Mária Földes
Encyclopedia
Mária Földes was a Jewish Romanian
-Hungarian playwright. After surviving several concentration camps during 1944-1945 in World War II
, including Auschwitz, she returned to Romania, where she studied drama and theater arts. Writing several plays in Hungarian, she is also known for her memoir, The Stroll (1974), published in Hungarian
and in Hebrew (1975). It was adapted as a one-woman play by the same name, and received productions in Yiddish and English
during the late 1970s, including in the United States.
on September 5, 1925. She grew up speaking Hungarian and did well in school. In May 1944 during World War II
, the Nazi occupiers forced the country to collect the Jews into the Cluj
ghetto
. Then in her last year of secondary school, Földes at the age of 18 and her mother were deported some time during May–June 1944 from the ghetto
to Poland, together with more than 16,000 other Romanian Jews. They were shifted from one Nazi concentration camp to another, passing through at least six or seven before ending at Auschwitz. Her mother died there.
Földes wrote and published several plays:
With the exception of the last one, the plays were collected and published in a 1968 book titled “The Seventh is the Traitor”. In 1974 Földes published her memoir, “The Stroll”, in Hungarian in Bucharest
. That same year Földes left Romania because of continuing anti-Semitism and Communist repression of intellectuals, and emigrated to Israel with her daughter.
Suffering from depression
, Földes committed suicide
in 1976. Her daughter Agnes Lev worked with the actress Baatsheva to adapt her mother's memoir for the stage. They wrote a one-woman show, starring Baatsheva, which was produced at the Habima Theatre. She received the Kinor David (David's Harp Prize for her performance.
The play toured in Yiddish and English
productions. It was performed in the United States in 1977 or 1978. Földes' memoir was adapted in Hungary as a radio
dramatization, produced in Budapest about 1985.
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
-Hungarian playwright. After surviving several concentration camps during 1944-1945 in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, including Auschwitz, she returned to Romania, where she studied drama and theater arts. Writing several plays in Hungarian, she is also known for her memoir, The Stroll (1974), published in Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
and in Hebrew (1975). It was adapted as a one-woman play by the same name, and received productions in Yiddish and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
during the late 1970s, including in the United States.
Early life and education
Mária Földes was born to a Jewish Hungarian family in Arad, RomaniaArad, Romania
Arad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region, on the river Mureş.An important industrial center and transportation hub, Arad is also the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training...
on September 5, 1925. She grew up speaking Hungarian and did well in school. In May 1944 during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Nazi occupiers forced the country to collect the Jews into the Cluj
Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
ghetto
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
. Then in her last year of secondary school, Földes at the age of 18 and her mother were deported some time during May–June 1944 from the ghetto
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
to Poland, together with more than 16,000 other Romanian Jews. They were shifted from one Nazi concentration camp to another, passing through at least six or seven before ending at Auschwitz. Her mother died there.
Career
After the war, Földes finally made her way back to Romania. She studied drama at the Szentgyorgy Istvan Academy of Dramatic Art in Târgu Mureş. She soon began writing plays.Földes wrote and published several plays:
- Weekdays
- The Demoiselle in the Barracks
- The Accident on Street Number Nine
- The Seventh is the Traitor
- The Inheritance
- Short is the Summer
With the exception of the last one, the plays were collected and published in a 1968 book titled “The Seventh is the Traitor”. In 1974 Földes published her memoir, “The Stroll”, in Hungarian in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
. That same year Földes left Romania because of continuing anti-Semitism and Communist repression of intellectuals, and emigrated to Israel with her daughter.
Israel
Földes published a few short stories in various Israeli newspapers, but at age 49 she found it difficult to work in a new country and under a new language. In 1975 her memoir The Stroll was published in a Hebrew translation.Suffering from depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
, Földes committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in 1976. Her daughter Agnes Lev worked with the actress Baatsheva to adapt her mother's memoir for the stage. They wrote a one-woman show, starring Baatsheva, which was produced at the Habima Theatre. She received the Kinor David (David's Harp Prize for her performance.
The play toured in Yiddish and English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
productions. It was performed in the United States in 1977 or 1978. Földes' memoir was adapted in Hungary as a radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
dramatization, produced in Budapest about 1985.