Half a year in prison for black marketeering – Hungary of the 1950s came to light

The decade following the Second World War was not easy in Hungary, and the excesses of the Rákosi regime further complicated the situation. We refer to the Rákosi era as the period between 1945 and 1956, when Mátyás Rákosi established a Stalinist-style totalitarian dictatorship in Hungary. He did this with Soviet assistance, and the period until the revolution was characterized by almost continuously increasing oppression. The disproportionate development of heavy industry and the military industry led to the impoverishment of the population. In agriculture, the period resulted in oddities such as the forced cultivation of cotton, rice, and citrus fruits, although the climate of the country was not really suitable for these crops. Towards the end of the Rákosi era, the years of requisitions and attic sweeps arrived, and those who were not willing to submit almost everything to the collective had to face severe retributions. Many may remember from the film "The Witness" that black ...