Between 19 and 25 February, the House of Terror Museum will commemorate the Memorial Day of the Victims of Communism with unconventional guided tours and history lessons, museum educational activities, candle lighting, free admission to the exhibitions, and a light projection.
25 February, the memorial day instituted in remembrance of the Hungarian victims of communism by the first Orbán government, marks the abduction by the Soviets of member of parliament Béla Kovács (1908–1959). Béla Kovács was the general secretary of the Independent Smallholders’ Party, the party that won the first (and for decades, the last) free elections in Hungary after WWII. Kovács was famous for his courage to stand up against the Soviet-backed authoritarian left and inspired many to resist the Communists.
The museum shared a statement highlighting that on Monday well-known athletes, actors, musicians, and singers including iconic pop star Ákos (Ákos Kovács), and singer and songwriter Zséda (Zsédenyi Adrienn) will lead special tours of the museum.
Between 20 and 23 February, the museum’s historians will hold presentations for secondary school students interested in history. During these sessions, students will be able to learn about the Sovietization in the Hungarian countryside after 1945, Communist propaganda posters, and the terror of the ÁVO (the State Protection Authority) between 1945 and 1956.
Historians will present the fate of János Brenner, a martyr of religious persecution, talk about the struggle of Béla Kovács, the former secretary-general of the Independent Smallholders’ Party (FKGP), against dictatorship, and discuss the essence of the Marxist–Leninist ‘renaissance’, the museum said in their press release.
In addition to unconventional history lessons, there will also be museum educational activities covering topics such as communist propaganda, forced labour, the world of ÁVO, show trials, and anti-communist resistance. Furthermore, students can also get acquainted with the museum’s new temporary exhibition titled ‘Great Crime Requires Great Ideal!’ during the museum educational activities.
On Sunday, 25 February, admission to the museum will be free, and visitors will also have a chance to commemorate the Hungarian victims of the communist dictatorship all day with candle lighting at the Heroes’ Wall in front of the museum. In the afternoon and evening, between 4 and 11pm, a light projection will be visible on the walls of the House of Terror Museum.
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Sources: Hungarian Conservative/House of Terror/MTI
