„Bori mesék”. Képzőművész munkaszolgálatosok Borban

During World War II six thousand Hungarians enlisted for labour service were taken from Hungary to Bor in Serbia occupied by germany (1943–1944). The great majority called up for unarmed labour service were of Jewish origin; they were supervised by Hungarian soldiers and worked under the control of german military officials (Organisation Todt). They were put to slave labour in the mines and the construction of the mountain railroad around Bor. Several of the Jewish labourers were beginning or already acknowledged artists at the time of their conscription. no matter how adverse the circumstances were, some of them did not give up their creative activity during work in Bor. The three works mentioned in the paper were created in labour camps during the Holocaust, at high artistic level. Their singularity, however, is not primarily their attainment but the choice of their unusual genre. Their common feature is the genre of the (fairy) tale. “Ein Märchen von Bor” narrates the story of the Bor mine in 50 scenes and poems in german written under them. The characters of the tales are figures from the literature of tales, german occupiers and inmates of labour camps. The tale that takes place around the mining region of Bor alloys reality, fancy and the faith of the conscripts on labour duty in their liberation. The other tale based on Mother Holle also known from the grimm brothers’ collection is titled “Tale of a good and a bad little girl”. It consists of twelve colour pictures. It was made upon the commission of one inmate for the wedding anniversary of another one. The cock often appearing in tales has particularly great significance here: it is the herald of the Messiah, and in Hebrew tradition it is a symbol of betrothal and fertility. The other ancient symbols emerging in the tale get further meanings in this context. The third art work mentioned in the paper depicts a single day in Bor in six scenes and a few lines. The tale written in postcard format is at the same time a confession of love to the bride left at home. love thus plays an important role in all tales or in their genesis. The creators and in two cases the addressees of the works of art are known: graphic artists Ferenc Szabó and poet Tibor Sándori (Tales of Bor) and graphic artist Albert Csillag (“Tale of a bad and a good little girl” and “One day”). All the creators, as well Károly niederländer, who commissioned a tale for his wife, fell victim to the Holocaust in Bor, or after the evacuation of Bor in Hungary or germany. Their works created in Bor survived them miraculously thanks to their comrades liberated in and around Bor.