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Ungváry, Krisztián
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3 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.
Fidesz blocks access to secret service files
Hungary's right-wing conservative governing alliance Fidesz-KDNP on February 20 rejected a bill presented by the opposition green party LMP on opening the files of the former communist secret service to the public. The historian Krisztián Ungváry voices his disapproval in the media portal Komment: "In the past twenty years all of the political parties have been equally responsible for the fact that Hungarian society must live with lies and is unable to investigate its own past. ... You really have to wonder why the governing parties are blocking public access to the secret service files while at the same time making the creation of a day of commemoration for the victims of communism such a personal issue. .. One can't avoid the impression that the impressive anti-communist gestures on the part of the governing parties are motivated by political interests rather than by moral concerns."
» full article (external link, Hungarian)
More from the press review on the subject » History, » Remembrance culture, » Politics, » Hungary
The Stasi past of scientists and scholars
People who have been exposed as former Stasi spies usually justify their actions by claiming they were forced to collaborate. Holding up renowned scientists and scholars as an example, historian Krisztian Ungvary argues that in actual fact they did have a certain amount of freedom of action. He points out that when historians György Ranki and Ferenc Glatz and the literary scholar Mihaly Szegedy-Maszak simply refused to collaborate with the Stasi, this had no severe repercussions for their careers. Historian Karoly Vigh, on the other hand, was quite willing to spy on his famous colleague, Domokos Kosary. "The files contain many reports that prove there weren't only traitors, but also courageous people under the dictatorship. Numerous accounts that show how the Kadar regime [Janos Kadar was leader of the communist party from 1956 to 1988] worked have been recorded for posterity. Sooner or later they will come to light. It lies in the interest of Hungarian society that the perpetrators and victims of these accounts be made known."
» full article (external link, Hungarian)
More from the press review on the subject » History, » Hungary
The Catholic Church and the past of its members
A few weeks ago historian Krisztian Ungvary exposed Bishop Laszlo Paskai as a former informer for the political police and triggered a violent debate. He summarises: "People quite rightly never stopped demanding that not only former informers but also their commanding officers be unmasked. The silence of bishops who still insist on protecting their oppressors is preventing this. Only they are in a position to finally expose people who play leading roles in politics and the economy today. Many still carry the burden of dictatorship and continue to obey the orders they were once given. By telling their stories, they could free themselves from the bondage of dictatorship ... A number of spectacular cases have proven that society is willing to forgive them."
» more information (external link, Hungarian)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Hungary
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