Emil Lengyel
Emil Lengyel was a Hungarian-born figure known for his contributions to literature and academia, particularly regarding World War II and the Nazi regime. Born in the late nineteenth century, he later became a naturalized citizen of the United States in the mid-1900s. Lengyel's professional journey began in journalism during the 1920s, where he worked as an American correspondent in Vienna and later for The New York Times. He transitioned into academia, holding various positions, including professor of history at Fairleigh Dickinson University and adjunct professor at New York University and Marymount Manhattan College.
His experiences as a prisoner of war in Siberia during World War I profoundly influenced his writing, leading to the creation of several fictionalized accounts of his life, with "Siberia" being one of his most notable works. Throughout his career, Lengyel was actively involved in various scholarly associations and served as a lecturer for U.S. Armed Forces personnel during World War II. Emil Lengyel's legacy is characterized by his insightful integration of historical events into fiction and his commitment to education until his death shortly before his ninetieth birthday.
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Emil Lengyel
Nonfiction Writer and Biographer
- Born: April 26, 1895
- Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
- Died: February 12, 1985
- Place of death: New York, New York
Biography
Emil Lengyel, best known for his insight into World War II and the Nazis, incorporated that insight into his fictionalized works. He was born in Hungary in the very late nineteenth century and became a naturalized citizen of the United States in the mid- 1900’s. His father, Joseph, was a tradesman, and his mother was Johanna (Adam) Lengyel. Lengyel married Livia Delej in the early 1900’s, and they had one son, Peter.
Lengyel received his Utriusque Juris Doctor degree after studies at the Royal Hungarian Institute. He held memberships and some offices in the American Academy of Political and Social Science, the American Historical Association, the American- European Friendship Association, the American Association for Middle East Studies, the American Association of University Professors, and the Overseas Press Club.
Lengyel was employed as a journalist in the 1920’s, first in Vienna, as the American correspondent for European news. He held many academic posts. He taught at the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute; was adjunct professor of history and economics at New York University; was professor of history and professor emeritus at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Rutherford, New Jersey; and served as professor of history, chair of the social science department, and adjunct professor of history at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City. He served as a lecturer at the New School for Social Research in New York City and was a lecturer to U.S. Armed Forces personnel in World War II; he was also a public lecturer throughout America.
Lengyel served in the Austro-Hungarian army and was a prisoner of war in Siberia during World War I. He was so ill, he was exchanged with a Russian prisoner of war and expected to die. He recovered and wrote a fictionalization of his experiences in several novel formats; the best-known of these is Siberia.
Lengyel immigrated to the United States where his journalistic career began, first working at The New York Times. He eventually came to be renowned as an academic. He died some two months before his ninetieth birthday.