Belle époque? Lata siedemdziesiąte XX w. na Węgrzech
Pamięć i Sprawiedliwość, Bd. 20 Nr. 2 (2012), pages: 29-52
Publication date: 2012-12-30
Abstract
The paper presents the years of the 1970s of the era hallmarked by the name
of János Kádár. It is based on new researches, however, it incorporates previous
knowledge as well. The decade of the seventies is quite controversial in Hungary.
On the one hand, Hungary has passed through the bloody retributions of the
Revolution of 1956, on the other hand, dictatorship was functioning effectively,
making sure that there is no such thing as a soft or hard dictatorship, there is only
dictatorship. However, Hungarians enjoy the Hungarian atmosphere of the
sixties, the so called “goulash communism” There is full employment – even if work
does not always come with it, there is general, free medical care, etc.
One can travel to the West, but with large backpacks and tinned food.
Moreover, one can obtain a car after years of waiting, but true enough, only from the
offer of the “friendly socialist countries”. Construction of block of flats
continues as well, exceeding one million. Small summer cottages are being built by the
privileged or the more daring along the beeches of the largest lake of Hungary and
Central Europe, Lake Balaton. Mass tourism emerges.
But it is the seventies when the new wave of the global economic crisis comes.
It comes to light that the Hungarian economy can only remain functional through
more and more loans. Indebtedness, becoming tragic by this time starts in this
period. The paper thoroughly examines, investigates the operation of the Kádár
regime, mainly based on material from the archives with a demand for academic
character. Thus the reader learns what it meant to live, work and make one’s way
in the seventies in Hungary. It also becomes clear that the decade of the seventies
is only the “golden age” of the socialist period by appearance. In fact, it is this
decade when those problems occur, which lead to the downfall of the regime in
the next one. These were essentially problems of an economic nature, then social,
political, demographical etc. ones emerged in association with them. However,
the obstinate desire of Hungarians for national independence and a democratic
political system should not be underestimated.
For those who are interested, the author’s monograph titled “The Cursed
Decade”, which discusses in detail the years of the seventies of the Kádár era, could
be an important reading.