This document is a project report by Adam Chrobak, who served as the Hungarian Visiting Research Coordinator from 2015-2016. As part of this role, Chrobak liaised between the University of Alberta, local Hungarian communities, and other groups. He helped plan a major academic conference on Hungary from 1956-2016 and a cultural festival celebrating Hungarian contributions. Chrobak also conducted research on the Hungarian diaspora in Alberta through oral histories. Additionally, he organized various Hungary-related activities and engagements at the university and with Hungarian communities in Alberta.

1. P R O J E C T
R E P O R T
A d a m C h r o b a k
H u n g a r i a n
V i s i t i n g
R e s e a r c h
C o o r d i n a t o r
2015 - 2016

2. Black Ribbon Day - Keynote Speech - Alberta Legislature Building - August, 2016
" Yo u m u s t b e
t h e c h a n g e
y o u w i s h t o
s e e i n t h e
w o r l d ."
G a n d h i
Adam Chrobak

3. 0 4 / 0 5
I N T R O D U C T I O N
1 7 / 2 1
S U C C E S S H I G H L I G H T S O F
H U N G A R Y 1 9 5 6 - 2 0 1 6
2 6 / 2 7
S U M M A R Y O F T H E
P R O J E C T C O O R D I N AT O R
0 6 / 0 8
H U N G A R Y R E L AT E D
A C T I V I T I E S A N D
E N G A G E M E N T S
1 3 / 1 6
T H E P L A N N I N G P R O C E S S
0 9
T H E W I R T H I N S T I T U T E
1 0
I N T E R V I E W
1 1 / 1 2
H U N G A R Y 1 9 5 6 - 2 0 1 6
T H E B E G I N N I N G
2 2 / 2 3
A S S O R T E D P H O T O S
2 4 / 2 5
R E F L E C T I O N S
TABLE OF CONTENTS
H u n g a r i a n V i s i t i n g
R e s e a r c h C o o r d i n a t o r
P r o j e c t R e p o r t

4. 4
After graduating international relations with a focus
on the Caucasus region my research interests shifted
towards the broader area of European foreign policy
and international affairs as seen from an outside global
perspective. I am also interested in the question of how
contemporary Hungarian identity is shaped both from
within Hungary and abroad.
Having spent 8 months working at a civil/non-profit
organization in Budapest, I have been active in working
with NGOs and community organizations facilitating
initiatives of the European Committee related to
entrepreneurship and international development.
Much of this work included working with young
Hungarian entrepreneurs and exposed me to the
enormous human capital capacity in the country.
Building on my previous experience of working at
the Hungarian Balassi Cultural Centre in Brussels
and in other international exposure opportunities,
one of my goals was to help the Wirth Institute and
the University of Alberta in developing greater ties
to post-secondary institutions in Hungary, while at
the same time assisting in the planning of a major
international conference and cultural festival. The
academic conference, Hungary 1956-2016, aimed to
examine topics related to contemporary Hungary 60
years after the revolution. The cultural festival was a
major celebration of Hungary’s contributions to the
world and an opportunity to highlight our rich and
flourishing diaspora communities abroad. A benefit
of working on such a project was the exposure to the
volunteer sector so well ingrained in Canadian society.
I am familiar with the volunteer sector having taken
part in a hospital building project in Equatorial Guinea
in such capacity and through some of my previous
work with communities abroad. Speaking other foregin
languages, such as French and Dutch, also assisted me
in the carrying out of my responsibilities.
W e a r e t h e r e s u l t o f o u r h a r d w o r k
My role here at the Wirth Institute included liaising
betweentheuniversity,thelocalHungariancommunity
and the Hungarian communities at large, business,
government and the volunteer sector.
In addition, my position as the Hungarian Visiting
Research Coordinator also allowed me to carry
out research related to the Hungarian Diaspora
in Alberta. The primary objective of this research
continue to examine the generations of Hungarians
who settled in Alberta, focusing on oral history. The
recording, preservation and interpretation of this
historical information will help us better understand,
contextualize and place the role and influence of these
settlers within Canadian society.
I encourage anyone with an interest in any of these
topics to come visit me at the institute or contact me by
phone or e-mail.
Contact:
Email: chrobak@ualberta.ca
Phone (Office): +1 (780) 492-1444
Office: Suite 300-E, Arts & Convocation Hall
I N T R O D U C T I O N

5. 5
O l d A r t s B u i l d i n g - U n i v e r s i t y o f A l b e r t a
P h o t o c r e d i t : K a r o l i n a D z i m i r a - Z a r z y c k a
I t h a s b e e n a n
h o n o u r w o r k i n g
i n s u c h a n
i n s p i r i n g a n d
p r o f e s s i o n a l
e n v i r o n m e n t
a s t h e W i r t h
I n s t i t u t e f o r
A u s t r i a n a n d
C e n t r a l E u r o p e a n
S t u d i e s .

6. 6
A l i t t l e
p i e c e o f
C e n t r a l
E u r o p e
i n
C a n a d a .

