Why do we need to publish another volume, we can't, we don't talk about it enough? During important anniversaries, we often hear the question that almost seems like an accusation. This is how we are with 1956 - even though we know that the real historical research of the revolution and freedom struggle was almost completely impossible in the first half of the past sixty-five years. The last thirty years have opened the gates and clarified many questions. Due to the specifics of the situation, scientific research naturally had to fight the lies and accusations of the (former) power that created the exclusivity of the "counter-revolutionary" narrative, and the half-information, beliefs and inaccuracies that arose partly as a counter-effect of this, stemming from being forced to remain silent. At the same time, this does not mean that 1956 was "in place" - although there is no doubt that the official discourse almost without exception records the sequence of events as a revolution against the communist dictatorship and a freedom struggle against foreign oppression. How long does 1956 last - and how long is the memory alive? The communist government considered it essential to prevent the passing on of those few days - in the historical sense only a moment - in families and communities. 1956 could not be discussed at the community level for decades. The often depressing debates after the regime change also did not help the Hungarian society to feel those two weeks as its own, its own past. Our volume tries to help with this with its modest means. One by one, our authors wish to pay tribute to the memory of those who lived and, unfortunately, an increasing number of those who have already passed away, who made those two weeks sixty-five years ago one of the most important cornerstones of the nation's collective memory.

RHETORICAL
History books
140 pages
Binding: paperback
ISBN: 9786158131155

Release year: 2021