Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Germany

Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany: 20 Days in Eastern Europe

Monday, July 12, 2010

Just a few thoughts...



My mind and body are struggling to recuperate from the past three weeks. Attempting to reflect and accurately present my thoughts, which have yet to take form, is proving to be quite challenging. However, I will try:



Our mission was to examine the complexity of communism during the Soviet regime and to study the media’s role in its ultimate collapse. Our findings proved that our scope was quite narrow.


Upon our arrival, we were welcomed with a grim glimpse of what may have been before the year 1989. Various shades of grey cascaded the scenery. It was cold and damp. As we progressed toward the center city of Budapest, large unadorned and austere buildings came into view. They were tall and rectangular with uniformed square windows. I wondered if they were the communal quarters where people were assigned to live.


As we traversed through the bleak landscape, I thought to myself, how appropriate of an introduction into our journey it was. I felt it illustrated the depraved state in which encompassed the lives of millions. I, myself, knew nothing of this profound period in history.


I was born during its final years. My life, as I know it, was untouched from the harsh, adulterating era of the communist regime. Separated by time and distance, I was unscathed. The rest of the students were born between 1989 and 1991. I thought this trip, especially for the undergraduates, was symbolic. The same years that marked the beginning of their lives also signified, essentially, a rebirth for those who were held captive behind the Iron Curtain.


The trip was too short, yet at the same time, too long. It was an intensive and enlightening experience. We were given the opportunity to speak with individuals whose perspectives far surpassed what ours could ever be. Between meetings with a dissident Hungarian musician, political scientists, a former Communist Party member, journalists reporting from the East, and educational tours to radio stations and museums, we had multiple platforms to receive information. In addition, the collaboration of the faculty and the accompanying guests provided us with a plethora of resources to build on our inchoate understanding.


The first three weeks were a crash course into the principles and ideologies behind communism. Having this background knowledge as the foundation for our learning, everything that followed advanced our understanding. Being in the setting where fifty years of oppression occurred helped what I’ve heard and read through texts and lectures materialize into the reality of what was. The chilling and ominous audio and visual displays in the Terror House evoked a sickening feeling, which ran through me. The ’56 Institute and its images enabled me to recognize the calculating nature of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. The stories that were shared by individuals whom we were scheduled to meet as well as from those whom we just met in passing expanded my knowledge.


I realized that we must be careful to not become desensitized of the realities of the past. There is a great significance in seeing the places where people were tortured and killed. We must be careful to not forget the casualties and not lose sight of how people, whether they are disillusioned or psychotic, are capable of doing the most horrific of things.


The past three weeks broadened my perspective immensely. I realized that each Soviet bloc country had its own unique story. Depending upon the culture of each country as well as the leadership in the Kremlin and the party head in each country, there were various degrees of oppression throughout each country. For instance, Czechoslovakia liked the socialist system. They just wanted to reform it into “communism with a human face.” The Prague Spring of 1968 was a peaceful demonstration. Likewise, the Solidarity movement in Gdansk was a peaceful resistance with improved workers’ rights as its platform.


The pervasive nature of the corrupt system penetrated all aspects of people’s lives. However, some societies were more tolerant and optimistic of the system than others. For many, it gave them a sense of security. Yet, some wanted to preserve their culture.


The impact of the radio and other media outlets was not as instrumental as we initially hypothesized. Prior to our departure, we had the notion that Radio Free Europe was a beacon for disseminating the truth to the Eastern bloc. However, the conversations that we had with many individuals illuminated the fact that RFE was not considered very credible.


Throughout our journey, we realized that other factors, both internal and external, were profoundly influential in the demise of the system. The leadership, or lack thereof, presented a stronger case for the collapse. A disregard for economics was a key factor. In addition, the system was weak. Its use of force was its only prevailing strength to keep the masses under control. Dissident behavior, whether in the form of an uprising or in a peaceful demonstration, was met with suppression. Relinquishing the reins in the slightest manner could result in a domino effect, which the Party could not risk.


The amount of information, which I gathered over the past six weeks, is overwhelming. The challenge that I face, now, is to decompress and organize my thoughts and notes into a comprehensive paper. But, beyond my thesis paper, what I am appreciative of is the experience. The knowledge and perspective that I now hold will remain with me. I look forward to enlightening others who are unaware. This course and trip exemplifies why I want to be a journalist: to surpass my own literal and figurative borders by immersing in the cultures and lives of others with the purpose to expand my knowledge as well as others’.


- Ashley E. Hotham

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