1956 Hungarian uprising: Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) commemorates 67th anniversary

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October 23rd marks the anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian uprising against the Soviet-controlled government of the Hungarian People’s Republic.

It was triggered by the shooting and killing by police officers of several students who had been seeking to broadcast their sixteen demands for political and economic reforms to civil society.

On November 4th 1956, Stalin ordered his troops into Budapest to put an end to the uprising. The subsequent repression, which lasted until November 10th, led to the deaths of 2,500 Hungarians and caused 200,000 Hungarians to seek political refuge abroad.

To mark the anniversary the Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) hosted its Brussels’ Inaugural Freedom Breakfast  in the shadow of the EU institutions, to discuss and commemorate the tragic events.

Hungarian Ambassador His Excellency Dr Tamás Iván Kovács (pictured above) welcomed guests to the event. He gave a brief introduction and explanation of the events surrounding the uprising, and showed a brief but compelling video compilation of news-reel clips showing the stark reality of the suffering inflicted by the Soviet troops.

The Ambassador handed the floor to Professor Frank Furedi, Executive Director, MCC Brussels, who had experienced first hand, as a young child, the uprising.

Professor Furedi, emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Kent and an accomplished author, shared with the audience his recollections of those tragic events.

He was to leave Hungary at the age of nine years.

Also speaking was Piotr Bernatowicz, Director, Ujazdowski Castle, Centre for Contemporary Art in Warsaw, who fearlessly defends artists’ freedom of expression.

Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) is the leading talent promotion institution in East Central Europe.

It has been operating since 1996 and offers public and free talent promotion programs from primary school to adult age.

MCC is also a knowledge centre: in addition to the training courses, it runs mobility programs, offers a wide range of scholarship programs for young people, publishes books and academic papers, organises international and national conferences and debates, and also plays a role in promoting democratic dialogue and shaping civilised public debate.

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