Béla Fried entered the world in Budapest on 25 July 1891, later adopting the name Béla Fogarasi.
Intellectual Formation and Early Activities
Fogarasi engaged in extensive intellectual circles during his early years, studying in Budapest and Heidelberg. By 1910, he had translated Henri Bergson's work into Hungarian. He participated in the Sunday circle alongside György Lukács and Béla Balázs and collaborated with Ervin Szabó at the Budapest Free School of Humanities. His early discourse focused on challenging economic determinism, as evidenced by his 1915 lecture on historical materialism, and his 1918 opposition to positivism.
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In December 1918, he joined the Hungarian Communist Party, subsequently editing Vörös Újság and directing the Marx-Engels Workers' University. During the Hungarian Soviet Republic, he oversaw higher education. Following the collapse of the government, he emigrated to Vienna, then relocated to Berlin from 1921 to 1930. While in Germany, he remained active in the Communist Party of Germany and lectured at the Marxist Work Week, a gathering that informed the development of the Institute for Social Research.
Soviet Tenure and Return to Budapest
In 1930, Fogarasi moved to Moscow to serve the Comintern, becoming a fellow of the Soviet Academy of Sciences and working alongside economist Eugen Varga. He returned to Budapest in 1945. During his final decade, he served as rector of the University of Economics, contributing to the development of Marxist logic and scientific philosophy through various texts. He died on 28 April 1959 and was buried in the Fiume Road Graveyard.
Fast facts
- Born: 25 July 1891, Budapest
- Died: 28 April 1959, Budapest
- Citizenship: Hungary
- Primary Occupation: Philosopher
- Awards: Kossuth Prize (1952)
- Alma Mater: Eötvös Loránd University
- Burial Site: Fiume Road Graveyard
Questions readers ask
What was his role in the Hungarian Soviet Republic?
He served as the Director of Higher Education.
Where did he work after returning to Budapest in 1945?
He became the rector of the University of Economics.
Achievements
- Kossuth Prize — 1952
- Held posts at Eötvös Loránd University
