Memento Park
Watch the video on Youtube.
Revisionist, whitewashing of history is a practice as old as civilization; it goes as far back as the ancient Egyptians. Not so in Hungary! After the revolution, on October 23, 1989, that overthrew the Communist government, Hungarians collected all the Communist era statues from around Budapest and put them in a park, just outside of town, for preservation and remembrance. All the statues, but one – but more on that later.
Judit with her partner runs the park as a tourist attraction, and a place of remembrance for anybody interested in that part of history. Hear in her own words what the park means and why it is important to remember. If you are ever in Budapest you must go see Memento Park. The iconography and the propaganda is so clear even in the stone monuments.
Reflection questions:
- Why is it important to preserve history, even the unflattering part of history?
- How do you communicate ideology through statues, buildings, and public works?