József Pusztai

József Pusztai – originally József Pozderecz, Slovene: Jožef Pustai (b. January 26, 1864, d. February 13, 1934) – was a Slovene writer, poet, journalist, teacher and cantor in Hungary. He was also known under the pen name of Tibor Andorhegyi.

Born in Beltinci, Prekmurje, in the Zala County of the Kingdom of Hungary (present-day Slovenia), his parents was János Pozderecz and Franciska Nemecz. His surname was modified to Pusztai because he thought of himself as Hungarian and felt it was the duty of ethnic Slovenes to assimilate. In Čakovec and Pécs he studied to be a teacher, graduating in 1883. After first having worked in Szőce (in the Őrség region), in 1889 he returned to Prekmurje. From 1889 until 1919 he worked in Martjanci, near Murska Sobota, where he wrote the first hymnal in the Prekmurian language. He wrote articles for Muraszombat és Vidéke ("Murska Sobota and district"), for Értesítő in Szombathely, and for Dober pajdás ("Good friend") in Szentgotthárd. In 1919 he returned to his hometown of Beltinci.

Works

• Krcsánszko katholicsanszko pesmi z iz potrejbnimi molitvami i vnógimi vogrszkimi peszmami / Kersztény katholikus egyházi énekek a legszükségesebb imákkal és több magyar énekkel ("Catholic Hymnal with Essential Prayers", Prekmurian and Hungarian text)
• Dober pajdás (1899, 1900, 1901)
• Mála molitvena kniga z potrejbnimi molitvani i vnó gimi peszmami za katholicsanszko mladézen / Kis imakönyv a legszükségesebb imákkal és énekekkel a kath. ifjúság számára ("Small Prayer-Book with Essential Prayers for Catholic Youth", Hungarian and Prekmurian text)

See also

• List of Slovene writers and poets in Hungary
• Beltinci

References

• Muravidéki Életrajzi Lexikon
• Szinnyei József: Magyar írók élete és munkái