Tibor Simanyi

Tibor Simányi (* 1924 in Kiskunfélegyháza ; † February 8, 2008 in Vienna ) was a Hungarian historian and author .

Life

Hungary

Tibor Simányi was born into an officer's family (grandfather, father). He spent his youth in Mátyásföld (today part of Pest ) and in Budapest, where he graduated from the “Reformed Obergymnasium” in July 1942. From 1942 to 1946 he studied German and English at the Péter Pázmány University, Budapest. In the summer of 1944 he did military service in Transylvania. After the end of the war in 1946 he was a publishing editor at Magyar Téka. After the communists came to power in Hungary and the nationalization of the publishing house, he was denied any further work. He got a job as a laborer in a factory later as a "technical translator". In addition, he worked as an actor in a lay group and in small literary and intellectual circles until 1956, when he fled the Soviet tanks and wrote about it: “I was never an“ emigrant ”. Not even at Christmas 1956, when I, one of tens of thousands, arrived in Vienna on the run from the Soviet tanks that had put down Hungary's popular uprising in November and December. I never felt like an emigrant. My bilingualism - was a family legacy of my grandmother: Her ancestors had come from Bavaria and she had spoken a terrible Hungarian all her life; my mother too had only learned the national language at school. Only my father's mother tongue was Hungarian. But he also spoke a neat German - with the unmistakable accent. That helped me through the first difficulties; as well as memories of nice stays in the Graz area before the war and studying German in Budapest. "(quote)

Vienna 1956–1970

After fleeing in 1956, he worked from 1957 to 1962 in Vienna as a freelance journalist for various magazines and newspapers (Wirtschafts-Horizont, Neues Österreich , Neue Österreichische Tageszeitung , Neue Illustrierte Wochenschau). In 1962 he moved to the Donauland publishing house as an editor until 1964 and then in the same position at Europa Verlag until 1968. In 1969, Tibor Simányi went to Hug Verlag in Zurich (Switzerland) where he stayed for only one year.

Cologne 1970–1981

In 1970 Simányi moved to Cologne , where he headed the Hungarian language service of the shortwave station Deutsche Welle from 1970 to 1976 and continued to work until 1981. During this time he wrote a large number of radio reports and newspaper articles on political and social events in Europe ("approx. 3500 hours of contribution and half a kilo of articles" quoted by T.Simányi)

Vienna 1981–2008

In 1981 he retired and returned to Vienna , where he mainly worked as a book author and translator but also as a correspondent for Voice of America and Deutsche Welle until 1992. Until shortly before his death in 2008, he followed world events with interest and in exchange with various circles. For a book manuscript that was still completed, he no longer had the strength or endurance to find a publisher. After a brief incurable illness, Tibor Simányi died at the age of 84 on February 8, 2008 in “his” Vienna. After the cremation, his urn was buried on February 29, 2008 in the Vienna-Mauer cemetery.

Meaning and work

In addition to his own journalistic and writing activities, Tibor Simányi gained special importance as a long-time friend, correspondent and translator of Sándor Márai , who experienced a special renaissance of his work in the German-speaking area around the turn of the millennium.

Tibór Simányi found his spiritual home in the monarchy , which he knew profoundly through his books. He considered himself “a late born” citizen of “his monarchy”. He saw the rapprochement between Germany and France as a late realization of Kaunitz's conception and the European Union as a geographically shifted new edition of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy . In his way he was an educated, always friendly and sociable gentleman who loved wine, women and singing (opera), a gentle man .

Awards

No. “With some sadness I note that my books - strangely enough, the“ Austrian ”titles“ Kaunitz ”,“ Ferdinand ”,“ Hadik ”,“ Andrássy ”- have found greater circulation abroad, in Germany and Italy than in Austria . The most significant example of this: "Andrássy" was discussed in Die Zeit by the well-known German historian Uwe Engelbert in a three-column review - hardly mentioned in the Austrian media. "(T. Simányi 1997)

Works

1. The people of Kossuth (Ten historical miniatures). Illustrated by Hugo Matzenauer. Ars Hungarica Vienna 1959 115 pp. Bound
2. Imre Madách and his human tragedy, 1964
3. The robbery of Europe - biography of a continent. Europa Verlag Vienna 1967
4. Madame de Pompadour - A biography. Claassen, Düsseldorf 1979. 375 bound pages, ISBN 3-546-48513-0
5. Kaunitz or The Diplomatic Revolution. State Chancellor Maria Theresa. Amalthea , Vienna, Munich 1984. 446 bound pages, ISBN 3-85002-192-0
6. He created the empire. Ferdinand of Habsburg. Amalthea, Vienna Munich (1987) 316 pp. Bound, ISBN 3-85002-224-2
7. The Austrians in Berlin. The hussar coup of Count Hadik in 1757. Amalthea, Vienna, Munich 1987. 148 p. Bound, ISBN 3-85002-246-3
8. Together with Franz Endler, Lajos Mesterházi: Vienna and Budapest on old photographs. J&V (Jugend & Volk Wien, Verlagsgesellschaft mbH) 1989 207 p. Illustrated book numerous Ill. ISBN 3-224-17622-9
9. Julius Count Andrássy. Master builder of the dual monarchy Mitstreiter Bismarcks.ÖBV ( Österreichischer Bundesverlag GmbH Vienna) 1990 291 pp. Bound, ISBN 3-215-07480-X
10. Wispy clouds. Outdated notes from a Central European 1991–1993. Haag + Herrchen, Frankfurt am Main 1994 137 pp. Paperback ISBN 3-86137-156-1
11. The alliance. Story of a downfall. Essay. Haag + Herrchen, Frankfurt am Main 1995, 61 p. Paperback ISBN 3-86137-305-X
12. Sándor Márai. Dear Tibor. Correspondence. Edited and translated from Hungarian by Tibor Simányi. Piper , Munich Zurich 2002, 336 bound pages, ISBN 3-492-04377-1
13. Emperor Karl I (IV.) As a Christian, statesman, husband and father of a family (co-author), 2004
14. The alliance. West and East towards the middle Publication year?

Translations

Sándor Marái: The miracle of San Gennaro. Novel. Translated from Hungarian and with an afterword by Tibór Simanyi. Piper, Munich Zurich 2007, 285 pp. Hardcover and paperback ISBN 978-3-492-24969-0

Web links

• Literature by and about Tibor Simanyi in the catalog of the German National Library