Dear Steven, dear colleagues,
I disagree. This is not just about preserving access to the papers and books, it is about preserving a space where embattled Hungarian scholars trying to keep the critical tradition alive can meet with colleagues from around the world. It is also about preserving a remnant and reminder of a different Hungarian and European history, one of radical social critique, of internationalism and of intellectual exchange across national boundaries as well as across the boundaries between theory, literature, film and art, connected with names like Lukacs, Bela Balasz, Karl Mannheim or, in a later generation, people like Agnes Heller, Ferenc Feher, György Markus and many others - a history that the radical right-wing Hungarian government would only be too happy to eradicate (see e.g. this interview with Heller: http://budapestbeacon.com/public-policy/agnes-heller-everything-hungary-attack/8989).
Of course it is impossible to tell how successful a collection of signatures will be, but firstly I don't share your radical skepticism towards the effects of showing a government that their actions are being noted - e.g. when the government went after Heller and her colleagues a few years ago, international protests seemed to have played an important role. Secondly, and more importantly: I don't think doubts about the effectiveness of protest - even if it is only by signing a petition - are a good reason for denying critical intellectuals under attack by an increasingly totalitarian government those gestures of solidarity that we can offer. If that can be supplemented with donations or other sources of funds to make the archive more independent of the government, so much the better - but I don't think the two options compete.
Best wishes,
Christine
--------
Dr. Christine Achinger
Associate Professor of German Studies
Director of Graduate Studies in German
School of Modern Languages and Cultures
University of Warwick
Coventry CV4 7AL
UK
________________________________________
From: JISCmail German Studies List <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Steven Jefferson <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 13 March 2016 13:44
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: LINK for Petition against closure of Lukács archive
Folks,
Would it not be better simply to buy the collection? Even the prospect of a lucrative sale would give the current Hungarian government pause for thought - long enough for the interested international community to put together a plan of some sort.
In the meantime, why not pool all transcripts and copies of these texts? That would lower the price, because the only thing the international research community would then need to buy would be the delta between what is already available electronically or on paper and the residual texts only available in the collection in question.
Any premium paid for the possession of the original pieces of paper is a matter of superstition or religion - i.e. there is something about the original piece of paper, and the ink spread across it, which is superstitiously and stupidly assumed to have a value over and above contents of the same: of course, there isn't, and, therefore, no premium should be paid.
The same is true of the Romantic notion that the collection ought to be housed in the place where the author spent some of his time: what actual value does that add? None. Recognising and acting upon that fact would topple the Hungarian government off the longer end of the lever in one swift and easy action.
Beyond that, the idea that a lot of squiggles of ink on a piece of paper - or electronic equivalents - (aka a petition) will move any particular regime to change its mind on some decision already taken is Romantic rubbish. 60 trillion signatures would not oblige the Hungarian, or any other, government, to follow a given course of action. So, calls to sign petitions usually amount to nothing more than calls to 'wash your hands' of the affair in question.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
Steven Jefferson
BA, MRes, MCIL, PhD
Institute of Modern Languages Research
Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU
T: +44 (0)1189 834 410
E: steven. [log in to unmask]
W: www.sas.ac.uk/
________________________________________
From: JISCmail German Studies List <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Franziska Meyer <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 13 March 2016 12:54
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: LINK for Petition against closure of Lukács archive
danke Christine! ... and here is the link for those who like to sign the petition, available in 8 different languages
http://www.petitionen24.com/tiltakozunk_a_lukacs_archivum_bezaratasa_ellen
Best wishes
Franziska
Dr Franziska Meyer
Associate Professor of German
Department of German Studies
School of Cultures, Languages and Area Studies
University of Nottingham
Nottingham NG7 2RD
UK
Tel (0044) 0115 9515915
Room C 39A
Exile Studies: http://www.peterlang.com/index.cfm?event=cmp.ccc.seitenstruktur.detailseiten&seitentyp=series&pk=429
http://www.anna-seghers.de/
http://www.proasyl.de
________________________________________
From: JISCmail German Studies List [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Achinger, Christine [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 12 March 2016 22:58
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Fw: Petition against closure of Lukács archive
Dear colleagues,
the Hungarian government is once again trying to close down the Lukács archive. This is the collection of Lukács' papers and books, housed in his flat in Budapest which is still in its original state. The archive is an irreplaceable resource, open to all researchers and looked after by a dedicated group of scholars under steadily worsening material and political conditions. The archive and the Internationale Georg-Lukács-Gesellschaft are calling for international support in order to avert the closure - I forward an email by Rüdiger Dannemann below, followed by the German text of the petition. If you want to voice your support for the appeal, please email [log in to unmask] .
