GAUDIOPOLIS, Az Ăröm VĂĄrosa / The City of Joy, 1945-50, Budapest
Gaudiopolis, az âöröm vĂĄrosaâ egy gyermekköztĂĄrsasĂĄg volt, melyet Sztehlo GĂĄbor evangĂ©likus lelkĂ©sz alapĂtott a mĂĄsodik vilĂĄghĂĄborĂșt követĆen Budapesten. ĂrvahĂĄza vallĂĄsra, tĂĄrsadalmi hovatartozĂĄsra Ă©s nemzetisĂ©gre valĂł tekintet nĂ©lkĂŒl több szĂĄz gyereknek adott otthont, akik a hĂĄborĂșban elvesztettĂ©k szĂŒleiket, otthonukat. Az âöröm vĂĄrosĂĄnakâ gyermek lakĂłi sajĂĄt kormĂĄnyzatot hoztak lĂ©tre, kĂ©pviselĆket vĂĄlasztottak maguk közĂŒl, Ă©s mindenkire (a tanĂĄrokra is) vonatkozĂł törvĂ©nyeket hoztak. Ez a közössĂ©g azt tƱzte ki cĂ©lul, hogy Ășjratanulja a demokrĂĄciĂĄt, Ă©s hogy âKrisztus evangĂ©liumĂĄnak szellemĂ©ben, tĂĄrsadalmi korlĂĄtokat megszĂŒntetve, önĂĄllĂł, öntudatos, önismeretre Ă©s önbĂrĂĄlatra törekvĆ, gyakorlatilag ĂŒgyes, elmĂ©letileg kĂ©pzett magyar embereketâ neveljen. A gyermekotthon fenntarthatĂłsĂĄgĂĄt nem kis mĂ©rtĂ©kben az ott folyĂł munka biztosĂtotta. Noha kis mĂ©rtĂ©kƱ ĂĄllami segĂtsĂ©get is igĂ©nybe vettek, Gaudiopolis fĂŒggetlen intĂ©zmĂ©nykĂ©nt mƱködött 1950-ben bekövetkezett ĂĄllamosĂtĂĄsĂĄig.Â
Gaudiopolis, or âThe City of Joyâ was the name of a Childrenâs Republic founded in the aftermath of World War II in Budapest by Lutheran pastor GĂĄbor Sztehlo. His orphanage provided shelter and home for hundreds of children regardless of their religion, social background, or nationality, who lost their parents to the war. Children dwellers of the âCity of Joyâ formed their own government, elected their representatives, and adopted laws that applied to everybody (including teachers). This community set out to learn democracy anew and, eliminating all social barriers in the spirit of Christâs gospel, to educate children to become âindependent, self-conscious, practically trained, and theoretically qualified citizens striving for better self-understanding and self-criticism.â Gaudiopolis achieved a certain level of self-sustainability through the residentsâ common work. Although it did receive some funds from the state, it functioned independently until its 1950 nationalization.
REISMANN Marian: Sztehlo-gyermekotthon / Childrenâs home, led by Sztehlo, 1946
EvangĂ©likus OrszĂĄgos MĂșzeum / Lutheran Museum, Budapest
