carnations into their hands and lapel buttons, planting random kisses of welcome on the cheeks of soldiers. Many people along the route had tears of joy in their eyes.
Bela felt he would burst with pride. His father was the commander of the troops marching into Nagyszollos, and he, Bela, was sitting in the back seat of the command vehicle! The red, white, and green Hungarian flags that had been forbidden until then were popping up everywhere in windows and doorways and flying from balconies and rooftops. Each time the familiar tricolour was pushed through a second-storey window of a house or shop window, Bela would yell, "Look, Father, another flag! And another. Look, Mother! It's unbelievable!"
Along with the thousands of residents lining the streets that day was Suti Weisz who, together with his father, Vilmos, stood proudly waving a red, white, and green tricolour and yelling patriotic slogans. "Our people are back," he chanted. "We are part of Hungary again!"
Karola, dressed in an elegant beige linen suit with matching hat, watched her excited son and couldn't stop the tears of joy from streaming down her face. She was so proud of Domokos. She could barely believe that her husband was home again, that there were no more borders to contend with, no more searches, no more intimidations. They would no longer be made to feel like second-class citizens in their own homes.
W ITHIN TWO MONTHS , the government of Hungary appointed five parliamentarians, including Karoly Hokky, who had formerly represented the region in the Prague parliament, and they were invested and welcomed into the parliament in Budapest. Baron Zsigmond Perenyi was appointed governor of the region. The Weisz family was particularly proud when they learned the news.
Karola Aykler felt as if she were living in a state of euphoria. For so many years they had been living in perpetual fear of and intimidation by the authorities. Now she could finally breathe. The timing of the political changes was a godsend for the family economically. They had mortgaged the house, the businesses, and the vineyards to stay afloat and if they had remained part of Czechoslovakia, they would have eventually lost everything. Now, new markets were opening up for Hungary. The distillery was working in two shifts to keep up with the new demand for pear, peach, and plum brandy. Wine merchants came in a steady stream to taste and order wine from Nagyszollos; for most, the Spolarich-Aykler winery was the first stop on their visit.
Because they were an influential family that had obviously suffered as ethnic Hungarians under the Czech regime, they were rewarded for their loyalty in economic benefits. The family received lucrative state contracts and concessions. In addition, the Hungarians needed reliable local individuals to keep critical businesses working well. Both Istvan and Tibor, who now had engineering degrees, were awarded businesses.
Istvan and his partner, Bela Friedmann Farago, were appointed managers of Futura, the largest grain wholesaler and distribution centre in the region.
Tibor and his partner, Jaszli Berliner, operated another state-controlled business in town. It was basically an administrative centre where the paperwork was filled out for residents wishing to requisition radio parts, rubber products, and yeast products. Once the administrative paperwork was completed and approved, the purchased items were delivered from distribution centres off-site.
Tibor and Istvan were very close. In Tibor's eyes, Istvan was worldly. In addition to politics and history, Tibor felt he could discuss anything with his older brother. He often spoke to Istvan about the gentleman's code of ethics, behaviour, and dress. Most importantly, his older brother coached him on how to court women. When Tibor graduated, Istvan took him to Kassa and introduced him to a voluptuous blonde named Mancika, who taught Tibor the secrets of making love to a woman. Tibor had never seen such sexy
Bela felt he would burst with pride. His father was the commander of the troops marching into Nagyszollos, and he, Bela, was sitting in the back seat of the command vehicle! The red, white, and green Hungarian flags that had been forbidden until then were popping up everywhere in windows and doorways and flying from balconies and rooftops. Each time the familiar tricolour was pushed through a second-storey window of a house or shop window, Bela would yell, "Look, Father, another flag! And another. Look, Mother! It's unbelievable!"
Along with the thousands of residents lining the streets that day was Suti Weisz who, together with his father, Vilmos, stood proudly waving a red, white, and green tricolour and yelling patriotic slogans. "Our people are back," he chanted. "We are part of Hungary again!"
Karola, dressed in an elegant beige linen suit with matching hat, watched her excited son and couldn't stop the tears of joy from streaming down her face. She was so proud of Domokos. She could barely believe that her husband was home again, that there were no more borders to contend with, no more searches, no more intimidations. They would no longer be made to feel like second-class citizens in their own homes.
W ITHIN TWO MONTHS , the government of Hungary appointed five parliamentarians, including Karoly Hokky, who had formerly represented the region in the Prague parliament, and they were invested and welcomed into the parliament in Budapest. Baron Zsigmond Perenyi was appointed governor of the region. The Weisz family was particularly proud when they learned the news.
Karola Aykler felt as if she were living in a state of euphoria. For so many years they had been living in perpetual fear of and intimidation by the authorities. Now she could finally breathe. The timing of the political changes was a godsend for the family economically. They had mortgaged the house, the businesses, and the vineyards to stay afloat and if they had remained part of Czechoslovakia, they would have eventually lost everything. Now, new markets were opening up for Hungary. The distillery was working in two shifts to keep up with the new demand for pear, peach, and plum brandy. Wine merchants came in a steady stream to taste and order wine from Nagyszollos; for most, the Spolarich-Aykler winery was the first stop on their visit.
Because they were an influential family that had obviously suffered as ethnic Hungarians under the Czech regime, they were rewarded for their loyalty in economic benefits. The family received lucrative state contracts and concessions. In addition, the Hungarians needed reliable local individuals to keep critical businesses working well. Both Istvan and Tibor, who now had engineering degrees, were awarded businesses.
Istvan and his partner, Bela Friedmann Farago, were appointed managers of Futura, the largest grain wholesaler and distribution centre in the region.
Tibor and his partner, Jaszli Berliner, operated another state-controlled business in town. It was basically an administrative centre where the paperwork was filled out for residents wishing to requisition radio parts, rubber products, and yeast products. Once the administrative paperwork was completed and approved, the purchased items were delivered from distribution centres off-site.
Tibor and Istvan were very close. In Tibor's eyes, Istvan was worldly. In addition to politics and history, Tibor felt he could discuss anything with his older brother. He often spoke to Istvan about the gentleman's code of ethics, behaviour, and dress. Most importantly, his older brother coached him on how to court women. When Tibor graduated, Istvan took him to Kassa and introduced him to a voluptuous blonde named Mancika, who taught Tibor the secrets of making love to a woman. Tibor had never seen such sexy
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