Workers' Militia
Poster
1989 (designed and printed)
1989 (designed and printed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The so called 'four-yes referendum' in the autumn of 1989 was an important stage in the transition to democracy in Hungary. One of the questions voted on in the referendum was whether the Workers' Militia should be dismissed. 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 career advantages.
The poster demonstrates the active participation of the Alliance of Free Democrats in the preparations of the referendum. The artist represents the Workers' Militia as a wolf-like set of false teeth, implying that the militia is an old organisation that belongs to the past.
The poster demonstrates the active participation of the Alliance of Free Democrats in the preparations of the referendum. The artist represents the Workers' Militia as a wolf-like set of false teeth, implying that the militia is an old organisation that belongs to the past.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Titles |
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| Materials and techniques | Offset lithograph in black and yellow printed on paper |
| Brief description | Poster by Krzysztof Ducki from the Pro-democracy Poster Collection. Hungary, late 1980s. |
| Physical description | Poster |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Mücsarnok, Budapest, through Krisztina Jerger |
| Summary | The so called 'four-yes referendum' in the autumn of 1989 was an important stage in the transition to democracy in Hungary. One of the questions voted on in the referendum was whether the Workers' Militia should be dismissed. 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 career advantages. The poster demonstrates the active participation of the Alliance of Free Democrats in the preparations of the referendum. The artist represents the Workers' Militia as a wolf-like set of false teeth, implying that the militia is an old organisation that belongs to the past. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.160-1991 |
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| Record created | March 2, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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