7. 7H u n g a r y r e l a t e d a c t i v i t e s a n d e n g a g e m e n t s
The Wirth Institute assists all relevant units
within the university community in the task of having
the University of Alberta recognized as the leading
center for Central European Studies in Canada. We also
work with the Embassies of Austria, Croatia, the Czech
Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia
to maintain and enhance Canada's most outstanding
resource centre for Central European Studies for the
use of scholars throughout Canada and the United
States. In my capacity as the HVRC I was involved in
the following initiatives.
1. Presentation at the University of Alberta’s Faculty
ClubfortheAssociationofProfessorsEmeriti(topicson
history) on the general topic of Hungarian Immigration
to Alberta - including the post-Hungarian Revolution
of 1956 refugee resettlement – organized at the request
of Professor Martin Katz, February 11. 2016.
2. Organizing and chairing, including live translation/
interpretation of the round table talk on the topic of
Russian/Ukrainianborderconflictanditsimpactonthe
Hungarian minorities with Rt. Rev. Sándor Zán Fábián,
bishop of the Protestant Church in Kárpátalja County
(Transcarpathia, Ukraine) Senate Chamber, University
of Alberta, October 17. 2015 (with participants from
the Canadian Institute for Ukrainian Studies, including
remarks by Prof. Jars Balan). Photo on page 8.
3. Organizing the visit and talk of Hungarian mountain
climbers with the title ‘Hungarians above 8000m’ with
Lajos Koller and László Mécs. March 7, 2016. University
of Alberta, Tory Building (including representatives of
the University of Alberta Mountain Studies Initiative
representatives). Photo on page 8.
4. Organizing the Hungarian component of the annual
‘Silent Night’ Christmas Concert hosted by the Wirth
Institute, including choirs and music from all over
Central Europe. The Hungarians were represented
by Éva Bezdek and the Bethlen Gábor Accredited
Hungarian School of Calgary. December 13. 2016.
Photo on page 23.
5. Coordinating and organizing the Central European
Synagogue Exhibition – provided by the Hungarian
Embassy to Canada. The exhibition was showcased
twice at the University of Alberta, Old Arts Building
including during the Arts 100! Celebrations and once
in the Talmud Torah Jewish School of Edmonton,
between October 2015 – March 2016. Photos on page
8 and 22.
6. Coordinating and assisting with negotiations
between the Wirth Institute at the University of Alberta
and the Balassi Institute in Budapest Hungary in order
to finalize the agreement between these partners for
future collaboration and the establishment of the
position of the Hungarian Visiting Professor. Ongoing,
2016-2017.
7. ‘Mapping out the Holocaust’ – Cooperating
with cartographer Michael Fisher on his Holocaust
cartography project, including Hungary sites of
the Holocaust research and Hungarian place/name
translations. Ongoing, 2016-2017.
8. Commissioning the art project of artist, Zsófia
Opra-Szabó for the visual commemoration of the
1956 Revolution of Hungary. The three-piece artistic
creations was installed in the Old Arts Building –
Convocation Hall foyer, University of Alberta, October
– November, 2016.
9. Workingandassistingintheorganizingoffundraising
events and volunteering for the Hungary 1956-2016
Festival. Cooperating with the Edmonton Hungarian
Cultural Society on various fundraiser events, such as
the Spring Fundraising Dinner (including promoting
the event with the local Edmonton Polish community
groups), helping out at the Bingo/Casino nights of the
EHCS.
10. Participating in the March 15th Commemorations
at the Hungarian Hall and assisting with the reception
at the Annual Polish Hungarian Friendship Day in
Edmonton, Alberta.
11. Scouting across Alberta. Helping the Hungarian
scout groups in various activities across Edmonton and
Calgary, such as the Prohászka Ottokár and the Calgary
Hungarian scout groups. Helping out with activities at
their summer camps.
12. Coordinating the wide scale cooperation projects
with the Calgary Hungarian community and groups,
including Hungarian school, concerts, scouting, and
effortstoconnectthemtotheacademicandcommunity
programming of the Wirth Institute. Ongoing 2015 -
2017.

8. 8
15. Organized monthly in the academic year by the
Wirth Institute, the Central European Cafes provide
a platform for talks ranging in topics of literature,
history, political science, etc. Of the 8 annually
scheduled Cafés, I was personally responsible for two:
The Hungarian Poetry recitals of the ‘Songs of Danube’
written by Nancy Toth, and the commemorative
presentation dedicated to the 1956 Hungarian
revolution.
16. Wroclaw Conference, 2016. I was a participant
at the Traces of Multiculturalism Conference in
Wroclaw, Poland in June 2016 where I gained valuable
conference organizing skills and networked with
the many Hungarian academic participants of the
conference.
Projects, initiatives and collaboration
13. Haydn exhibition - Managing the installation
of the Haydn exhibition, provided by the Austrian
Embassy to Canada. The exhibition was set up as part
of the Hungary 1956-2016 celebrations highlighting
the relations between Haydn and his Hungarian
supporters, the Esterhazys. The exhibition was
showcased in Camrose at the Music Faculty’s satellite
campus of the University of Alberta and at the Old
Arts building. October – November , 2016.
14. As part of the 48th Annual Csárdás Ball, I took part
in the Palotás dance, including weekly rehearsals for
three months to participate in the official ceremonial
opening dance of this important cultural event for the
Hungarian community.

