Workers' Militia
Poster
1989 (designed and printed)
1989 (designed and printed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This humorous poster, issued by the Alliance of Free Democrats in 1989, depicts a road sign that could be translated into words as 'beware falling members of the Workers' Militia'. An important point in Hungary's transition to democracy was the so called 'four-yes referendum' in the autumn of 1989. One of the questions voted on in the referendum was whether the Workers' Militia should be disbanded. The answer was an overwhelming 'yes' because this armed force was regarded a symbol of the oppression of the Kádár-regime that followed the failed 1956 revolution. The slate-grey uniformed and armed Workers' Militia was established in 1957 with the aim 'to defend the state of workers and peasants'. Service in this organisation, which replaced the special police force (karhatalom) of the former Rákosi-regime, was voluntary, but offered participants some carreer advantages.
The poster demonstrates the active participation of the Alliance of Free Democrats in the preparations for the referendum. Péter Pócs's image effectively translates the emotions of the Hungarian population into a visual idea full of sharp irony.
The poster demonstrates the active participation of the Alliance of Free Democrats in the preparations for the referendum. Péter Pócs's image effectively translates the emotions of the Hungarian population into a visual idea full of sharp irony.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Titles |
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| Materials and techniques | Offset lithograph in red and grey printed on paper |
| Brief description | Poster by Peter Pocs from the Pro-democracy Poster Collection. Hungary, 1989-1990. |
| Physical description | Poster |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Mücsarnok, Budapest, through Krisztina Jerger |
| Summary | This humorous poster, issued by the Alliance of Free Democrats in 1989, depicts a road sign that could be translated into words as 'beware falling members of the Workers' Militia'. An important point in Hungary's transition to democracy was the so called 'four-yes referendum' in the autumn of 1989. One of the questions voted on in the referendum was whether the Workers' Militia should be disbanded. The answer was an overwhelming 'yes' because this armed force was regarded a symbol of the oppression of the Kádár-regime that followed the failed 1956 revolution. The slate-grey uniformed and armed Workers' Militia was established in 1957 with the aim 'to defend the state of workers and peasants'. Service in this organisation, which replaced the special police force (karhatalom) of the former Rákosi-regime, was voluntary, but offered participants some carreer advantages. The poster demonstrates the active participation of the Alliance of Free Democrats in the preparations for the referendum. Péter Pócs's image effectively translates the emotions of the Hungarian population into a visual idea full of sharp irony. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.143-1991 |
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| Record created | March 2, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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