Hungarian interview - Jozsef Fodor

Jozsef Fodor was born in 1930, and raised in Zarkányszék (once called Lengyelszék) where he attended Piarista high school. This was a multi-denominational school run by priests, and the students were Catholic, Presbyterian, and Jewish. Mr. Fodor talks about life in school during the 1930's, and World War II. Mr. Fodor's family was labeled 'Kulák' (class aliens), because his father built a steeple. The communisits destroyed clerical schools. In 1953 Mr. Fodor went to Budapest, and became involved in folk dancing and soccer. His wife's father died in the 2nd Hungarian regiment on Russian front. He talks about what it was like living in Budapest in 1956. They lived in the Rákospalotta district, and he has vivid memories about youth, sports, dancing in the 1950's. Mr. Fodor describes his escape to Austria, Hegyeshalom, dissidents, Russians, watch dogs. He talks about the welcome they got in the border town of Hegyeshalom. They spent Christmas in a refugee camp in Autria. After that they sailed to Le Havre, in France, and then on a fourteen day journey to Canada. Mr. Fodor chose Canada because of what he had read about it in school. They arrived in Quebec City and then moved to southwestern Ontario and worked in a factory in Hamilton and tobacco farms in Delhi. He talks about their Canadian-Hungarian heritage, and his involvement in Scouting, dancing, language grups, etc. When they arrived in Canada they already knew how to speak English and German. In 1972, Mr. Fodor made his first trip back to Hungary.