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Remembering 1956: Soviet-type oppression then and now
The banality of Soviet-type oppression and that moment when it leads to change.
Freedom Fighters
F
Prime Minister
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s speech on the 61st anniversary of the 1956 Revolution and Freedom Fight
23 October 2017, Budapest
News in Brief
Hungary marks the 61st anniversary of the anti-Soviet uprising
More than sixty years ago, 10 million Hungarians rose up against the communist regime and defied the Soviet Union in a 13-day stand off
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Honoring the freedom and bravery of the 1956 Freedom Fighters
On October 23rd, Hungarians celebrate the brave women and men who stood up to Soviet communist oppression and fought for their freedom against one of the world’s biggest armies. After...
News in Brief
Hungary celebrates life of freedom fighter who gave it independence
House Speaker László Kövér attended a ceremony to mark the anniversary of the birth of Ferenc Rákóczi II, leader of Hungary’s anti-Habsburg freedom fight between 1703-1711, at Rákóczi’s birthplace in Borsi, in northern Hungary, on Sunday
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In the spirit of 1848, says PM Orbán, we have a chance to transform Europe
Hungary’s national day, March 15th, commemorates the day in 1848 when Hungarians started a revolution that would become a war of independence from the Habsburgs. In his address on Wednesday, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán spoke of the meaning that 1848 carries for Hungary and its significance to today’s Europe.
News in Brief
Light a candle on November 4 to remember the martyrs 1956 Revolution
It was on November 4th, 1956 that the Soviet military launched an invasion to quell the revolution, triggering armed resistance by freedom fighters
News in Brief
Hungary passes 1956 Revolution declaration
A statement has been signed by four of the five official parliamentary parties on the 60th anniversary of Hungary’s anti-Soviet 1956 Revolution
News in Brief
Memorial weekend for the 60th anniversary of Hungary's 1956 Revolution announced
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will lead a 60th anniversary of Hungary's 1956 Revolution service at Kossuth square in front of the Parliament building on October 23
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No, the Hungarian refugees of 1956 are not the same as today’s migrants
It was a Tuesday, that October 23rd in 1956. The whole thing began as a peaceful, student demonstration, young people with a manifesto asserting the right to be independent from all foreign powers and that all Hungarians should enjoy the rights of free people in a democratic system. The crowds grew as the demonstrations moved throughout the city. By nightfall, State Security Police had fired on a crowd of unarmed demonstrators outside the state radio building, killing many.
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Stand Up for the Freedom Fighters
Some have wondered when that fateful turn began, that moment that marked “the beginning of the end of the Soviet Empire.” For those of us who endured Soviet oppression behind the Iron Curtain, it came in 1956, brought about by a scrappy pack of kids, many of whom paid the ultimate price for their courage.