The 1956 revolution was a defining event in Hungary’s 20th-century history, where Hungarians rose up against the Soviet occupation and dictatorship. The revolt began with peaceful protests by university students, and later grew into an armed uprising, which was eventually crushed by invading Soviet forces. Today, October 23 is a national holiday in Hungary.
In the following video made by the university’s Directorate for Communication and Event Management, then-and-now pairs of photographs show the locations in Budapest and relating to the university where major events took place. The leaders of the university speak about the connections between the university and the events of the revolution, as well as the message of 1956. In addition to rector Dr. Béla Merkely, the deans of all six faculties are featured in the video.
The video was sent in a letter to all university citizens by rector Merkely and chancellor Dr. Lívia Pavlik, in which, remembering the heroes of 1956, they thanked all the university citizens who are taking part in the fight against the coronavirus, as heroes of today.
