Unforgettable Icons: Freedom Fighters of 1956 Captured by Renowned Photographer
The Hungarian National Museum is launching a series of events to commemorate the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. The exhibition, titled “Among Freedom Fighters,” features photographs taken by renowned photographer John Sadovy during the revolution.
The exhibition is a collaboration between the museum, the National Committee of Remembrance, and Sadovy’s two daughters. It aims to honor the anniversary of the revolution and showcase the significant events that took place. Sadovy was only 31 years old when he captured the powerful images that documented the revolution.
One of the highlights of the exhibition is the collection of never-before-seen photographs, which provide a unique glimpse into the lives of freedom fighters and Budapest residents during the ceasefire. These images depict the reactions and experiences of armed rebels, unarmed civilians, adults, and children during the revolution.
On Saturday morning, Sadovy’s daughters, Liza Jane Sadovy and Yvonne Sadovy de Mitcheson, will conduct a special guided tour in English, offering visitors a deeper understanding of the exhibition.
In addition to the exhibition, the museum will also present a new book titled “Trapped in Hotel Astoria” on the anniversary of the revolution. The book tells the story of Herbert Frederick Rance, an English paper industry research engineer who stayed in Budapest during the revolution. It includes memoirs typed by Rance himself and 28 photographs taken by his colleague Heinz Corte. Rance’s family has generously donated these photographs to the Hungarian National Museum.
The book will be available for sale at a discounted price in the museum’s shop on Monday, along with a roundtable discussion featuring Katalin Bognár, a historian-museologist of the museum’s Historical Photographic Archives, Rolf Müller, a historian of the Historical Archives of the State Security Services, and Vilmos Gál, a historian-museologist of the museum’s Modern Age Department.
To conclude the program, Katalin Bognár, the curator of the Sadovy photograph exhibition, will conduct a guided tour on Monday afternoon.
On October 23, all the exhibitions at the National Museum, except the World Press Photo exhibition, will be open free of charge.
In addition to the events at the Hungarian National Museum, the House of Terror Museum will also be hosting programs to commemorate the 1956 Revolution. The museum will be open to the public free of charge on October 23 from 10.00 to 18.00.
The exhibitions and events serve as a reminder of the bravery and sacrifices made during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, and offer visitors a chance to reflect on an important chapter in Hungary’s history.
