REMEMBRANCE IN TIME - Index of

96
Remembrance in Time
His later life
He became the director of a community centre in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County in
1961 (up to 1964). Furthermore, he worked for the only radio station in Miskolc. He
returned to Hódmezıvásárhely in 1965 and worked as a teacher till 1970. Later he moved
to Heves County in 1971 and he settled down in Hatvan. He founded the Hatvan Gallery
in 1972 and he was its director till the end of his life.
After his recruitment in 1956 Moldvay – according to the instruction of the state
security officer, dealing with his activity – made his environment believe, that he was a
ridden person 5 because of his 1956 past, and he was pushed to the periphery of the society
by the communist power.
Those who were punished after the revolution and those artists and intellectuals who
were against the official trends which were determined by the government, could easily
trust in him.
We can appreciate the work of Gáspár Szabó on the basis of the remaining Csongrádcounty
file 6 . The documents, included in the file were issued between the 18 th of April,
1966 and the 29 th of August, 1968. According to the reports it can be stated that by this
period he became a professional agent – which is not a surprise, as he had been employed
by the power for ten years.
His agent-responsible was István Molnár who was a major and then a lieutenant-colonel
of the Csongrád County Political Detective Department.
One of the target persons of his reports was Miklós Galyasi, the museum director before
1956, who was defined as an especially dangerous person.
He was sentenced to a 1,5-year imprisonment, because of his article – a total innocent
one – published in 1956, at the time of the Hungarian revolution.
After his release he led a sequestered life in Hódmezıvásárhely.
He was visited by young intellectuals and artists who wanted to find an authentic
master.
He was observed by several agents by the end of his life.
Another target person was Lajos Bibó, a journalist, editor, and in the period between the
two world wars he was also a celebrated playwright in Budapest. When after 1945 the
communists asked him to write plays and novels in a left-wing tone, he didn’t do that.
Due to his decision his career as a playwright broke, and he had to retreat to
Hódmezıvásárhely and lived of manual work. Despite his neglect a group of the local
intellectuals highly respected him and regularly visited him.
He was observed by several agents just as Galyasi.
The other young target persons were approached by Gáspár Szabó through Galyasi and
Bibó, about whom he regularly made his reports. His agent-responsible also urged him to
build further relationships with new persons, as the State Security planned to have a
throughout information about the circle of Galyasi and Bibó. Gáspár Szabó wrote about
5 This „legend” still worked after the transition. In the Vásárhely Encyclopaedia it was written that
“After his short imprisonment he had to escape from his hometown.” Encyclopaedia of
Hódmezıvásárhely. Bába Kiadó, Szeged, 2002. 123 rd page.
6 ÁBTL 3.1.2 M-29097 „Gáspár Szabó”.