In this biography episode from In the Mainstream of the XX Century – Living History, Béla Török continues his family story with two deeply personal chapters: “My Father and His Family” and “My Mother and Her Family.”

These chapters trace the lives, fortunes, and character of two remarkable Hungarian families shaped by education, war, social change, and tradition. From Szeged’s rowing clubs and courtrooms to noble estates, universities, and the upheavals of the First World War, we hear how everyday life, personal responsibility, and family memory endured through extraordinary times.

Through memoirs written late in life, we learn about ambition and hardship, loyalty and loss, and the quiet moments that define a family’s place in history. This is not a political account, but a human one — grounded in lived experience, preserved stories, and the passing of memory from one generation to the next.

This episode follows the earlier chapters “The Foreword” and “My First Memories,” and continues the journey through a family shaped by the mainstream of the twentieth century.

If you’re enjoying this biography, please follow the podcast, leave a comment, or share the episode — it helps others discover these stories..

And stay tuned for the next two chapters:

“My Student Years” and “University Years.”