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THE ERA OF FREE-CULTURE: A DEMOCRATIC CULTURAL POLICY EXPERIMENT IN HUNGARY (1945–1949)
Abstract
In Hungary, after World War II, a democratic political system was tried to be built. This change meant in the field of culture and education, the society was given the opportunity to self-organisation and self-activity. That was the era of Free-Culture. Earlier, between the two world wars, in the era of the adult education and general education was controlled centrally. Cultural programs were primarily organised by state organs and functionaries. After 1945, however, society took it over. Even in the smallest villages, social associations were established, which had general education, and adult education activities tailored to the local inhabitants' interests and demands. Certain co-ordination was also required in the field of cultural life for the sake of program harmonisation, hiring performers and presenters, ensuring appropriate standard of various training forms, and the allocation of available financial resources. This function was fulfilled by a dual institution system, i.e. a state and a social organisation, in close co-operation. The Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs nominated free-cultural officials in each county, village, town, and city to ensure the required co-ordination and quality control. But in addition to them, in the counties, villages, towns, and cities, there were free-cultural councils set up from elected persons operating, which represented the local inhabitants' endeavours. At national level, the councils' work was synchronised by the National Free-Cultural Council, which was an independent, non-governmental organisation. The new system made it possible to create manifold, effervescent cultural life with the active participation of the inhabitants, and to have the option of having some form of general education and adult education even in the smallest village. A few years later, after 1949, political democracy was replaced by communist dictatorship, what went hand in hand with the transformation of cultural life, as well as the introduction of centralised management and control of culture and education.
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