The history of Minnesota Hungarian immigrants fits well into the frame of life in Minnesota. It represents the rich tapestry of the states ethnic composition and it also reflects some unique features of this small colony to set forth here. The number of Hungarians coming to Minnesota was never substantial, 2,283 being the peak at the 1920 census. Here the unique features of this small colony will be set forth.

With the failure of the 1848-49 Freedomfight, of L. Kossuth's followers 4,000 settled in the USA and from among them a family (Kallay) in Minnesota. There did find him Samuel Ludvigh, a "republican" Hungarian journalist, also in exile, who was editor of the German journal "Torch" in Baltimore. He was on his way to New Ulm to spread the journal in September of 1857, when near Nicollet, he ran into Kallay with whom he had been studying law at Sarospatak. A most unusual chance! Kallay was full of complaints about the 1857 agricultural conditions in Minnesota, his rustic life with poor crops, fear of Indian attacks and hard winters. It is an interesting circumstance that the "Torch" is available only in one copy, at the Minnesota Historical Society.

Apparently, Minnesota's strongly agricultural nature did not appeal enough to the Hungarian immigrants, in as much as the Hungarians arriving from farming areas -- with the exception of the Fazekas family in Elk River - settled in cities. These came mostly to save enough money to return home. In 1910 for instance 86 Hungarians immigrated to Minnesota, while 61 remigrated to Hungary, leaving a balance of 25 to increase the Hungarian colony.

A Hungarian point of interest in Minnesota was the development of the Hungarian and American milling industry, when Minneapolis milling magnates C. A. Pillsbury and C. Washburn were eager to obtain in 1878 the "Hungarian Process," the joint use of millstones and rollers. Still in 1878 Pillsbury obtained some steelrollers from Budapest, and with time Budapest was displaced by Minneapolis as a flowermilling center of the world.

Assumably, owing to the small number of Hungarians, they did not build larger fraternal and benefit societies. The largest was the Baross Gabor Social and Sick Benefit Society of St. Paul that functioned from 1892 to 1973. It started with 25 members and peaked with 113 in 1917./p>

The new Immigration Law of 1924 fixed the annual number of admissible Hungarians as 869 that proved to be an essential impediment to those wanting to immigrate after the Second World War. Two acts helped these: The Displaced Persons Act permitting to enter between 1949 and 1952 those East Europeans unwilling to return to their home lands, including 162 Hungarians to Minnesota; as well as 300 Freedom Fighters also to Minnesota.

At the turn of the century and in the following decades the Hungarians kept their Hungarian heritage in larger circles of family or friends, or formed groups in the appropriate denominational churches. Later, they kept in touch through their participation in the International Institute's "Festival of Nations". The number of the Hungarians never been large enough to maintain a church or a cultural house in Minnesota.

After World War II a larger number of Hungarians came, including a priest, Frank Turmezei, who taught at St. Thomas College and provided a magnet for the Hungarian community by organizing celebrations for certain national holidays and for Christmas. The 1956 Revolution touched all Hungarians and most local Hungarians participated in demonstrations. Following that they kept in contact and held two-three meetings in the following years, as well as an annual Hungarian dinner in the International Institute.

In the seventies the Minnesota Hungarians cooperated more intensively and regularly in celebrating the national holidays and organizing the Hungarian kitchen and exhibits at the Festival of Nations. At this time they began to introduce new programs, like literary and historical presentations, receiving visiting Hungarian writers, and organizing the exhibition of three local Hungarian painters, etc. All that happened spontaneously and voluntarily. They had no formal association or dues. They called themselves, like others did, Minnesota Hungarians. Soon it became desirable and advantageous to establish a formal association and that took plane on November 3, 1973. They announced the meeting for founding that association and about 80 people gathered and approved the proposed brief bylaws and formalized the commonly used name: Minnesota Hungarians. On the same day they elected the officials. The unusual character of this association was that although they had dues every Hungarian in the area was treated as members.

Around the same time the Hungarian Dancers became active and registered as a non-profit institution. Although earlier the Andahay School of Ballet frequently represented Hungarian folk dances, in the last 15 years only the Hungarian Dancers represented Hungary at the Festival of Nations and at other folk dance performances.

In 1979 a group of Hungarians was dissatisfied with the leaders and the programs of the Minnesota Hungarians and with paid legal advice they took over the association. The same lawyers drafted new bylaws, using last century models, and initiated the registration of the association as a non-profit institution, under the name of Hungarian Organization. In accordance with their concepts they changed the character of the association, most of the old members stayed away, and internal friction dominated the new membership. Finally, the old guard reclaimed the leadership in 1988. The introduced a more detailed set of bylaws and changed the name back to Minnesota Hungarians, and with that name completed the registration procedure for the non-profit status

With the 1989 defeat of the Hungarian communist party and the consequent democratization the mandate and the programs of the Minnesota Hungarians also changed. The association joined the American Hungarian Coalition to improve the efficiency of their activities and the passive anti-communist sentiments were replaced by positive helpful attitude. Their primary goal, in addition to the local support of the Hungarian heritage, became the assistance to Hungary's revival. Still in 1989 they sent contributions to help the Transylvanian refugees in Hungary and sent donations in the subsequent years to support various cultural and charity institutions. The number of Hungarian students in the Twin Cities also increased, as well as that of visiting politicians, economist, artists and athletes. Their moral assistance also became their elected mandate.

Minnesota Hungarians, Inc. registered under the Minnesota nonprofit act, is an association for Minnesotans of Hungarian decent and others, dedicated to the preservation, protection and perpetuation of the Hungarian cultural heritage in America. For this purpose they organize Hungarian cultural and social programs, to aid ethnic Hungarian refugees and immigrants to the US, and other Hungarian groups and individuals in need; promote and strengthen Hungarian cultural and economic relations with Minnesota; represent the Hungarian community toward the American public, other local ethnic organizations, and other Hungarian-American groups.

We commemorate the Hungarian national holidays of March 15 and October 23, have a fund-raising dinner in the winter, picnic in the summer, and a program for the children at Christmas; and participate in the Festival of Nations of the International Institute of Minnesota. Special programs are put on at the visits of Hungarian notables.

Annual membership dues for families are $20, for individuals $15, for students and retirees $5. Only dues paying members enjoy the right to vote in elections and financial matters.

Paul Rupprecht and Tibor Zoltai