From Resistance to Recognition: Tekla Dömötör, Linda Dégh, and Hungarian Folkloristics under State Socialism
From Resistance to Recognition: Tekla Dömötör, Linda Dégh, and Hungarian Folkloristics under State Socialism

Summary/Abstract: This article traces the lives and careers of two prominent Hungarian women ethnographers, Tekla Dömötör and Linda Dégh, to explore the gendered dynamics of academic life in state socialist Hungary. Born into assimilated Jewish families around World War I, both navigated restrictive interwar educational norms, engaged in anti-fascist resistance during World War II, and pursued scholarly careers under socialist rule. Drawing on autobiographies, personal documents, and publications, the study examines how family responsibilities, domestic labour, and professional networks shaped visibility, recognition, and career trajectories. Dömötör combined resistance activities, teaching, and international research with raising two children, eventually becoming the first female head of the Folklore Department at Eötvös Loránd University. Dégh contributed to the reorganisation of Hungarian folkloristics before emigrating to the United States. By linking biography with broader institutional and political contexts, the article illuminates the intersections of gender, personal life, and scientific authority in socialist and transnational academic settings.

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