Quiet radicalism
György Konrád, an intermediary between worlds
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
György Konrád was a singular figure among Hungarian intellectuals. He was an excellent social scientist, an outstanding writer and a clever political thinker. Yet what made him stand out more than anything else was his ability to act as an intermediary between different milieux. With his “anti-political” activity, he helped ensure that in 1989, the division of Europe could be peacefully overcome. Some of his political judgements from later years, such as those relating to the war in Kosovo, are questionable. In 2015, his European way of thinking appeared to have morphed into a Eurocentric one. Even so, Konrád’s death is a great loss for Hungary. At a time when the country is dominated by nationalistic mobilisation and unscrupulous politicisation, his quiet voice, which was radically oriented to the principle of dialogue, will be missed.
(Osteuropa 12/2019, pp. 77–88)