"We can't build a parking lot without making the case for it – or against it – by referring to history. We are obsessed with history," explained Zsófia Kata Vincze. She went on to say that the government takes advantage of the public preoccupation with history to divert their attention from other issues that might be deserving of their attention such as the current economic crisis, decline in democracy, and widespread corruption. Vincze, who teaches in the Department of Ethnology at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) in Budapest, made her remarks during a walking tour of Szabadsag tér that the School of Public Policy at CEU organized on June 5 as part of its Annual Conference, the view from here: artists // public policy.
During the engaging two-hour tour, Vincze provided short histories and background information about some of the monuments on Szabadsag tér. She began at the Grail, a powerful Christian symbol of martyrdom. Vincze explained that Hungarian political narratives often intersect with the Christian narrative. The monument of the Grail commemorates those Hungarians who were executed in 1848. "The 1848 uprising was unsuccessful. We lost, but instead of figuring out why we lost, we decided to instead embrace the role of victim and martyr," she said. "We talk less about the policies that led to the losses. We focus instead on the sacrifice."
The monument to Harry Hill was the second stop on the tour, and a chance for Vincze to speak about the Treaty of Trianon: the event that some historians refer to as "the biggest national tragedy in Hungarian history." Hungary lost two-thirds of its territory as a result of this 1920 treaty. Harry Hill was an American general who became famous for defending Hungarian national treasures when he prevented Romanian soldiers from removing items from the National Museum in 1919. The monument to him was erected in 1936 and served, according to Vincze, to remind Hungarians and the world (especially the Americans) that "the Americans were on our side" during World War I. When the Communists occupied Hungary, they got rid of the symbols of Trianon, such as the monument to Harry Hill. Some monuments were demolished, while others were placed in storage. In 1989, the monument to Harry Hill was returned to its current position, as part of Hungary's preparations for the visit of U.S. President George Bush. It was a powerful reminder, according to Vincze, that "the U.S. had once been on our side." Vincze explained that Hungary owed the U.S. a lot of money in the late 1980s, money that it could not afford to pay back. "Maybe the reason for erecting this statue in this place at this time was to remind all Americans of the injustice that had happened to Hungary."
One of the other themes that came up repeatedly during the walking tour was ethnic nationalism. Vincze explained that this concern with ethnic nationalism can be seen in many ways: in the erection of statues to public figures who are known for their belief in ethnic national purity; the granting of citizenship to ethnic Hungarians who live outside Hungary; and in the placement of the flag of Transylvanian Seklerland (and not, e.g., the EU flag) on the Parliament.
Vincze described also how the government had centralized educational institutes and established several new academic organizations (such as the National University for Public Service and the VERITAS Institute) to regain control of the historical narrative that it claimed "had been hijacked and dominated by the left liberal academia." One of the things the current government has done is to work hard to establish the purity and innocence of Hungary during the 1930s, "to rehabilitate the regime of Admiral Horthy, who was regent of Hungary between 1920 and 1944, as part of the construction of a present national identity."
This background is essential to understanding the enormous and ongoing controversy surrounding the monument dedicated to the victims of Hungary's German occupation that was erected in July 2014. Since plans of the official monument became known, there has been a living memorial immediately in front of it consisting of hundreds of personal objects, mementos, written texts, performances, and academic talks. Many people participate in the living memorial include leading academics and scholars and the members of minority groups who suffered during World War II. What they share is a determination to challenge the government's effort to "whitewash its history."
The official monument shows Germany ("the ugly scary brutal eagle") attacking the innocent Archangel Gabriel. With its outstretched arms, it appears that Gabriel is not just being attacked, but is being crucified. The significance of each symbol was described in detail in a document issued by the Prime Minister's Office. The intention of the artist, according to this document, is to say, "we are not responsible for what happened during this time, we were the victim."
The facts, however, tell a very different story: that Hungary opened negotiations with Germany to regain territory and was later its ally. "We were fighting on Germany's side. Germany did not suddenly invade Hungary," said Vincze noting that Hungary had forced labor camps, and that it deported Jews beginning in 1941 – something that would not have happened without strong and enthusiastic support from the Hungarian administration in power at the time.
Vincze said that the most important thing to understand about the monument was that it had divided society – not between Jews and Hungarians, but between government and opposition forces. Although many Jewish individuals participate in the protests, the Jewish Federation officially does not. "They don't see this as a Jewish problem," explained Vincze, "but as the country's problem to be resolved through dialogue."
Another stop on the tour was the Obelisk, the symbol of the Soviet Army. This symbol too has divided Hungarian society. Vincze pointed out that Hungarian Jews were waiting "for the Soviet soldiers as the Messiah." For others, the Obelisk is a reminder of brutal Soviet occupation. "Until 2012, many people wanted to demolish this monument. Others thought it should stay." One of the reasons that the statue stands today is that there is now a statue of Ronald Reagan close by. It is a very complicated and dynamic situation, explained Vincze. These two statues represent – in a very simplistic way – Hungary's ambiguous relationship with the Russia, and with the United States. "No one is talking about demolishing the Obelisk anymore," she said.
Vincze concluded the walk by pointing out how important it is for people to face their history. "We need to honestly discuss our history if we want to build a democratic country that believes in equality and rejects the rhetoric of collective ethnic differentiation within the state," she said.