Grad izbeglica

The novel City of Refugees (Földönfutó város, 1929), by the renowned Hungarian writer Lajos Zilahy, is a dramatic and moving chronicle of social upheaval and human suffering in the years following the First World War and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The titular "city of refugees" symbolizes the fate of thousands of people left without homes, homelands, or their former social status—forced to begin a life as refugees in improvised conditions, living in railway carriages at the stations of Budapest. Through a complex web of characters—ranging from former aristocrats and military officers to ordinary laborers and clerks—Zilahy masterfully depicts the moral decline, psychological trauma, and existential impasse of a generation uprooted by war. At the heart of the narrative lie personal dramas, betrayed loves, and the difficult compromises individuals are compelled to make in order to survive in a world where values ​​have crumbled and the future remains uncertain. Infused with profound humanism, nostalgia, and sharp social criticism, this novel stands as one of the most compelling literary accounts of the post-war crisis in Central Europe. Zilahy’s ability to weave together the intimate emotions of the individual with a broader historical context renders this work a timeless story of loss, hope, and dignity.