1956: Hungarian Revolution - a Tool for constructing History

Abstract
The Hungarian revolution of the 1956 has been and still is a highly discussed topic in
political history. Despite the fact that this significant uprising is part of the Cold-War period,
it is still being used today as a valuable tool for using history. Based on the theory, discussed
by Klas-Gran Karlsson in Public uses of History in Contemporary Europe, this paper
questions the evolving importance and applications of 1956 as a significant landmark of both
Hungarian and Cold War history within contemporary Europe. The main argument is built
around the conceptual understanding of the events of the Hungarian revolution through the
lenses of two different political parties, the socialists and Fidesz. The paper is structured in
the following way: First, it starts with a short introduction. Second, the historical background
is explained. Third, the different perspectives of perception and the application of these
events in a political way by the two parties mentioned above is examined. The paper then
closes with a conclusion which summarizes its findings.

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primary source:

Terror museum of Budapest