9. 9
J o s e p h F. P a t r o u c h
R y c h e l e W r i g h t
S y l w i a A d a m - R o s s
D i r e c t o r
A d m i n i s t r a t i v e &
C o m m u n i c a t i o n s
A s s i s t a n t
E x e c u t i v e M a n a g e r
"I am honored and pleased to
be able to participate in this
young and dynamic institution
as it grows and I look forward
to working with interested
colleagues from around the
world. Together our interest
in the societies, histories, and
cultures of these lands bring us
together. The Wirth Institute
stands ready to assist this
process in any way we can."
Ms. Wright manages the
Institute's communications
profile, including event
promotion and publicity, web
content, and social media
platforms. She assists in the
planning and organization
of Wirth-sponsored
programming, such as public
lectures, conferences, concerts,
and other academic and
community-oriented events.
Ms. Adam-Ross is accountable
for the successful and efficient
management of all administrative
processes and the day to day
functioning of the Institute. A
University of Alberta Political
Science alumna, she is a full
member of the Wirth Academic
Advisory Board and participates
in the strategic planning and
decision making related to all
functions of the Institute. Sylwia
has been with the Institute since
the spring of 2003.
H o s t o f m a j o r
i n t e r n a t i o n a l
c o n f e r e n c e s .
P a r t n e r o f t h e
W i r t h A l u m n i
N e t w o r k .
H o m e o f t h e R u d o l f
V r b a H o l o c a u s t
R e a d i n g R o o m .
T H E W I R T H I N S T I T U T E

10. 1 0
Q : H O W D I D T H E I D E A O F T H E
H U N G A R Y 1 9 5 6 - 2 0 1 6 P R O J E C T
O R I G I N AT E ?
In discussions held in 2015 the leaders of the
Hungarian diaspora in Canada, and the Wirth
Institute agreed on the importance of the upcoming
60th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution
and boldly decided to organize the biggest cultural
festival and academic conference in North America.
The goal was to ensure dedicated celebrations,
commemorations and academic discourses could
take place mark to this momentous historical event.
Q : W H AT W E R E T H E M A I N G O A L S O F
T H E P R O J E C T ?
The goals, as they were presented to me, were to
organize the biggest, most diverse collection of
events, including a cultural festival and an academic
conference. The cultural festival part wanted to
specifically showcase the Hungarian fine art, music
and folklore, cinema, gastro & wine culture. The
academic conference’s aim was to have a balanced
discourse on the continuing reverberations of the
Hungarian Revolution.
Q : W H AT W E R E T H E H I G L I G H T S ?
His Excellency, Dr. Bálint Ódor Hungarian
Ambassador’s commemorative reception, the
High Level Bridge being lit in the Hungarian flag’s
tri-colours, the concert of the world-famous Csík
Ensemble, the Classical Music concert showcasing
the music of Liszt, Bartók, Kodály and Haydn with
exceptionally talented musicians from Calgary and
Edmonton. The Hungarian Food and Wine show
with Canada’s first Master Sommelier, John Szabo,
was an unbelievable event for Hungarian Wine
enthusiasts, the five Hungarian movies provided
by the National Film Archive of Hungary were
also a great success, not to mention the academic
conference and closing celebrations of the 49th
Annual Csárdás Ball. Simply too many highlights to
mention!
Q : W H O W E R E T H E PA R T N E R S
I N V O LV E D ?
The partners were the Canadian Hungarian diaspora
communities including the Canadian Hungarian
Heritage Council, the Edmonton Hungarian Cultural
Society and from the University of Alberta the Wirth
Institute of Austrian and Central European Studies.
Several governmental actors partnered up with us as
well, such as the Hungarian Embassy in Ottawa, the
Hungarian General Consulate in Toronto, and the
Hungarian State Secretary for Culture and the State
Secretary for National Unity from the government
of Hungary. Our main local partners were the Art
Gallery of Alberta, Metro Cinema and the University
of Alberta.
Q : H O W D I D T H E P R O J E C T M E E T I T S
G O A L S ?
Thankfully I can say that after nearly a year of
planning we successfully accomplished what we
set out to do! The weeklong events were indeed the
biggest festival and conference in North America
dedicated to the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. We
showcased the Hungarian culture to which we
were all devoted to and very proud of. The Festival
delivered what it promised and the feedback from
the community at large has been extremely positive
and gratifying. I received many amazing reflections
and letters after the events, which made me
personally feel, that all the hard work and dedication
was worth it.
Q : W H AT W E R E T H E B I G G E S T
C H A L L A N G E S E N C O U N T E R E D ?
Personally, I think it was quite challenging to be in
the middle of such a complex organizing process.
Working on all kinds of details and aspects of the
festival for more than a year needed a lot of devotion,
professionalism, patience, stamina, and last but not
Quaecumque vera
least, nerves made of steel. I found myself several
times in situations when I was left all alone to deal
with a challenging situation and could only rely on
myself and my quick problem-solving skills. The fact
that we were working for the most part with limited
volunteer-based manpower and resources was an
additional challenge at times, as not everyone could
dedicate their time and energy to the projects on the
same level as someone who was essentially employed
to carry out these responsibilities.
I N T E R V I E W

11. 1 1
C o m m u n i c a t i o n s

12. 1 2
E s t a b l i s h i n g t h e O r g a n i z i n g C o m m i t t e e f o r t h e
H u n g a r y 1 9 5 6 - 2 0 1 6 C u l t u r a l F e s t i v a l
T h e O r g a n i z i n g C o m m i t t e e
T H E B E G I N N I N G
As stated earlier, in 2015 the leaders of the Hungarian diaspora in Canada and the Wirth Institute
decided to organize the biggest festival and academic conference in North America centered on
the topic of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Since the academic and the cultural project goals
were different, right from the onset of planning two distinct committees were established. One
intended to deal with work related to the international academic conference, the other was a
working/organizing committee for the cultural festival. The cultural festival organizing commi-
ttee included: Dr. Zoltán Berkes, president of the Corvin Historical Society, Suzanne Biro, the
Artistic Director of the Csardas dance group (project writer of the EHCS), Alexander Szenthe,
Hungarian Honorary Consul of Northern Alberta, Anna Szenthe, Canadian co-president of the
Hungarian Diaspora Council, president of Canada’s biggest Hungarian umbrella organization, the
Canadian Hungarian Heritage Council and Éva Toldy, the president of the Edmonton Hungarian
Cultural Society. In my principal role as the Hungarian Visiting Research Coordinator, I was a full
member and Chair of this planning committee. On our first meeting in October 2015 we agreed
on the principles and goals of the committee, the frequency of our meetings and the share of our
responsibilities depending on our individual. Throughout the following year we met regularly,
at minimum, once a month at the Wirth Institute on the University of Alberta campus. In order
to ensure any potential audit requirements from our not-for-profit partners were met and in
the spirit of full transparency, the working language of the committee was English and meeting
minutes were taken during every single meeting (with Suzanna Biro acting as meeting secretary).
The members of the committee were not paid for their services and all of them represented their
respective organizations as volunteers.

