Being “Klassz”

“In Bánk, one was expected to be ‘klassz,’ that is, brave, funny, helpful, and empathetic. A good kid was one who both enjoyed the game, and believed in it; who had a good sense of humour; and who didn’t whine, fuss, or make mountains out of molehills. In Bánk, you suddenly understood that you were always being judged – that you had to be good enough for the whole community.” (Tamás Ascher, University Professor)

“Bánk brought democracy to children. Its main attraction was that there, you could do all the things you couldn’t do at home, within certain limits, of course. Take the like-it-or-not chart, for instance. It was a huge thing to a kid that he could declare that there was something he would not eat. Or that he could talk in a way the children of normal middle-class families couldn’t. Of course, we weren’t allowed to curse or use vulgar language, but there were two words we were allowed to say: “crap” and “butt”. And we didn’t have to go to bed so terribly early”. (János Sziki Sziklai)