Jean, you get here in a few days, so let me maybe add a bit of balance to this discussion. If someone were to go to Prague or Budapest and go away with a heavy and dark feeling, then the tour director didn’t do a good job. Yes, you absolutely should have those feelings as part of the overall. But your take away emotions should also be about where they are and where they can still go.
I will talk about Budapest, because it’s the only place I know anything about. Remember I am not Hungarian; I am just here on an extended holiday.
Hungary’s involvement in World War II took 5 of its 1000 years history and absolute atrocities occurred. The Hungarian people have recognized that, and the Hungarian people haven’t swept it under the rug. To forget is to repeat and they seem certain not repeating. As a result, reminders exist, both private and government funded, all over town, its taught in school and the government continues to recognize the wrongs while looking for direction.
How do you build monuments celebrating change and the success? How do you memorialize Hungary being one of the two safest and most prosperous countries in Europe for their Jewish population? How do you memorialize the growth in the Jewish population? If you are here on a Saturday, I encourage you to go to service in a synagogue. See hope and life and prosperity. https://youtu.be/gSBolt88328?si=fshqBf0c7cBbvsLj
During the period of russian occupation the Hungarians fought back both in 1956 and daily. They refused to accept the most heavy-handed approaches of communism. As a result of the battle, communism here was much less oppressive. Communism here even had a name, gulyáskommunizmus (goulash communism). What was it like? In the ‘80s and ‘90s: https://youtu.be/0f6EykC9FEI?si=r9MMQJsEkVeL1Pvh
How do you memorialize what was once a fascist, socialist, communist country turning to constitutional democracy? Recently there were free elections resulting in the ruling party having to step aside after 16 years. There was no violence in the process or the aftermath. Most of Europe said it couldn’t and wouldn’t happen; it did. The Hungarians swore in their new PM Saturday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Glgeliokzew
Now if you didn’t have the worst of history drummed into you and you were to just wander the streets you would see nothing but the good part of a brilliant history. Most of everything you will see here was constructed between 1880 and 1940 and it reflects an extremely intelligent and well-educated, civil society. Most housing was constructed to include retail, working class and the wealthy under one roof. That is largely the case today.
You will note a large number of Asian tourists while here. I doubt they would come it not welcome … more surprisingly is that many that you are assuming are tourists are probably locals as Hungary has the largest Asian population in Central Europe. They live comfortably and without fear in a predominately western society.
Not perfect here. A lot more progress is needed but it isn’t the dark traumatic period of WWII or russian occupation. So learn the history, so it isn’t repeated, but enjoy your visit and marvel in the progress.