13. 1 3
THE PLANNING
PROCESSM E E T I N G S
The Cultural Festival Organizing
Committee met regularly during
the year preceeding October 2016.
Meetings were held at minimum
once a month in the offices of the
Wirth Institute. Adam Chrobak
chaired all of the meetings with an
agenda and meeting minutes were
taken at each instance.
D I V I S I O N O F
R E S P O N S I B I L I T E S
Each member of the Organizing
Committee was assigned tasks
for which he/she would be
responsible. In order to proceed
as efficiently and professionally as
possible from the beginning, it was
necessary to have the division of
labor clearly established.
S T R AT E G Y
Joint discussions, brainstorming
solutions, hundreds of
communication emails and regular
meetings helped the working
process to move ahead and make
systematic progress. Setting up
strategic periodic goals kept the
committee on track during the full
year of organization.
H u n g a r i a n C u l t u r a l H e r i t a g e -
Z s o l n a y C e r a m i c s E x h i b i t i o n
H u n g a r i a n F i l m F e s t i v a l
C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t b y
Z s ó f i a O p r a - S z a b ó
L o g i s t i c s , s u p p o r t a n d p l a n n i n g
H u n g a r i a n W i n e & G a s t r o S h o w
F o l k l o r e - C s i l l a g s z e m ű e k
C o m m e m o r a t i v e c e r e m o n y f o r
t h e 6 0 t h A n n i v e r s a r y
B u d g e t i n g
C l a s s i c a l M u s i c C o n c e r t
C o n c e r t o f t h e C s í k E n s e m b l e
P r o m o t i o n a l m a t e r i a l s a n d
c o m m u n i c a t i o n s s t r a t e g y
Vo l u n t e e r C o o r d i n a t i o n

