Editing by: Ilona Szekeres
Budapest, 2024.

Zsuzsánna Szabó-Szekeres was born in Budapest on 30 September 1943. In the final months of the Second World War, she and her family left Hungary, finding temporary refuge in Germany near Stuttgart, within the French-occupied zone. In 1948, the family emigrated to Argentina and settled in Buenos Aires.

Her education began at the Instituto María Ward in Plátanos, a school run by Hungarian nuns, and later continued at Colegio Nacional de Vicente López. In 1962, she returned to Europe on a scholarship, enrolling at the Studienkolleg in Munich before pursuing translation studies at the Dolmetscher Institut of Heidelberg University. She graduated as a professional translator in 1968.

The following year, in 1969, Zsuzsánna moved to London, where she married Zoltán Szabó, (1912-1984) a Hungarian sociographer, publicist, writer, and editor who went into exile in England after 1949, where he acted as a dissident voice against the oppressive regimes in Hungary during and after WWII. She worked for the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts until early 1979, serving as Executive for European member organisations. Later that year, she and her husband settled in Josselin, Brittany, where their daughter, Ágnes, was born in Rennes.

In August 1984, following the death of her husband, Zsuzánna moved to Paris where she began working as a parliamentary attaché for the NGO group represented at the Conseil économique, social et environnemental. She held this position until her retirement in 2008.

Even after retirement, Zsuzsánna remained active in civil society. From 2008 to 2012, she volunteered with France Bénévolat, a large organisation promoting volunteering, coordinating the NGO's international relations, coordinating the organisation’s international relations. Between 1984 and 1992, she also served as secretary of the Hungarian Human Rights Organisation in Paris. She is currently a member of the board of the Association des Amis de la Culture Hongroise, contributing to the promotion of Hungarian culture in France.

Throughout her life, Zsuzsánna Szabó-Szekeres has combined her professional expertise with deep commitments to international cooperation, human rights, and cultural exchange.