On Monday 8 November, Éva Tuboly (lawyer and sociologist), presented the book: 'A proud and frank people' -' 65 years of Hungarian refugees in the Netherlands' in our Juliana Hall. The gathering was graced with Hungarian music by the Trio Tomi Váradi.
Together with Gerrit Valk (historian), she creates a fascinating picture in the book about the uprising, flight motives and integration of the more than 3,000 Hungarians who left for the Netherlands in November 1956, of whom Éva herself was one.
When the Soviet Union put a bloody end to the Hungarian uprising 65 years ago, Éva fled to the Netherlands at the age of five. There, she and over 3,000 other Hungarian refugees were received, cared for and provided with a place to sleep at the Jaarbeurs.
''We think it is super that the Jaarbeurs made the venue available, given the historical value this place has for us. '' The book was presented to the Hungarian refugees interviewed for the book during the meeting. Éva can still clearly remember the day she arrived at the station in Utrecht: ''The platform was full of people who put all kinds of things in our hands; chocolate, soaps and toothpaste. ''