Please forward as appropriate.
Best wishes,
Christine
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Gesendet: Montag, 07. März 2016 um 23:39 Uhr
Von: "Rüdiger Dannemann" <[log in to unmask]>
Betreff: Petition Lukács-Archiv
Liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen, liebe Freunde und MitstreiterInnen, sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
ich wende mich heute erneut in Sache Lukács-Archiv an Euch/ Sie. Vor einigen Jahren hat die Internationale Georg-Lukács-Gesellschaft bereits einen Aufruf zur Rettung des Lukács-Archivs gestartet. Mit erheblicher internationaler Resonanz. Jetzt hat Miguel Vedda eine Petition gegen die Schließung des Lukács-Archivs in Budapest verfasst und bittet um Unterstützung. Natürlich unterstützen wir als Lukács-Gesellschaft diese Initiative und hoffen auch auf Eure/ Ihre Unterstützung. Den Aufruf findet Ihr/ finden Sie in der Anlage zu dieser Mail.
Gebt/ geben Sie bitte diesen Appel weiter, um unserem gemeinsamen Anliegen – dem Erhalt des Lukács-Archivs in Budapest – Nachdruck zu verleihen.
Mit freundlichem Gruß
Rüdiger Dannemann
PS: Auf unserer Facebookseite finden Sie auch die französische Version des Aufrufs.
--------------------------
E-Mail-Adresse für Zustimmungen: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Ungarische Akademie der Wissenschaften
z. Hd. Herr Präsident Prof. László Lovász
Den 6. März 2016
Aufruf gegen die Schließung des Lukács-Archiv
Sehr geehrter Herr Prof. Dr. Lovász,
aufgrund der Entscheidung des philosophischen Institutes der Ungarischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, das Lukács-Archiv in Budapest zu schließen, sind die Unterzeichner dieses Aufrufes sehr besorgt.
György Lukács ist einer der bedeutendsten Philosophen der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts. Er ist ein überaus angesehener Denker in den Bereichen der Philosophie, des politischen Denkens, der Literaturkritik- und theorie, der Soziologie sowie der Ethik. Darüber hinaus zählt er zu den wichtigsten Essayisten der Moderne und gilt als eine international anerkannte Persönlichkeit. Seine Werke gehören zu den Höhepunkten in der reichen Geschichte der ungarischen Kultur und stellen bis heute ein lebendiges Kulturgut dar.
Über Jahrzehnte hinweg hat das Lukács-Archiv sowohl einem nichtakademischen als auch einem interessierten (Fach-)publikum den Zugang zu einem Dokumentationszentrum über das Leben und Werk des Philosophen ermöglicht. Des Weiteren repräsentiert das Archiv einen historischen Ort, da es in der Wohnung beherbergt ist, in welcher Lukács seine letzten Lebensjahre verbracht hat. Somit stellt es gleichzeitig eine Stätte der Erinnerung an eine der faszinierendsten literarischen Figuren jener Epoche dar.
Aus diesen Gründen fordern wir die zuständigen Autoritäten auf, ihre Entscheidung, die sowohl die wissenschaftliche und als auch die künstlerische Welt mit Empörung und Trauer aufgenommen hat, zu revidieren.
Wir verlassen uns auf das Verständnis und die Einsicht der zuständigen Autoritäten und grüßen Sie respektvoll.
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