Diametrically Opposed? Survival and Revival Chances of an Interwar Folk Culture Movement Under Communist Dictatorship in Hungary
Diametrically Opposed? Survival and Revival Chances of an Interwar Folk Culture Movement Under Communist Dictatorship in Hungary

Summary/Abstract: During the interwar period, Hungary had a well-established movement dedicated to preserving and showcasing peasant culture. Known as Gyöngyösbokréta (Pearly Bouquet, 1931–1948), it was initially framed as a tourist attraction but soon developed into a campaign to protect the enduring cultural heritage of the peasantry. For political and nation-(re)building purposes, it was supported by the government, regarded both as a source of “cultural supremacy” and as part of the revisionist program of a country reduced to a fraction of its former size. Under the communist regime (1945–1989), however, the leadership not only prohibited continuation of this heritage work but also introduced a new program: communist folk ensembles, designed to be “diametrically opposed” to Gyöngyösbokréta. This article examines the consequences of the communist dismantling of earlier frameworks for presenting folk heritage, as well as the strategies used by the eliminated movement and its members to survive and revive. It also explores how communities engaged in safeguarding folk culture – in Hungary and abroad – adapted, and how their practices evolved under uncertain sociopolitical conditions. A key finding is the movement’s resilience in Vojvodina (today’s Serbia), where it adapted and persisted within a non-democratic system as a festival that continues today.

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