Gábor Hushegyi: Kálmán Brogyányi – art, the people, in the services of the nation and politics. 100th birth anniversary of the Hungarian personality living in Czechoslovakia, in the controversial period between the two world wars
One of the most important personality of the period between the two world wars, Kálmán Brogyányi (1905–1978) was an artistic and photography writer, leader of the artistic life, picture- and library organiser, editor, public writer, and public life personality, as well. His artistic writing activity resulted the editions titled Painting in Slovakia (1931) and The art of Light (1933), that gave a comprehensive picture of the contemporary Slovak artists and on modern photography in Hungarian language for the first time. He had a determining role in the editing work of building and art magazine titled Forum published between 1931 and 1938 in Hungarian and German and in the activity of artistic department of Kunstverein and Masaryk Academy. He provided active library organising work, between 1939 and 1942 he led the Hungarian library in Pozsony, and he enriched his theoretical activities with his monography titled The Hungarian Library Service (1941). He provided intensive public an political activities that can be traced back in his published works. His activities as an artistic writer, librarian, and in the field of public life were provided throughout two decades, from the 20’s of the last century to 1945, to the deportation, and/or his emigration. Judging his personality arises from his bonds to the Sarló movement, and from his friendly attitude Germans during the second world war. His professional merit is not disputed by the Slovak art history writers, although the Hungarian professionals started to pay attention to him only in the last decade. Kálmán Brogyányi is one of the most important personalities of photography writing and library organisation in Hungarian language, and Slovakian artistic writing between the two world wars. This study analyses the activities of Kálmán Brogyányi