Cak than "The king of
  the river Vah and the Tatry". I never hear him to be slovak national
  hero and I also never hear anybody claiming that he was slovak. But
  he sertainly has his place in slovak history as all hungarians
  because as I said slovaks were part of Hungarian empire.

 Regards,
Marian Kubaska
Banska Bystrica
Czech and Slovak Federal Republic
E-mail: KUBASKA@UAKOM.CS
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.slovak-l