Programs Commemorating the 1956 Revolution at the House of Terror Museum

Hungary Today 2023.10.17.

The week-long series of events at the House of Terror Museum has begun: from Monday, on the occasion of the national holiday of October 23, the heroes and victims of the 1956 Revolution and War of Independence will be remembered with guided tours, history lessons, candle-lighting, and light painting, reports Magyar Nemzet.

The House of Terror Museum said that all day on Monday, well-known sportsmen, actors, musicians, and singers gave guided tours to secondary school pupils. During the exhibition, the celebrities recalled their family memories of the totalitarian dictatorships and the 1956 revolution, and told young people about their own experiences, impressions, and the significance of the events.

The Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Photo via Fortepan

From Tuesday to Friday, the House of Terror Museum is hosting a series of special history lessons for secondary school students, entitled “We will tell you so you know” (Elmondjuk, hogy tudd!).

Historians will introduce young people to the everyday life of the 1956 revolution, its heroes, its international context, and its aftermath.

The lectures will also focus on Péter Mansfeld, one of the youngest heroes of the 1956 revolution and freedom struggle, the attempts to erase the memory of 1956 during the Kádár era, Ilona Tóth, a martyr of the revolution, and the last resistance fighters of 1956, the armed freedom fighters known as the Invisible Resistance Fighters of the Mecsek Hills.

Fact

The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (October 23 – November 4, 1956), also known as the Hungarian Uprising, was an attempted countrywide revolution against the government of the Hungarian People’s Republic (1949–1989) and the policies caused by the government’s subordination to the Soviet Union (USSR). The uprising lasted 12 days before being crushed by Soviet tanks and troops on November 4, 1956. Thousands were killed and wounded, and nearly a quarter-million Hungarians fled the country.

Since 2008, the House of Terror Museum has been organizing extraordinary history lessons, and in the 15 years since then, more than 400 extraordinary history lessons have been held, with the participation of nearly 26,000 students.

They also pointed out that on October 23, the museum will be open to the public free of charge, from 10.00 to 18.00, as usual.

In addition to the permanent exhibition, visitors will also have the opportunity to see the new temporary exhibition “It Takes a Great Ideal to Produce a Great Crime!”, presenting the work of Hungarian-American artist and painter, Sam Havadtoy.

Photo via MTI/Hegedüs Róbert

Visitors will be able to remember the heroes and victims of the Revolution of 1956 and War of Independence by lighting candles at the Wall of Heroes in front of the museum throughout the day, and on Sunday the 22nd and Monday the 23rd, the walls of the House of Terror will be decorated with light painting.

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Via Magyar Nemzet, Featured image via Facebook/Terror Háza Múzeum / House of Terror Museum