Greg writes in HUNGARY #208

>Could someone explain why the state is in the business of subsidising
>political parties?  Surely in tight economic times there are higher
>priorities?
Questions for questions (Some hate it but I can't help ...)
1. WHO should subsidize the parties ? Business world ? Like in Italy ?
2. WHERE can you find enough money in Hungary from the business
   sector to run an election campaign for example ? The biggest
   parties have about 10000-20000 members, membership fees would
   not help.

Regards, Gabor

Eva Balogh writes:

>May I remind Tony that the discussion on universities began by my saying that
>there were two earlier attempts at establishing a university on the territory
>of the Kingdom of Hungary. One in the fourteenth century and one in the
>fifteenth. Neither institutions survived. Establishing the first university
>which actually functioned longer than a few years in the seventeenth century
>actually supports my position and not my opponents'. Just for a fuller

May I remind Eva that the Academia Istropolitana was established in 1467
in Bratislava (Pressburg, Pozsonyi) and that the reason that it folded was
that funding was withheld by the crown some years later, however progress
didn't stop there did it.

>Now, let's go to Central Europe. Prague = 1347; Cracow = 1364; Vienna = 1365;
>Heidelberg = 1386; Cologne = 1388; Leipzig = 1409; Tubingen = 1477; Konigsberg
>= 1544; University of Vilnius (Polish) = 1579; University of Dorpat/Tartu
>(German) = 1632; University of Moscow = 1755; University  of Sofia = 1888;
>University of Iasi = 1860; University of Bucharest = 1864.

OK, the establishment of universities in central Europe was definitely a
factor,
however it was not the only factor in consideration of comparative equality.
In Zilina (Sillein) Slovaks achieved parity in municipal representation with
the Germans in 1381. The Czechs achieved parity in the municipal representation
in Old Town Prague in 1413 ( 32 years later than the Slovaks in Zilina) whereas
the Magyars in Buda achieved parity with Germans in 1438 ( 57 years later)
and in Kolozsvar/Cluj in 1458. In 1551 Ferdinand of Habsburg made the Germans,
the Slovaks, and the Magyars of Trnava completely equal. Successively a German,
a Slovak and a Magyar were elected mayor.

>And, one more word for Tony. Just because Thomas Breed comes up with this
>rather unique observation that before the Enlightenment it is anachronistic
>to talk about comparative economic backwardness, it doesn't mean that it is
>true. Tony being touchy about this matter found Thomas Breed's unsupported

Have you considered the establishment of the 1st Mining Academy in the world
in Banska Stiavnica (Chemnitz) in 1762 in your assessment of comparative
economic backwardness?

>claim handy. But let's not fall for it and let's just admit that Eastern
>Europe was considerably behind Western Europe in practically all aspects of
>life. That is nothing to be ashamed of. Instead, we should all get inspired

I readily admit that the feudal policies practiced from 1792 onward had gone
awry of western European liberal developments (Oetvos being one of the framers
was as much at fault for their failure as anyone) but that shouldn't overshadow
all of the prior history. One might also consider prior aspects, for instance
Prokopios in his History of the Wars of Ceasar Justinian in the yrs. 527-554
wrote of the initial Byzantine contact with slavic people along the Danube,
which BTW recorded the initial use of the name of Slavs in Greek history.
Prokopios wrote:
"These nations of Slavae and Antae are not governed by s single man, but
since the ancient days they live *democratically*, and therefore they always
confer together upon pleasant and difficult matters.  They recognize, that
there is only one God, creator of lightning and Lord of all.. They do not
know fate at all and do not recognize its power over man at all. ...
Both (nations) have the same language.. they are not evil nor malicious,
they are sincere similarly as the Hunnic nation.

Tony

Ps.
In 1963 The second Vatican council established the universal liturgy in
the respective languages of the respective lands, however the Great Moravian
people had received the liturgy in their language in 863 AD. over 1100 years
before it was universally established in the West.

Dear Members,

   I have received this post from a friend of mine. I would
appreciate any help in this. Getting in touch with Robert
directly is OK with me.
   Thanks,
           Amos
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Subject: Germany

I have a German house guest for the next month or so. Do you know any
connentions to germany via the net?