Milena Tatalovic Milena Tatalovic, born in 1987, lives in Belgrade, Serbia. She is a student of Sociology at e University of Philosophy, Belgrade. "The First Brick of e Berlin Wall Extracted in 1956" How does Serbia remember e Hungarian revolution 50 years later I was already at e university when I heard for e first time about e Hungarian revolution in 1956. Because of my recent experience wi e Prague Spring and e lack of information on is topic in Serbian high school history textbooks (I guess it is not necessary to stress at ere is very little about 1956, too), I was kind of afraid about is assignment. So, my surprise was quite great when I noticed how much attention was given in Serbian written and Internet media to is anniversary today. It was nice, for a change, to be bombarded wi lots of information from many different sides. But, first ing at occurred to me was e difference in reports between Serbian media in whole (excepting e region Vojvodina) and Vojvodina`s (region in Serbia) media. The main center of e actual celebration, in remembering e revolution, was e town Subotica, which is placed in e nor of Serbia (in Vojvodina), very near to e Hungarian border. Before, I will describe e celebration: it is important to know at Hungarians are e largest national minority in e norern province of Serbia Vojvodina, and at relations between Serbs and Hungarians on nor are very close but complicated (because of some unsolved issues considering e rights of national minority). In Subotica e notation of e anniversary started already during e second week of October. Reports on e Hungarian revolution in 1956, and e memory of organized adoption of Hungarian fugitives who did not agree wi e communist regime, were organized by e Association of Hungarians in Vojvodina and e National Council of Hungarian minority (wi help of Serbian parliament). The two main cultural events during is week (e first event was on e 12 of October) were an exhibition of photos (at took place in e City Hall of Subotica) taken during e two weeks during e riot 1
on e streets of Hungary, and e revelation of a new monument (13 of October) in Palic (place near Subotica) devoted to e memory of e Central Summation place where e fugitives from e communist regime, after e suppressed revolution in 1956, were accepted. Katlin Silli and Jozef The speech of Katrin Silli Revealing e monument The new monument Kasa in e photo in The Subotica s City Hall dedicated to refugees from on Palic lake exhibi tion Hungary, on Palic The Serbian representative was e president of e Serbian parliament Predrag Markovic, e representatives from Hungary were Katlin Silli, president of Hungarian parliament and e leader of e Council of Vojvodina`s Hungarians (SVM) Jozef Kasa. On e 14 of October e Academic conference took place in e Subotica`s City Hall, and it gaered many well-known sociologists and politicians from Serbia and Hungary. After reading all articles from Subotica s daily newspapers and reports about ese events, e main impression is at one ing is stressed e most e friendship and mutual cooperation of e two states Serbia and Hungary. There was too much talking about e relationship between our two countries, en actually remembering e days of revolution and its meaning for Europe today at least at was my impression. Open perspective- Dr. Jozef Sipos from Guide- Gabor Kudlik from The conference was Subotica Budapest organization Open held in City Hall Perspective 2
The representatives of bo parliaments spoke about e fact at Serbia took over 20,000 refugees from Hungary, and at e embassy of Serbia/Yugoslavia was e place where Imre Nagy sought refuge at e very end of e Revolution. One fragment of e speech of e president of e Serbian parliament Predrag Markovic in e City Hall of Subotica was: In Serbia, e memory on 1956 is notated as a commemoration of solidarity, between states and between people. After ese difficult dates we must rise, on e highest level, dates of solidarity and tolerance, because e ideal in 1956 was democracy and an independent state, today (so at it can be completed) it is important to add human and minority rights to is ideal. Because Serbs and Hungarians do not only live next to each-oer, ey live togeer... It seemed like ere was more talking about e current political situation and collecting some political points in bo countries. The media also adverted on e political situation in Serbia in 1950 and did not fail to mention at Tito, former president of Socialistic Federative Republic of Yugoslavia, was e first who separated from e Eastern block and Stalin, and by doing so, Yugoslavia was free to accept everyone from Hungary, who was against e communist regime after e revolution. On e oer hand, oer written media (especially in Belgrade) were not very interested in e current political situation and e minority rights. Their reports were quite different from Vojvodina s. The mayor similarity to is entire media and is refers to e title of my essay is at ey all agreed on e Hungarian revolution being as ey called it e first extracted brick from Berlin wall e first hole in e iron curtain. The daily newspaper Blic even made interviews wi persons who actually had been participants of e revolution: You could smell e tension in e air. We all knew at someing powerful is going on. One could not ignore e protests from e beginning of e revolution, and we were all so proud... But freedom has come in 1989 too late. Until en, most of e citizens had already forgotten 3
what freedom actually meant. Today we can see at e government has forgotten what democracy means, and at is humiliating... [Djula Kis (62)] One more ing was common to all written media: ey all reported about recent riots on Hungarian streets, and e fact at e country is divided between e supporters of e government on e one side, and e right wing opposition on e oer. And as occur ing, ey mention usurpation over e same tank (taking it on e street, pointing it toward e police) at was used in e revolution 50 years ago against e Soviet army. One last, for me quite strange fact, is at two Serbian written media reminded president George Bush s visit to Budapest in June, and his speech to e Hungarian people. They all stressed e fact at e West did not do anying to help e Hungarian people, and quoted part of Bush's speech. The West learned its lesson ose who search for freedom, should help ose who already have it. Finally, I allow myself to make a few remarks, even if ey are exaggerated. Working on is assignment, I literally learned how historical events and political memory can be servant to official state politics. I have e impression at memorizing is important anniversary was used to promote some of e main program of national politics. I am not saying at ere was no objectivity on medias` side, and at media did not wrote about real events, I am just saying at ere should have been more interviews wi ordinary people who actually met wi ese events, documentaries and information about protests in 1956 probably you would be surprised how many people never even heard about e Hungarian revolution and discussions about what Hungarian revolution means to Europe today. Or in oer words media should have been oriented more on global context of is revolution, and less on national. 4
Sources: Daily newspapers: Blic, Novosti, Politika, Danas, Suboticke vesti Websites: www.blic.co.yu www.sina.org.yu www.subotica.info www.voenews.com www.vreme.com www.megafonija.com www.mtsmondo.com www.yellowcab.co.yu www.danas.co.yu www.suboticke.net www.politika.co.yu www.parlament.sr.gov.yu/content/eng/ Picture took over from websites: - Small photos (ose which have comments and explanations) were downloaded from website: http://www.subotica.info/eventview.php?event_id=12545. Photographer name is Nikola Tumbas. Last visit 11 November 2006. - http://www.b92.net/kultura/index.php?view=2&did=20388 is a site from which e bigger photo was downloaded (e one wi ank) photographer is not known, at least it isn t written on e site. Last visit 10 November 2006. Zitierempfehlung: Milena Tatalovic, "The First Brick of e Berlin Wall Extracted in 1956" How does Serbia remember e Hungarian revolution 50 years later, in: Zeitgeschichte-online, Themenportal Ungarn 1956 Geschichte und Erinnerung, URL: <http://www.zeitgeschichte-online.de/portals/_ungarn1956/documents/tatalovic.pdf > 5