Washington sacrificed the lads of Pest for the Suez Canal in 1956; we cannot let Brussels sacrifice the unity of Europe and the future of Europe for a few million immigrants, Antal Rogán said at the opening of the new ’56 exhibition of the House of Terror Museum.
In the words of the Minister heading the Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister, Brussels’ flawed immigration policy is responsible for the corrosion of European unity. The outcome of the British EU referendum, too, demonstrates that Brussels cannot turn its back on national sovereignty, he added. He pointed out: the Hungarians want a renewed Europe that respects the nations and their independence, and „we must relay this message to Brussels” with the determination of our 1956 heroes.
„We, Hungarians know what freedom means because we fought for it.” It means that every nation has the right to decide its own fate. The nations of Europe, too, have that right, the politician stressed. He reiterated that the revolutionaries of 1956 were building their own future, and through theirs, our present, when they fought for the future of Hungary and Europe.
Mr Rogán said: „this nation that is rather prone to dissension” usually demonstrates an example of unity and courage when it sees its freedom and independence in danger. This is what the Hungarians wanted to reclaim in 1956 as well, so that „we have a Hungarian life once again, instead of a Russian life”.
The revolution was crushed, but it was victorious nonetheless because by holding onto its hidden, but well-protected memory, its heirs eventually achieved a change of regime and made clear who was on the side of freedom and the country in ’56, and who was on the side of those who turned their assault rifles on their fellow-countrypeople, Mr Rogán said.
He stressed that the first civic government established the House of Terror Museum because „we are the ones who do not want to erase the past, but want to understand it, want to gain strength from it and want to learn from it”, bowing our heads before the heroes and the victims, whilst identifying and not forgetting the culprits and their deeds.
Describing the exhibition now opened as a time machine which allows the visitor to acquaint himself with the events that took place sixty years ago as precisely as possible, Mr Rogán said: the anniversary also presents us with an occasion to step beyond the daily party political thrusts, and „to celebrate 1956 as a beautiful and glorious common national memory which also conveys the reassuring sensation of victory”.
Historian Mária Schmidt, founder and Director General of the House of Terror Museum said at the event regarding the exhibition using virtual reality (VR) technology as a novel feature even in Europe: the wall between the past and the present has never been this hard and thick. 1956 is just as distant an event for students as 1848.
She remarked: in 1956 the Hungarians had a single united will, or else they would not have been able to write world history. „Everyone in this country was a hero, many of them against their will”, be those those who engaged in the fights, those who looked after them, or those who supported them with their prayers.
According to the information posted on the website of the House of Terror Museum, the visitors of the new exhibition A United Will 1956-2016 may experience the most important moments of the revolution from close quarters: by putting on VR glasses, they may share an unparalleled adventure.
So far we could only imagine how dramatic, terrifying or, for that matter, uplifting the ’56 street fights, a farewell for life, the interment of fellow-fighters or an interrogation must have been. Now, however, with the aid of virtual reality, everything becomes real. We may relive and become a part of the most decisive moments of Hungarian history with six short films as never seen before in Hungary: events are taking place next to us, in front of us, behind us, above us and under us. It is as if we were there with them, the revolutionaries, the lads of Pest, the heroes of 1956, the description of the exhibition organised on the basis of the concept of Director General Mária Schmidt and Programme Director Gábor Tallai reads.
György Pálfi, one of Hungary’s best known film directors was responsible for the lifelike presentation of events and the awe-inspiring spectacle. The films feature well-known Hungarian actors such as Zsolt Trill and Dénes Száraz.
(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister)