14. 1 4
T H E P L A N N I N G P R O C E S S
Z s o l n a y C e r a m i c s e x h i b i t i o n
a t t h e A r t G a l l e r y o f A l b e r t a
H u n g a r i a n F i l m F e s t i v a l
H u n g a r i a n W i n e & G a s t r o S h o w F o l k l o r e - C s i l l a g s z e m ű e k
C l a s s i c a l M u s i c C o n c e r t
C o n c e r t o f t h e C s í k E n s e m b l e
i n E d m o n t o n
Organizing Canada’s first Zsolnay Ceramics exhibition was
not an easy task but it was definitely worth all of the hard
work, since it turned out to be a fantastic success. It was an
exciting project supported by the Hungarian State Secre-
tary for Culture, with the personal involvement of Dr. Peter
Hoppal Secretary of State. The professional partners involved
were the colleagues of the Janus Pannonius Museum of Pecs,
including Dr. Boldizsar Csornay, the museum’s director and
Dr. Orsolya Kovacs, curator. Our local partner was the renow-
ned Art Gallery of Alberta, whose coordinators Meaghan Froh
and Shae-Lynn Lovatt assisted us with all of the on-site logis-
tics. It was an interesting and at times very challenging orga-
nizational experience for me, finding myself at the epicenter
of the various aspects of setting up such an exhibit. From
establishing the basic timelines of the planning process; to
budgeting; to communications/contracts; to navigating the
Canadian customs policy and operational requirements for
such shipments; to ultimately coordinating such fine details
as the delivery drivers’schedules with the restrictions of the
loading docks at the AGA; to, finally, the inventorying and
inspecting of the individual ceramics pieces and assistan-
ce with their visual display. The exhibition showcased 56
stunning pieces of ceramic art, reflecting on the Hungarian
revolution. It was installed and available for viewing during
the week of the Cultural Festival with an official opening by
Dr. Peter Hoppal during a ceremonial reception on Friday,
October 28th, 2016.
The first ever Hungarian Wine & Gastro Festival in Edmonton, which
took place over two days on October 27th and 28th, attracted a lot
of interest and great popular attendance. Several kinds of excellent
Hungarian wines were displayed and offered for tasting. The wines
were provided by the Hungarian Wine Cellars with the fantastic food
pairing of Zsolt Varga, Chef to the Hungarian Embassy in Ottawa.
The event took place in the Chateau Lacombe Hotel with well over a
150 people in attendance over the two days. The project was a close
collaboration between the Hungarian Wine Cellars and the Wirth
Institute. Through the generous financial support of the Institute,
we were able to extend an invitation to a very special guest for this
occasion, John Szabo, Canada’s first ever Master Sommelier. His
presentation on the history and the uniqueness of Hungarian wines
became the highlight of this event. It was the first time this promi-
nent Canadian/Hungarian wine critic and expert was introduced
to the local Hungarian communities and the various Hungarian
dignitaries in attendance. As I was personally responsible for exten-
ding the invitation to Mr. Szabo, the contract negotiations and all of
the details related to his visit in Edmonton, I was very proud of the
success of this event.
What would a Hungary 1956-2016 Cultural Festival be without
music? Classical music, an integral part of the Hungarian national
consciousness, certainly needed a prominent role in the programme
of the commemorations. Under the generous and dedicated artistic
Collaborating with the Metro Cinema of Edmonton was a
pleasure from the first moment. David Cheoros executive
director and Pete Harris programming director provided us a
very friendly environment to showcase our selected Hunga-
rian films for the first time in Alberta. The films were provided
by the National Film Archive of Hungary, demonstrating a
fantastic cross-section of international award winning movies,
such as the Cannes Grand Prix winner‘Love’by director Karoly
Makk. The highlight of this event was the visit of film director
Zsolt Pozsgai for the screening of his film‘The love of the soil’
(movie of the Zsolnay family) together with an introduction
of the film and a question & answer session. A reception
with Hungarian red wine was also a part of the evening. In
total more than 150 people attended the movie screenings
throughout the week-long Film Festival. While I was the main
logistics coordinator of this project, I certainly benefited from
the advice and council of fellow committee member Sue Biro,
who had contributed a wealth of knowledge to our committee
through her vast experiences as event organizer.
The famous Hungarian youth dance group Csillagszemuek
performed on three separate occasions during the festival.
Under the patronage of the Hungarian Embassy to Ottawa,
the dancers showcased the essence of Hungarian folk dance
and included performers ranging in age from young children
to adults. Each was a beautifully choreographed performance
of lively Hungarian folk music, beautiful costumes and extraor-
dinary dance skills. I was happy to assist with some aspects of
their performance during their stay in Edmonton.
One of the most emblematic contemporary folk music groups
in Hungary today performed a concert not only for the first
time in Edmonton, but indeed for the first time ever in Canada.
For their many fans, the music of Csik symbolizes the unity of a
nation whose country-men and women are dispersed all over
the world. With their gifted musicians and fiery sound they
brought a little piece of the‘Hungarian heart’to the Arden
Theatre in St. Albert. The concert brought many audience
members to tears as it celebrated unity of a people whose
many historical struggles have often torn them apart.
direction of Gabriella Jonas, a talented Hungarian pianist from
Calgary, a beautiful classical music concert took shape. Musi-
cians from Calgary, Camrose and Edmonton performed pieces
by Bartok, Liszt, Kodaly and Haydn. As another joint collabo-
ration between the Hungarian Communities and the Wirth Ins-
titute it was an honor hosting and working with such excellent
musicians. My role in this project included all communications,
logistical arrangements, publicity and budget planning for the
event. As the evening’s official Master of Ceremonies I had the
unique opportunity to interact with these artists backstage
and share in their enthusiasm in being part of such an inspi-
ring and fantastic undertaking.

