György Pető (Dec 20, 1906-1971) was a talented violin player, photographer, and class lottery businessman in the southern Hungarian city of Szeged. He began making 8mm films in 1938. Pető was first in a Jewish forced labor company in Kiszombor in 1940. After returning home, Pető married Eva Lengyel (d. 1970) on September 8, 1941. They had a son, András, on October 3, 1943. Pető was again transported to the Ukraine with another forced labor batallion, where he was captured, and imprisoned in a Soviet POW camp near Zaporozje. He escaped somehow and returned to Szeged. The Jews from Szeged, including Eva, baby András, and many Lengyel family members, were deported during the summer of 1944. They were transported to Strasshof and later to Neunkirchen (Austria) where baby András and Eva's mother and father died. Pető’s mother Zseni was killed at Auschwitz. His brother László died. Eva returned to Szeged in 1945; Pető followed one month later. In 1946, Eva and György had a second child, Katalin Pető. When all of Pető’s property was confiscated by the communist regime in Hungary in 1949, he escaped with his family to the city of Budapest where he established himself as viola player in the Budapest Operetta Theater.
Opening title card in Hungarian handwriting (too dark to read). “Egy Ember tragédiája 2 felvonításban.” “II. rész.” “Nászút: Budapest.” Eva and Győrgy travel to Budapest on their honeymoon. “Kirándulás a Gellért Hegyre esa Hárshegyre” Eva walks up a flight of stairs, establishing shots of Budapest, then Győrgy and two others walk around a park, steamship, and what seems to be an excavation site. “Emléklap Átosok.” Men do some work at the site. “Önkéntes munkaszolgálat.” Győrgy and the two friends also begin to work, shoveling dirt. They get into a car. “Margitsziget. (Palatinus.).” Flowers. Eva poses in the sun. “Nagyba megy á rongyszedés.” Still life in progress, the woman sits down to read a book and smoke. Animals. Eva walks along the path and feeds a peacock. Scenes from the zoo. “Allatkert” Different animals at the zoo. 07:08 “Svábhegy.” (color) Shots of the city of Budapest from a tram/chairlift to Gellért Hill. Eva walks along a path. She poses for the camera a bit. Pető walks to a bench, sets his stuff down, sits and smokes. CUs of Eva, she gestures to Győrgy behind the camera, and smiles. [very quick title: “Csaladi arcképcsarnok“ perhaps intended for Film ID 4440.] “Vegeo” Film ends 08:28
Part 2 of short film about Eva and György; honeymoon in Budapest