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No Longer Displaced Personsrf, 9fi%tILadislau* Konnyu, shown seated at the organ, and his family, from left to right, Gabriela, il: Ernest, 12; Mrs. Konnj u, and .Joseph, 9, arrived in Jefferson City a few weeks ago. The Konnyus,Hungarian^ spent four years in displaced persons’ camps and several months as forced labor in an Austrian munitions plant before they were liberated by the I nited States army. Konnyu is now the organist at St. Peter’s church★ ★★ ★★★ *¥¥Organist at St. Peter's ChurchLadisiauKonnyu's Family Finds Home HereAfter Years as Forced Laborers, Then DP'sAfter several years of forced la bo i unde t flit ler s Hungarian puppets ,40d being shuttled fromone do placed person ; camp toanother, the little family of Ladisiau s Konnyu has at last found a new home in Jefferson City, where they are free to build life anew and to forget the terror ofthe past.Konnyu, his wife, and three children, Ernest, 12, Gabriela, 11,and Joseph, 9, ai rived here a lew weeks ago. Kbnnyu is now the organist at Sr. Peter’s church, and he voices the hope that soon he can also be what he was when Hungary was a happier land — an agriculture instructor.I But Konnyu s teaching careerwas cut short b.v the war. Admiral Nicholas Horthy, who kept the Hap.sburg throne warm from the end of World War 1 until 1944 in hopes that one* of its claimants would return, swept Hungary into the maelstrom of war on the Nazi side.Munitions WorkerSoon orders were issued which forced Konnyu to work in a mu*nitions factory. With the approach of the Russian armies in 1944, tne factory, Konny u t \-pi..ins was moved, along with the work e rs, to Austria.The factory was housed in what had been a paper factory. The scenery in Lenzeng, in the Tyrol, was beautiful, he says, but the work was grueling There were compensations,however. He was able to take his entire family with him andthe children were only babies then.F ortum»t e I y for K o n n v u, his family and the others in the factory, the\ were liberated bv the*r r '■■■■ mi gr -?r . ^7 , *.United States army, That began their experiences in displaced persons’ camps and their eventual arrival in this country.\ voided Hungary Konnyu did not want to return to Hungary when he and his family were liberated. His nativecountry was being overrun by Russian troops, who were not noted for gerynosity toward civilian populations in the coun- j tries they occupied.And, besides, Konnyu and his wife had vivid memories of Communists, dating back to the period immediately following World War I.Hungary was in chaos The Hapsbui g monarchy had fallen, Bela Kun and his Communists poured into the vacuum of confusion and established a shortlived Communist republic.Konnyu, who was only six at the time, says that in his villagethe* Communists killed 16 menand tortured the village priest His wife says that in her town, which was on the main railroadto Trieste the villagers lived in constant fear of the Red soldiers.Preferred DP CampWith those memories and their strong allegiance to the Roman Catholic’ church, the Konnyus preferred the uncertainty of lifein a displaced persons camp to reliving the days of their early childhood in Hungary. And this time ii looked as if the Communists were there to stay.I)iseuSismg Admira 1 Horthy.who fondly put down the Red republic. but 20 years later aligned his country with Nazi Germany. Konnyu says “he was not the greatest or most democratic statesman, but he could handle the Communists.”The first camp the Konnyuswere in contained displaced persons from all parts of Europe— the flotsam and jetsam of war. But soon they were sent to another that was exclusively Hungarian.Here, Konnyu was employed .as a teacher by the United States army. The next camp was inBrcmerha ven Germany, andthere they stayed for three years, hoping that some day they would be able to pick up the threads of life again and become useful citizens.Had to Have Job AssuranceRut before the could come to this country under the displacedpt irons law , a job had to bepromised them.The Rt. Rev. Msgr. J. A Vogel we id pastor ol St. Peters church needed an organist, and Konnyu filled the bill. And not only that, but he had had exper-l e n i' e in tea c h i n g agriculture.That also fit the plans. Konnyu was the job.At last, throughCall die w* ■ lithe Konnyu family left Bremer* haven for the United States — Jefferson City.Today, he is taking a course m agriculture at the Junior college to acquaint himself better with American methods of farming.Language ProblemThere remains, however, a language problem But with the start he already has, plus the additional aid he will get from constant association with Americans! and the English language, Konnyu expects to be able to con-vei se w ith anyone in not much more than six months.Konnyu graduated from colleges in Beja and Szeged, Hungary, and has gone to summer school at the university in Debrecen, which he says attracts many Hungarian newspapermen.An author and poet, Konnyu has written four boks of poetry,a novel, a short Christmas book for children and prepared a three-volume collection of Hungarian literature.In addition to teaching agriculture, Konnyu taught history and literature in high schools in Hungary, and was an organist before the war.Citizenship ApplicationFriday he took his first step toward becoming an Americancitizen by making application for his first papers. The entire process will take five years, but Konnyu say s it is worth thewait.There is just one thing at the federal building, he says, that reminds him of home. The structure is just like the National museum in Budapest. Even the stairs are the same.Since he has been here he has already written a poem, which he has entitled, “Prayer forAmerica.”It •Lord God! 1 thank Thee Thou’st brought me hither,That Thou at last hast cast aside my cares.My home, where now red phantoms blood 1 v roam,Th’ old Europe, which in ruins crashes down.Lord God’ By voice does quiver in my throat.When I bespeak Thy word. “America .....—monsignorsthe man forthe National conference,
Newspaper Details
Jefferson City News and Tribune
Jefferson City, Missouri, US
Sun, Nov 06, 1949
Page 29
Full Page
Clipped by
Matthew H.
USA 07 Mar 2022
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