15. 1 5
C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t b y
M s . Z s ó f i a O p r a - S z a b ó
L o g i s t i c s , s u p p o r t a n d p l a n n i n g
C o m m e m o r a t i v e c e r e m o n y f o r
t h e 6 0 t h A n n i v e r s a r y
B u d g e t i n g
P r o m o t i o n a l m a t e r i a l s a n d
c o m m u n i c a t i o n s s t r a t e g y
Vo l u n t e e r C o o r d i n a t i o n
Local artist and the University of Alberta alumna, Zsofia Opra Szabo,
collaborated with the Wirth Institute on an art project installation
intended to commemorate the 1956 Revolution in Hungary. The
three piece visual installation was placed in the Old Arts Building –
Convocation Hall foyer at the University of Alberta and was available
for viewing from October until the end of November, 2016. The
three distinct components of the installation were intended to
symbolize the beginning, the days of the revolution and the after-
math, stretching a time-period of the 60 years which followed the
tragic but heroic stance of the Hungarian nation against authorita-
rian rule. My role in the project started in the early months of 2016
and consisted of working with the artist on the scope, theme and
parameters of what we wanted to highlight in this important visual
exhibition. I regularly met and consulted with Zsofia on everything
from the location of the installation, budget and timelines. It was a
pleasure working with such a dedicated and professional artist.
The logistical support and organizational planning required for
the various events of the festival truly captures the majority of
my work commitments to all of the projects. While I was often
not the architect of an event idea, or even the first contact in
the planning process, ultimately nearly all of the projects of the
Cultural Festival, ended up in some way or another requiring
my assistance, planning and/or coordination. Having referen-
ced many of them above, I’m providing just a short list here of
some of these examples: working with the Canada Customs
and Boarder Services Agency, international cargo companies,
ordering and setting up of display panels, putting together glass
cabinets, drilling, painting, gluing, etc. were all activities related
to the Zsolnay ceramics exhibition; placing and picking-up print
orders, delivering and distributing promotional conference
materials; picking individuals up at the YEG airport; booking and
scheduling of accommodations; booking of performance space;
securing space for and chairing regular committee meetings as
well as meetings with our many partners; maintaining regular
communications and correspondence with all stakeholders and
partners, providing timely updated progress reports and liaising
with the different partners; from negotiation to actual physical
labour the work on this festival truly covered and stretched the
spectrum of the possible in such a position. I was proud of this
work and of my ability to not only work on all of these hands on
projects, but to also find the time to contribute in an intellectual
capacity to the honoring of this historical event, such as through
my presentations at the University of Alberta.
The Official Hungarian Community and Government Commemora-
tion Ceremony of the 60th Anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution
of 1956 took place at the Convocation Hall, in the Old Arts Building
with the participation of many special guests and dignitaries. The
program included the earlier mentioned Csillagszeműek dancers, a
poem recital by Livia Polják, and ceremonial speeches by Dr. Péter
Hoppál, Secretary of State for Culture, his Excellency Dr. Bálint Ódor,
Hungarian Ambassador to Canada, Isvtán Jakab deputy speaker of
the Hungarian Parliament and Deputy Secretary of State for Natio-
nal Unity Dr. Péter Szilágyi. Many other distinguished guests and
dignitaries were in attendance. The commemoration was followed
by the aforementioned classical music concert. The space for both
of the events and all of the associated costs of these events were
graciously provided by the Wirth Institute.
As part of the planning for the Hungary 1956-2016 festival,
the committee regularly needed to address issues related to
the financing of the various events and activities. Due to our
limited and often restricted use of funds and resources, we had
to be creative and careful in negotiating all of the details of our
financial agreements. On my part contributions to the budgeting
process included my active involvement in all of the fundraising
events for the festival as well as the approaching of donors and
financial sponsors for our different projects. Special recognition
here deserves to be given to Anna Szenthe and the Canadian
Hungarian Heritage Council as well as the Wirth Institute at the
University of Alberta who provided the largest amounts of funds
for the Hungarian Cultural Festival and the Academic Conference.
In addition, Éva Toldy deserves recognition for organizing the
various fundraising events which helped fund aspects of the
festival.
The various events of the Hungarian Cultural Festival required a lot
of carefully planned promotional and marketing materials. Several
brochures, leaflets, banners, posters, save the date postcards and
booklets were designed to meet the communications demands
of this complex festival. I was fortunate to be able to rely on the
artistic skills and professional advice of both Rychele Wright, Wirth
Institute’s communications expert and Gabor Dobi, a professional
designer, in collaborating with them on these various mini“art
projects”. In addition to those projects, I also worked with the very
talented artist, Sylvia Grist, who created the artistic collage poster
for the official commemoration ceremony and the classical music
concert. We met several times a month in the winter of 2015-2016
to brainstorm ideas and visual representations best suited for this
kind of an artistic representation of the 60th anniversary. My work
on producing these materials helped me to actively utilize some of
my newly acquired graphics and editing software skills. I was able
to deepen those invaluable skills through the support of the Wirth
Institute and the University of Alberta’s Technology Training Centre.
In total, approximately 100 hours of work were spent on these pro-
jects, and more than 2500 copies of various promotional materials
were printed.
In a project of such a scale it would be impossible to accomplish
anything without the involvement of some dedicated volunteers.
Nearly every event of this festival required volunteer work contri-
butions in order to succeed. I would like to express my personal
gratitude to the festival Organizing Committee members, Sándor
Vörös, Attila Mészáros, the Wirth Fellows and the many individual
members of the Edmonton Hungarian Cultural Society who
worked hard to make these 60th anniversary celebrations such a
success.

16. 1 6

17. 1 7
S U C C E S S H I G H L I G H T S
H U N G A R Y
1956 - 2016

18. 1 8
Organizing Canada’s first ever
Zsolnay Ceramics exhibition
was a fantastic success. It
was an exciting project
generously funded by the
Hungarian State Secretary for
Culture, Dr. Peter Hoppal.
The professional partners of
the Janus Pannonius Museum
of Pecs, particularly Dr.
Boldizsar Csornay, director
of the museum, were a
pleasure to work with and
most dedicated to the success
of the exhibition. Our local
partner, the Art Gallery of
Alberta and its colleagues
Meaghan Froh and Shae-Lynn
Lovatt accommodated us in
ways far beyond what was
required and/or expected.
The exhibition, with a value
of more than $350.000,
showcased 56 pieces reflecting
on the Hungarian revolution.
Z S O L N AY
C E R A M I C S
E X H I B I T I O N
THEFIRSTCANADIAN

19. 1 9
Collaborating with the Metro
Cinema of Edmonton was
a pleasure and a positive
experience from the very first
moment. Fantastic selections
of international award
winning Hungarian movies
were provided to us by the
National Film Archive of
Hungary. All together more
than 150 people attended the
screenings. It is our hope that
this successful festival was
just the beginning of many
future collaboration projects
between the Metro Cinema
and the Local Hungarian
community.
Without a doubt, the highlight of the
film festival was film director Zsolt
Pozsgai’s visit to the screening of his
film ‘The lover of the soil’ together
with the lively question & answer
session.
T H E F I R S T H U N G A R I A N F I L M F E S T I VA L I N A L B E R TA
F I L M D I R E C T O R M R . Z S O LT
P O Z S G A I ' S V I S I T AT M E T R O
H I G H L I G H T S

20. 2 0
JOHN SZABO MS
The highlight of the Hunga-
rian Wine and Food Festival
was the presentation by Ca-
nada’s first Master Sommelier,
John Szabo. Mr. Szabo gave
an engaging and educational
talk on the unique qualities of
Hungarian wines followed by
an official signing of his newly
released book‘Volcanic Wines’.
His presence garnered a lot of
interest both from the com-
munity members in attendan-
ce and from the many offi-
cials and dignitaries present.
Everyone felt a sense of great
pride knowing that a son of
a 1956 Hungarian refugee
had made such tremendous
contributions to the wine
culture and wine education in
Canada.
H I G H L I G T H S
INTRODUCING MR. JOHN SZABO MASTER SOMMELIER TO THE HUNGARIAN - CANADIAN COMMUNITY

