The Places of Memory in a Square of Monuments: Conceptions of Past, Freedom and History at Szabadság Tér
In this paper I try to approach contemporary Hungarian political culture through an analysis of the history of changing monuments at Szabadság Tér in Budapest. The paper has as its point of origin a protest/irredentist monument facing the present Soviet liberation monument. In order to understand th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University Library System, University of Pittsburgh
2012-01-01
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| Series: | Hungarian Cultural Studies |
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| Online Access: | http://ahea.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/ahea/article/view/71 |
| Summary: | In this paper I try to approach contemporary Hungarian political culture through an analysis of the history of changing monuments at Szabadság Tér in Budapest. The paper has as its point of origin a protest/irredentist monument facing the present Soviet liberation monument. In order to understand this irredentist monument, I look into the meaning of the earlier irredentist monuments under Horthy and try to see what monuments were torn down under Communism and which ones remained. I further argue that changes in the other monuments also affect the meaning of the others. From this background I enter into a brief interpretation of changes in memory culture in relation to changes in political culture. The conclusions point toward the fact that Hungary is actively pursuing a cleansing of its past in public spaces, and that this process is reflected in an increased acceptance of political authoritarianism. |
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| ISSN: | 2471-965X |