The Complex Interpretation of Social Administration Between the Two World Wars

Abstract

The study explores the interrelated and mutually enhancing elements of the activities of three professionals determining the interpretative dimension of the concept of Hungarian social administration between the two world wars: Zoltán Magyary, Lajos Esztergár and Andor Csizmadia.
    Adopting a dominant role in the evolution of modern public administration in Hungary, Zoltán Magyary outlined, then later on redetermined, refined and enriched the concept of social administration through his presentations and studies already in the 1930s. His analyses, disciplinary foundations and attempts at definition were characterised by a complex approach to a broader scale of social sciences, interlinked with the activities of Lajos Esztergár in practical social policy in various aspects while drawing from the everyday experiences of social administration.
    While, intending to enrich administrative historical research, the paper emphasizes only some of the corner points of his extremely complex approaches it highlights their public and specific policy connection with the results of Andor Csizmadia’s research in social administrative history.
    In terms of Csizmadia’s lifework in the field of social policy the study also seeks the answer whether the social administration concept of productive social policy could mean an alternative connecting the ages in order to examine the continuity of possible interpretations resulting from this complexity.