21. 2 1
CELEBRATION
H I G H L E V E L
B R I D G E
C O M M E M O R AT I O N 4 9 t h A N N UA L
C S Á R D Á S B A L
On Wednesday, October
26th at dusk the lights
on the High Level Bridge
turned to the tri-colours
of the Hungarian national
flag. In this touching way
the City of Edmonton
payed tribute to the
thousands of Hungarian
refugees who came to
Canada after 1956.
The Commemoration
Ceremony to mark the
60th Anniversary of the
Hungarian Revolution
of 1956 at the beautiful
Convocation Hall allowed
for an opportunity for
the Hungarian officials,
community members and
friends of Hungary to
come together to honour
this special event in world
history and to pay tribute
to the many Hungarians
who made the ultimate
sacrifice in their fight for
freedom.
The 49th Annual Csárdás
Ball at the Chateau Lacombe
marked the closing ceremony
of the cultural festival as well
as the official conference
banquet for the academic
conference devoted to the
theme of the revolution and
its reverberations. It was an
evening of Hungarian inspired
food, wines, music and dance,
and an opportunity to toast
to a week-long programme
of successful events and
celebrations, cementing it as
the largest commemoration of
Hungary 1956-2016 in North
America!

22. 2 2
Champagne reception at the 49th Annual Csárdás Bal, Edmonton, October 29th, 2016.
Dignitaries from left: His Excellency Dr. Bálint Ódor Ambassador of Hungary to Canada, Ms. Gabriella
Jónás pianist, Dr. Péter Hoppál Secretary of State for Culture (Govt. of Hungary), Ms. Anna Szenthe
President of CHHC, Canadian Co-President of Hungarian Diaspora Council, Mr. István Varga Regional
Vice-President of CHHC, Mr. István Jakab Deputy Speaker of the Hungarian Parliament, Mr. Alexander
Szenthe Honorary Consul of Hungary to Northern Alberta. Photo credit: Ms. Anna Szenthe
'Reverberations of a Revolution' International Conference.
Senate Chamber, University of Alberta, October, 2016Central European Synagogue Exhibition
(Courtesy of the Hungarian Embassy to
Ottawa) at the Talmud Torah Jewish School
of Edmonton, March, 2016.
A S S O R T E D P H O T O S

23. 2 3
The annual "Silent Night" Christmas Concert, at the Convocation Hall of the U of A, December, 2015.
Organized by the Wirth Insitute, choirs from all over Central Europe come together for an afternoon caroling.
The Hungarians were represented by Ms. Eva Bezdek and the Bethlen Gabor Accretied Hungarian School of Calgary.
Ms. Zsófia Opra-Szabó's commemorative art installation.
Old Arts Building, University of Alberta, October, 2016.
Douglas R. Stollery Chancellor of the University of
Alberta and Dr. Lesley Cormack Dean of Arts at the
reception of the Hungarian Embassy to Ottawa.
Edmonton Federal Building, October, 2016.

24. 2 4
" The Hungary 1956-2016 Reverberations
conference was truly inspirational from begin-
ning to end. The conference was beautifully
designed with incredible breadth and depth of
scholarly work presented along with excellent
opportunity for multidisciplinary discourse
and dialogue. It was an honour to be included
in this fine company of researchers."
Ms. Ardelle Ries, DMus,
Associate Professor of Music,
University of Alberta
R E F L E C T I O N S O N T H E H U N G A R Y 1 9 5 6 - 2 0 1 6 F E S T I VA L
"As a Polish-Canadian who personally
experienced life behind the Iron Curtain,
I was deeply touched by the event. As
a former Deputy Premier of Alberta, I
can't thank you enough for cultivating
Hungarian culture, language and natio-
nal historical heritage in Alberta."
Mr. Thomas A. Lukaszuk, MLA,
former Deputy Premier of Alberta
"Although there were a few organisational
hiccups, we heard lots of good feedback from
the Zsolnay exhibition from our staff and
visitors. We were happy to have been able
to provide them the opportunity to see this
exhibition and the remarkable ceramics."
Ms. Meaghan Froh, Public Pro-
grams and Outreach Coordina-
tor, Art Gallery of Alberta
"With respect, let me thank you in
the name of myself, my wife, and my
scholarship recipients for the cordial
welcome and hospitality we received
in Edmonton. This way, I would like
to congratulation for the conscientious
organization and the professional
coordination of the events. It delighted
me that we could celebrate through such
nice and high quality events this emble-
matic anniversary."
Mr. Tibor Abraham, Canadian
Co-President of Hungarian Dias-
pora Council, Western-Canadian
Regional President of CHHC
"The Metro Cinema was very pleased to have
partnered with the Hungary 1956 – 2016
Festival to screen five classic Hungarian
Films including The Lover of the Soil with
filmmaker Zsolt Pozsgai in attendance.
Being the city’s cinematheque, screenings /
events such as this one fit wonderfully with
our world cinema / community outreach
mandate. We look forward to future cine-
matic collaborations to showcase Hungarian
culture."
Pete Harris, Programming Manager
& Film Shipping, Metro Cinema,
Edmonton
"The Wirth Institute has a long history of
collaborating with our local community
groups and celebrating the rich heritage
and culture of Central Europe. We were
proud to be a part of the cultural and
commemorative events related to the 1956
Hungarian Revolution. It was a pleasure
to see the dedicated year-long planning
process culminate in such an exciting and
creative week-long festival."
Dr. Joseph F. Patrouch, Professor
and Director of the Wirth Institute

