„Bori mesék”. Képzőművész munkaszolgálatosok Borban

Tamás Csapody

doi:10.1556/080.2023.00003

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Művészettörténeti Értesítő

Volume/Issue:: Volume 72: Issue 1

„Bori mesék”. Képzőművész munkaszolgálatosok Borban

Author:

Tamás Csapody

Tamás Csapody Semmelweis Egyetem Magatartástudományi Intézet, Magyarország

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Pages:: 103–116

Online Publication Date:: 07 Nov 2024

Publication Date:: 07 Nov 2024

Article Category:: Research Article

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1556/080.2023.00003

Keywords:: Hungarian Jews conscripted for labour duty; Holocaust; fine arts; fairy tales; Bor;

Keywords (Hungarian):: magyar zsidó munkaszolgálatosok; holokauszt; képzőművészet; mese; Bor;

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During World War II six thousand Hungarians enlisted for labour service were taken from Hungary to Bor in Serbia occupied by germany (1943–1944). The great majority called up for unarmed labour service were of Jewish origin; they were supervised by Hungarian soldiers and worked under the control of german military officials (Organisation Todt). They were put to slave labour in the mines and the construction of the mountain railroad around Bor. Several of the Jewish labourers were beginning or already acknowledged artists at the time of their conscription. no matter how adverse the circumstances were, some of them did not give up their creative activity during work in Bor. The three works mentioned in the paper were created in labour camps during the Holocaust, at high artistic level. Their singularity, however, is not primarily their attainment but the choice of their unusual genre. Their common feature is the genre of the (fairy) tale. “Ein Märchen von Bor” narrates the story of the Bor mine in 50 scenes and poems in german written under them. The characters of the tales are figures from the literature of tales, german occupiers and inmates of labour camps. The tale that takes place around the mining region of Bor alloys reality, fancy and the faith of the conscripts on labour duty in their liberation. The other tale based on Mother Holle also known from the grimm brothers’ collection is titled “Tale of a good and a bad little girl”. It consists of twelve colour pictures. It was made upon the commission of one inmate for the wedding anniversary of another one. The cock often appearing in tales has particularly great significance here: it is the herald of the Messiah, and in Hebrew tradition it is a symbol of betrothal and fertility. The other ancient symbols emerging in the tale get further meanings in this context. The third art work mentioned in the paper depicts a single day in Bor in six scenes and a few lines. The tale written in postcard format is at the same time a confession of love to the bride left at home. love thus plays an important role in all tales or in their genesis.

The creators and in two cases the addressees of the works of art are known: graphic artists Ferenc Szabó and poet Tibor Sándori (Tales of Bor) and graphic artist Albert Csillag (“Tale of a bad and a good little girl” and “One day”). All the creators, as well Károly niederländer, who commissioned a tale for his wife, fell victim to the Holocaust in Bor, or after the evacuation of Bor in Hungary or germany. Their works created in Bor survived them miraculously thanks to their comrades liberated in and around Bor.

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Művészettörténeti Értesítő

Print ISSN:: 0027-5247

Online ISSN:: 1588-2802

Senior editors

Editor(s)-in-Chief: Mikó, Árpád

Name of the Institute: HUN-REN Research Centre for the Humanities, Institute of Art History

Website: https://mi.abtk.hu/hu/munkatarsak/adatlap/mikoarpad

E-mail address: miko.arpad@abtk.hu; miko.arpad@gmail.com

Editor(s): Jávor, Anna

Name of the Institute: Magyar Nemzeti Galéria
Address of the Institute: 1014 Budapest, Buda Castle, Szent György Square nr. 2.

E-mail address: javor.anna@mng.hu

Chair of the Editorial Board: Jávor, Anna

Name of the Institute: Magyar Nemzeti Galéria
Address of the Institute: 1014 Budapest, Buda Castle, Szent György Square nr. 2.

E-mail address: javor.anna@mng.hu; jvoranna9@gmail.com

Editorial Board

Galavics, Géza
Mravik, László
Nagy, Ildikó
Prokopp, Mária

Művészettörténeti Értesítő
Hungarian Nationale Gallery
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E-mail: javor.anna@mng.hu

2023
Scopus
CiteScore	0
CiteScore rank	Q4 (Visual Arts and Performing Arts)
SNIP	0.938
Scimago
SJR index	0.102
SJR Q rank	Q4

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Művészettörténeti Értesítő
Language	Hungarian
Size	A4
Year of Foundation	1952
Volumes per Year	1
Issues per Year	2
Founder	Magyar Régészeti és Művészettörténeti Társulat
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ISSN	0027-5247 (Print)
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