Christopher Vandemark, an undergraduate student here at the University of Florida, as well as our ardent coordinator at the American Hungarian Educators Association conference this past May, was awarded a Summer travel grant from the Center to assist with his thesis research in Budapest, Hungary. He reports to us his experiences below:
Thanks to the travel grant afforded me by the Center for
European Studies, I had the opportunity to research for my undergraduate thesis
on nineteenth-century Hungarian history in Budapest. The academics and young
people that I met with on the trip were instrumental in helping me crystallize
a topic that suited my scholarly interests. In addition, meeting with
historians who share my fascination with Hungarian aesthetics equipped me with
invaluable resources that would not have otherwise been available to me in the
States.
Perhaps
the most exciting aspect of my trip to Hungary was the opportunity to meet with
Simonovics Ildikó, curator of the Kicselli Museum in Budapest, and a prominent
Hungarian fashion historian. With her guidance, I was able to locate an
abundance of primary source material, including issues of Pesti Divatlap, a famous fashion publication from the middle of the
nineteenth century. Working through the publications with which I was provided,
primarily by Dr. Simonovics, I have chosen to write my thesis on Hungarian fashion
as an instrument of passive resistance against the Habsburgs in the middle
portion of the nineteenth century. The failed revolution of 1848 proffered an
opportunity for subjugated populations of Hungarian society, namely women, to
participate in the movement against Austrian supremacy. Using these
publications as a guide, I hope to compose a paper which highlights the
intersections between nationalism and aesthetics as a means of feminine
empowerment.
While the
bulk of my trip was spent researching and meeting with various academics, I
made time to enjoy the youth culture of Budapest in an effort to, not only have
a good time abroad, but to improve my Hungarian language skills. I met so many
fascinating, friendly individuals at the plethora of ruin pubs, bars, and clubs
that line Budapest’s party district. As a college student, the connections I
made in these clubs were probably the most memorable part of my visit. Meeting
people from across the globe, and swapping stories about our experiences abroad
was unforgettable.
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to the visit the
city that I have read so much about over the course of my studies; in a sense,
it was like putting a face to the name of pen pal you’ve been communicating
with back and forth for years. Without a doubt, my thesis will be of a much
higher quality because of this journey, due to the primary sources I collected, as well as the people, both my peers and academic superiors, with
whom I was able to spend time with.
