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I did not know my grandfather on my father's side because he died veryyoung. I only know he was called Geyza. He was the illegitimate son of aTransylvanian baron, a very famous Transylvanian family. That baron,although he did not acknowledge his son - he was given the maiden name ofhis Jewish mother, and therefore called Bato - made sure that his sonreceived a proper education, which gave him a good start in life, andarranged a good marriage for him. So Grandfather most likely had a good jobat the Adria Insurance Company.
In 1910 he was assigned the task of organizing the network of the AdriaInsurance Company in Egypt (still a British colony) and the Middle East. SoGrandfather moved from one day to the next to Cairo. My father went to anEnglish gymnasium in Cairo for four years. Then my father and grandmothermoved back to Europe so that my father could get a Hungarian Matura [anexamination for graduation from school]. And my grandfather stayed inEgypt. He always said he did not want to die before going to the Holy Land;he wanted to see Jerusalem, since he was so close to it. I don't know whatmeans of transportation he took, but he went to Jerusalem, also underBritish authority, so there was no problem. He arrived in Jerusalem, and hetook a room in the King David Hotel. Then he went to have lunch in a palm-tree garden. The way the story is told he sat under a palm tree and hadlunch, then he ordered a coffee, the waiter brought him his coffee, andthere he was, dead, with his lit cigar still in his mouth. This was what hehad wanted: Jerusalem. That had been his wish, so they buried him there. Mygrandparents were good Jews. They observed the holidays, of course.
In 1910 he was assigned the task of organizing the network of the AdriaInsurance Company in Egypt (still a British colony) and the Middle East. SoGrandfather moved from one day to the next to Cairo. My father went to anEnglish gymnasium in Cairo for four years. Then my father and grandmothermoved back to Europe so that my father could get a Hungarian Matura [anexamination for graduation from school]. And my grandfather stayed inEgypt. He always said he did not want to die before going to the Holy Land;he wanted to see Jerusalem, since he was so close to it. I don't know whatmeans of transportation he took, but he went to Jerusalem, also underBritish authority, so there was no problem. He arrived in Jerusalem, and hetook a room in the King David Hotel. Then he went to have lunch in a palm-tree garden. The way the story is told he sat under a palm tree and hadlunch, then he ordered a coffee, the waiter brought him his coffee, andthere he was, dead, with his lit cigar still in his mouth. This was what hehad wanted: Jerusalem. That had been his wish, so they buried him there. Mygrandparents were good Jews. They observed the holidays, of course.
Period
Interview
Eva Bato