HISTORICAL POLICY AND MEMORIAL CULTURE OF MODERN HUNGARIAN SOCIETY

Abstract

This study analyzes the current memory policy in modern-day Hungary during the early 2020s. The author studies the role and place of intellectual communities as the main spaces of the genesis of memory and the functioning of memorial cultures and collective historical memory in modern social and political thought of Hungary. The article demonstrates that the intellectual community, as a systemic component of contemporary Hungarian society, plays a vital role in developing and transforming memorial culture. Additionally, Hungarian intellectual agents of historical memory politics and shapers of various memorial cultures engage in a spectrum of memorial practices that range from historical revisionism to attempts to create a liberal memorial canon. Thirdly, the memorial practices of the modern intellectual community are linked to the development of nationalist discourse, represented by ethnic and civic nationalisms. Besides, the participation of intellectuals in memorial politics actualizes the political and ideological heterogeneity of modern Hungarian society, contributing to the simultaneous development and competition of various forms of historical memories, stimulating memorial confrontations and memory wars. It is assumed that the role of society in the historical politics of modern Hungary will increase, and intellectuals as memory activists will remain among the main active participants of memorial politics.