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The Faculty of Humanities of the University of Debrecen (UDFH) and the General Consulate of Hungary in Montreal signed a cooperation agreement at the end of 2023 centred on researching the past and present of the Hungarian diaspora living in Montreal, in addition to the mapping, preservation and academic presentation of the community’s heritage.
In the past months, the Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling of Concordia University joined the project as a partner, and representatives of several Hungarian organisations in Montreal also contributed to the success of the first phase of the cooperation.
After various activities of the project, such as on-site research, relationship building, interviews and conference presentations, an event was organised at Concordia University, on June 13, where the General Consulate and Balázs Venkovits, Director of the Institute of English and American Studies of UDFH and the head of the project in Debrecen, presented the latest results and next steps of the project.
“What makes this work truly special is the diversity of the participants; its important pillar is an interdisciplinary research group created recently at the Faculty of Humanities of Debrecen University with the participation of Canadianists, sociologists, linguists and librarians,” Balázs Venkovits told the portal hirek.unideb.hu.
The director of IEAS highlighted that the research in the archives, the digitalisation of the materials, the in-depth interviews and the preparation for a questionnaire survey had begun and were greatly complemented by the organizing and supporting activities of the General Consulate, the contribution of Concordia University in the form of know-how and tools, and the active participation of the Hungarian community of Montreal.
The aim of the project is to process the almost hundred-year history of Hungarians of Montreal, to identify the most important Hungarian-related locations, areas and events and to present them on an online, interactive map where visitors can learn about the history of each place through interview excerpts, archival documents, recordings and historical descriptions. The scientific study of the history, migration, integration, and acculturation strategies of the Hungarians of Montreal also has a prominent role.
In addition to many local Hungarians, General Consul Helga Pritz, Barbara Lorenzkowski, Head of Concordia’s Centre for Oral History, and Francesca Scala, Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies, were also present at the event and welcomed the attendees.
General Consul Helga Pritz said, “The Canadian diaspora is significant for the Hungarian national consciousness, not only for its number, but also for its history. This community arrived in various eras and from various regions. Since the First World War, a considerable number of Hungarians immigrated here from neighbouring countries as well. The community cherished and recreated its traditions many times, and while preserving its roots, it was able to provide value to the welcoming new homeland as well.
“It is our common task to preserve and pass on these memories and values, which is why it is extremely important for the General Consulate of Hungary in Montreal to support this project which first focused on the tradition of the St. Stephen’s Ball and was then extended to researching emigration in a multidisciplinary manner, and which can be planned over several years and can offer results for both scientific and lay audiences,” the General Consul emphasized.
The research work began last year, after the signing of the cooperation agreement, to which Concordia University soon joined.
“Members of the city’s Hungarian-Canadian community welcomed this project with great pleasure and were eager to share their memories and life stories with us. We listened with interest to their accounts about the important role of food in building and nurturing family and community bonds, as well as stories of displacement, survival, starting over, hard work, suffering and joy,” Barbara Lorenzkowski said.
At the event, Sonya Di Sclafani, master’s student at Concordia University, presented her initial research project, which examines migration processes in the Hungarian context, from a female perspective, taking into consideration the role of food.
The results of the research will soon be available to the general public. The first publication of the project will be presented at the Debrecen University Symposium organized by the Institute of English and American Studies in October.
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