Piroska Reichard (; 26 September 1884 – 1 January 1943) was a

Hungarian-Jewish The history of the Jews in Hungary dates back to at least the Kingdom of Hungary, with some records even predating the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin in 895 CE by over 600 years. Written sources prove that Jewish communities lived i ...

poet, critic, and translator.

Biography

Piroska Reichard was born in

Carpathian Ruthenia Transcarpathia (, ) is a historical region on the border between Central and Eastern Europe, mostly located in western Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast. From the Hungarian Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin, conquest of the Carpathian Basin ...

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

parents Ernesztina () and Márk Reichard. She attended secondary school in

Miskolc Miskolc ( , ; ; Czech language, Czech and ; ; ; ) is a city in northeastern Hungary, known for its heavy industry. With a population of 161,265 as of 1 January 2014, Miskolc is the List of cities and towns in Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, ...

and went on to complete a teacher's diploma and doctorate at the

University of Budapest A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Univ ...

. She afterwards became a high school teacher. Her work first appeared in the literary journal ''

Nyugat ''Nyugat'' (, ''West''; pronounced similar to ''New-Got''), was an important Hungarian literary journal in the first half of the 20th century. Writers and poets from that era are referred to as "1st/2nd/3rd generation of the NYUGAT". History an ...

'', to which she became a regular contributor, publishing some eighty pieces between 1908 and 1941. She also translated into Hungarian the works of

Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher. He began his career as a classical philologist, turning to philosophy early in his academic career. In 1869, aged 24, Nietzsche became the youngest pro ...

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...

, and others, and wrote essays, short stories, and children's literature. She was best known, however, for her poetry, which frequently explored the theme of solitude. Her most notable collections of verse are ''Az életen kívül'' ('Out of Life,' 1911) and ''Őszi üdvözlet'' ('Autumn Greetings,' 1922). Reichard's work was recognized by a

Baumgarten Prize The Baumgarten Prize was founded by Ferenc Ferdinánd Baumgarten on October 17, 1923. It was awarded every year from 1929 to 1949 (except for 1945). In its time, it was the most prestigious literary prize awarded by Hungary and is considered as equ ...

in 1932. She fled persecution during the

Holocaust in Hungary The Holocaust saw the dispossession, deportation and systematic murder of more than half of the Hungarian Jews, primarily after the German occupation of Hungary in March 1944. Before that, several incidents took place, including The Raid in 1 ...

, ultimately committing suicide on 1 January 1943.

Partial bibliography

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reichard, Piroska 1884 births 1943 suicides 1943 deaths 20th-century Hungarian poets Jewish women writers Hungarian women poets Hungarian translators Translators to Hungarian People from Berehove Suicides by Jews during the Holocaust Jewish Hungarian-language writers 20th-century Hungarian educators Jewish educators 20th-century women educators Hungarian Jews who died in the Holocaust Translators of Friedrich Nietzsche Translators of Edgar Allan Poe Suicides in Hungary