Earl Redman writes:
Before 1913, no Bahá’í travel teacher had visited Budapest and no Bahá’ís lived there. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s reputation had washed across the continent, however, and Leopold Stark, and others who lived there, had read of His journey and had written to beg that He might grace Budapest with His Presence. As during most of His epic journey, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá made His decisions about where to go and what to do according to the circumstances of the moment. Thus He decided to go to Budapest.
Before 1913, no Bahá’í travel teacher had visited Budapest and no Bahá’ís lived there. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s reputation had washed across the continent, however, and Leopold Stark, and others who lived there, had read of His journey and had written to beg that He might grace Budapest with His Presence. As during most of His epic journey, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá made His decisions about where to go and what to do according to the circumstances of the moment. Thus He decided to go to Budapest.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
arrived at the train station in Budapest on 9 April, where He was met by the
eminent Orientalist Dr Ignatius Goldziher, Professor Julius Germanus, Leopold Stark and others. He was taken to the Ritz Hotel
where He had a room with a view of the Danube River.
Only
minutes after His arrival at the hotel, the first delegation of visitors
arrived to welcome Him. This group included one of the most honoured thinkers
and pacifists in the country, Prelate Alexander Giesswein, and Professor Robert A. Nadler, a well-known painter. Reporters, of course, were also
present. The group welcomed ‘Abdu’l-Bahá:
In the name of all present we welcome the
blessed Presence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. We admire your great life and we offer You
our thanks and deep gratitude, that at Your age, You take upon Yourself these
long journeys for the sake of helping and comforting humanity. Such labours,
such sacrifices as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá endures are our great examples, that we may
know how to live and to serve humanity.
See also: Root, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Visit to Budapest’, in Star of the West, vol. 24, no. 3 (June 1933), p. 84; article
reprinted in Zinky and. Baram (eds), Martha
Root, pp. 361–2.
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On a personal note, our dear friend Andrew Singer (whom we met in person in Dec. in Scotland) lives in Budapest and has done some research on the Master's visit there. Some years ago I traveled to Budapest and was taken on a walking tour along the River where the Master had walked. . . .
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On a personal note, our dear friend Andrew Singer (whom we met in person in Dec. in Scotland) lives in Budapest and has done some research on the Master's visit there. Some years ago I traveled to Budapest and was taken on a walking tour along the River where the Master had walked. . . .
Dear Anne,
ReplyDeleteI recently visited Budapest and visited the sites graced by the presence of Abdu'l-Baha. I would like to obtain a copy of the talks delivered by Abdu'l-Baha in Budapest at the Museum and the Old Parliament House which is now the Italian Cultural Centre. Do you or anyone else know how to obtain a copy of these talks in English.
Many thanks
John Walker from Australia