On behalf of the Hungarian state, Minister for Culture and Innovation Balázs Hankó accepted a significant literary archive of author Sándor Márai during the final day of his official visit to the United States. The handover ceremony took place at the Hungarian Consulate General in New York, in the presence of members of the local Hungarian diaspora.
The collection, donated by American sources, includes several hundred original manuscripts by the acclaimed writer — among them the original version of his iconic poem “Angel from Heaven”, written in New York during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. The transfer was coordinated in collaboration with the New York-based Liszt Institute.
Fact
Sándor Márai (1900–1989) was a Hungarian novelist, poet, and journalist whose work masterfully captured the inner conflicts of modern Europe — from the decline of aristocratic life to the spiritual exile of intellectuals in the 20th century.
Forced to flee communist Hungary, Sándor Márai lived in exile for decades, eventually settling in the United States. It was during this time, in New York at the height of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, that he wrote “Angel from Heaven”, a haunting poem that became a symbol of sorrow, resilience, and longing for freedom.
Though largely unknown outside Hungary during his lifetime, Sándor Márai’s literary voice found international recognition in the 1990s with the posthumous global success of Embers. Today, he is revered for his introspective prose, moral clarity, and deeply human exploration of loss, loyalty, and the exiled soul. Sándor Márai, who was born 125 years ago, is widely regarded as one of Hungary’s most influential 20th-century writers.
At the event, Minister Hankó delivered a keynote address outlining key elements of Hungary’s cultural and higher education policies. He emphasized recent reforms aimed at increasing the global competitiveness of Hungarian universities. In his remarks, Balázs Hankó acknowledged ongoing criticism from the European Union but maintained that Hungarian higher education institutions are “holding their own” on the international stage.
The minister also reflected on the significance of upcoming anniversaries: the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026 and the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. He drew a parallel between the two, saying both commemorate the “eternal value of freedom” — a principle, he argued, that must be distinguished from mere permissiveness in today’s world.
As part of his New York visit, Balázs Hankó held talks with Hungarian scientists working in the U.S. to explore pathways for professional return to Hungary. He also met with leaders of the Young Republican Club of New York, one of the oldest Republican organizations in the country.
Earlier in the week, during stops in Washington, D.C., the minister met with representatives from the former Trump administration and discussed potential collaborations in research and science. At the Museum of the Bible, he signed an agreement establishing Hungary as the institution’s first international research partner — a move that will bring Hungarian scholars to Washington.
Balázs Hankó also visited the Catholic University of America, where he announced the launch of a research consortium between the university and Hungary’s Pázmány Péter Catholic University. Funded with $1 million from the Hungarian state, the project will focus on the ethical implications of artificial intelligence.
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Via MTI; Featured image: Facebook/Balázs Hankó
The post Pages of Exile Return: Sándor Márai’s Legacy Finds Its Way Home appeared first on Hungary Today.
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