25. 2 5
"I was one of the exhibitors of the Hungary Festival, Adam Chro-
bak asked me to prepare an installation for the events of the 60th
anniversary. The work along with Adam went well, we worked on
the project as partners and I had no boundaries in making a fine-art
installation. We agreed on the main characteristics of the project and
I got all help what was needed. Besides that, I think that the events
were very colorful thanks to many people’s hard work, including
Adam. Of course there were some difficulties, but the organizers
could solve everything always in time. To organize such a large
scale event is a difficult task, we can always learn something. If
this festival was the first step in a long-term perspective, than the
Hungarian community could be the part of the high quality cultural
life of Edmonton."
Zsófia Opra-Szabó, MA, Theatre Designer
and Local Hungarian Artist
"I served on the planning committee for the Hungary 1956-2016 Cul-
tural Festival for the past year, and I was truly delighted to play a
small role in bringing a wealth of cultural activity to Edmonton and
the surrounding area. As a long-standing Board member of the Cana-
dian Hungarian Cultural Society of Edmonton, it was an honour to
have had the opportunity of displaying Hungary’s incredible cultural
diversity and richness to Edmontonians, who may not otherwise
have had the opportunity of seeing or experiencing them. The utter
profusion of unique opportunities, collected in one place over a
week-long festival, was – I believe – critical to our city’s increased
understanding of, and appreciation for, Hungarian traditional and
contemporary culture, as practised by a wide variety of local and in-
ternational artists. Our festival included classical music, folk music,
and folk dance among performing arts disciplines; a variety of visual
arts disciplines, including a first-ever exhibit of Zsolnay porcelain; a
Hungarian film festival displaying media arts; and gastronomic and
culinary arts. I am particularly proud that we were able to include
local artists in the festival, as the further development of Hungarian
culture can only be enhanced by the support of diaspora artists and
arts organizations. Moreover, the astounding calibre of art and ar-
tists visiting Edmonton from Hungary proved to be further evidence
of our culture’s depth and breadth."
Susanna Biro, Member of the Organizing Committee,
Professional Editor, Professional Arts Manager

26. 2 6 S U M M A R Y O F T H E P R O J E C T C O O R D I N AT O R
During all of this time I kept my focus by never once forge-
tting the importance of my position within its own context,
‘the mission for culture’. I was always acutely conscious of
the importance of approaching my position with the most
delicate touch cultural diplomacy, being keenly aware
that I am always representing the University of Alberta,
the Wirth Institute, the Hungarians in Edmonton, Hungary
and Hungarians worldwide, and last but not least, myself
as a professional. I take great pride in my ability to always
conduct myself in a dignified manner, while at the same
time ensuring that I am constantly as straightforward and
honest in my communications. Beyond this project, or any
project I have ever been involved in, I have managed to
build lasting professional and personal relationships and
to be regarded as in individual who’s integrity and commit-
ment to professional standards of personal conduct could
never be questioned. I take as much pride in this, as I do
in the success of the projects that I commit my time and
energy to.
I am grateful to all my fellow colleagues, partners, com-
mittee members and friends for providing me the support
and environment in which I could realize the goals of my
project. Thank you for teaching me even more about pro-
fessionalism and the overcoming of challenges, than I ever
thought possible. I will be forever grateful for the collegiali-
ty, the professional work environment and the kind support
of the Wirth Institute and the University of Alberta partne-
red with the Edmonton Hungarians. Without your support
the position of the Hungarian Visiting Research Coordinator
would not have been possible. My deep gratitude and
special thanks also go out to the Bethlen Gabor Alap Zrt.
for providing the majority of the funds for my position. For
a proud Hungarian who celebrates his culture and heritage
daily, the opportunity to work on promoting it on a wider
scale in a professional capacity truly is the realization of a
dream. In summary, the only fitting emotion with which
I am left is gratitude. To all of you and to my homeland of
Hungary.
Adam Chrobak
When I look at the title of the report’s last chapter‘Sum-
mary’, I’m left to wonder how one can possibly summarize
the essence of a year’s worth of work in just a few brief pa-
ragraphs. It seems nearly impossible to put to paper and
to compress here all of the hard work, challenges, the ups
and downs, the fusion of feelings of happiness, exhaus-
tion, some disappointments, pride, dedication, fulfillment
and devotion…
A year and a half has passed since I started my work as
the Hungarian Visiting Research Coordinator at the Wirth
Institute for Austrian and Central European Studies. To ex-
press this time-frame a bit differently, allow me to use the
language of numerical data. In this period I contributed
over 3300 work hours; sent and received some 2000 work
emails, I took hundreds of organizational and planning
calls, attended dozens of meetings, participated in, coor-
dinated and worked on nearly 60 events, including major
international conferences, festivals, concerts, exhibits,
talks, lectures, community and fundraising events, social
events, receptions, gatherings and many more.
"I am grateful for all the experiences I have
made and all the lessons I learned from them."

27. 2 7
Adam Chrobak / Chrobák Ádám
Hungarian Visiting Research Coordinator
Wirth Institute for Austrian and Central European Studies
Suite 300, Arts Building
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada T6G 2E6
Office: +1 (780) 492-1444
Email: chrobak@ualberta.ca
http://www.wirth.ualberta.ca
This report is available on the website of the Wirth Institute.
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
November 18, 2016

28. P R O J E C T S P O N S O R S :
b y A d a m C h r o b a k
THANK YOU