Hungary '56 | Program

Overview

Conference Program

Conference Participants

Alumni Reunion

Conference and Reunion Program

"The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and After—Impact and Contributions."
February 15-17, 2007

Wednesday, February 14th

7:00 p.m.

Film screening: Children of Glory (Szabadság, szerelem)

Avery Theater

Directed by Krisztina Goda. Produced by Andrew G. Vajna
Prerelease screening: Love story about a university student who is one of the leaders of the Hungarian uprising of 1956 and a young water polo star who cares nothing about politics. The film portrays the valiant battle by the Hungarians in the streets of Budapest while the water polo team battles the Russian Olympic Team for the precious gold at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956.

Introduced by Éva Gárdos, writer and editor for the film, who will lead a Q&A session after the film showing.

Thursday, February 15th

2:00 p.m.	Registration. Olin Humanities Building atrium
	Atrium, F. W. Olin Humanities Building
3:00	Campus Tour for alumni of 56-57 orientation program
	Meeting place: Olin Humanities Building Atrium
5:30	Torchlight procession
	Meeting place: Olin Humanities Building Entrance
6:00	Welcome Dinner for alumni of 56-57 orientation program
	President Leon Botstein's House, RSVP at Registration required (for alumni/ae)
8:00	Concert by fortepianist Malcolm Bilson ’57
	Olin Hall Program: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Fantasy in C Minor and Sonata in B-flat Major, and Johann Baptist Cramer’s Eleven Variations on “Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen wünscht Papageno sich,” from Mozart’s Magic Flute. Welcome by Laszlo Bito ’60, chairman of the Organizing Committee, with introductory remarks by Malcolm Bilson

9:15

Public film viewing: “Fiery Autumn”

Weis Cinema - Campus Center

56 minutes
Film courtesy of and with introduction by Csaba Békés, Founding Director of the Cold War History Research Center, Budapest, Hungary.

Directed by Judith Kothy and Judit Topits. Produced by Réka Sárközy

Screenplay by János M. Rainer, director of the 1956 Institute

This documentary by the 1956 Institute, presents the history of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution in a world political context.

Friday, February 16th

9:00 a.m.	Registration and continental breakfast
	Atrium, F. W. Olin Humanities Building
10:00	Opening of the conference: The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and After: Impact and Contributions
	Olin Hall Welcoming remarks by Leon Botstein, President of Bard College, and Laszlo Bito ’60 Keynote Speech by Csaba Békés
11:00	Panel I: Remembering 1956
	Olin Hall Panelists: Leon Botstein; Peter Kenez, and Béla Lipták. Moderator: Norman Manea
12:30 p.m.	Lunch
	Kline Commons Committee Rooms
2:00	Panel II: The Hungarian Revolution in the Shifting Mirror of Scholarship and Historical Memory
	Olin Hall Panelists: Ian Buruma, Miklós Haraszti, and István Rév. Moderator: Jonathan Becker
3:45	Coffee Break
4:00	Panel III: Refugee Intellectuals & the American Experience
	Olin Hall Keynote speech: Tibor Frank. Respondents: Erwin Levold and David Kettler. Moderator: Nóra Kovács.
6:00	Dinner for alumni and speakers
8:00	Concert by the Bard Conservatory Orchestra, Leon Botstein conducting
	Fisher Performing Arts Center, Sosnoff Auditorium Program: Ludwig van Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, Op. 84; Bohuslav Martinu’s Piano Trio and String Orchestra Concertino with violinist Erica Kiesewetter, cellist Robert Martin, and pianist Blair McMillen; Antonín Dvorák’s Symphony No. 8; and Johannes Brahms’s Symphony No. 2.

Saturday, February 17th

9:00 a.m.

Continental breakfast.

Atrium, F. W. Olin Humanities Building