The main purpose and message of the exhibition Persecution of the Church under the Communist Dictatorship is to present how the victims connected to the churches survived the hardships of the era.
It shows how they managed to remain steadfast in the face of the carefully orchestrated campaign against them, while also emphasizing that they were ordinary people with different personalities who responded to the anti-church oppression of the dictatorship in different ways. The exhibition takes an ecumenical approach from a subjective perspective, as if visitors were reading the diary of a surviving member of the clergy.
Interactive Exhibition – Persecution of the Church between 1945 and 1990
“Communism is not merely a political party, but above all a worldview; it stands against religion, against God, against the human soul, against the Apostles’ Creed, against the Ten Commandments and morality. It kills, it robs, it fills prisons and Siberian labor camps. It degrades the individual, destroys the family, and turns the masses into a herd. (…) It is the cruelest system in history.”
(József Mindszenty)
The events of the Second World War shattered countless lives, bringing hopelessness and death. Yet few could have imagined that what followed would prove even more terrifying and inhumane for so many. Between 1945 and 1989, the attacks against the Christian churches of Central and Eastern Europe gave believing communities and church leaders an extraordinary instinct for survival. Remembering their witness is a moral obligation for future generations. We can draw strength, conviction, and perseverance from the faith that sustained their vocation and lives.
The permanent exhibition on the second floor of the Mindszentyneum is built upon this unwavering faith and inspired by the personal stories of those who suffered. It opens a shared “diary”, whose authors collectively look back on the events they endured. Their story speaks of carefully planned propaganda, secret religious life, surveillance, public humiliation, persecution, imprisonment, liberation, and remembrance.
(Pri)son Church
Using terror and intimidation, the communist dictatorship sought to eliminate religious life. It oppressed the historic churches and allowed them to function only under the shadow of prison bars, creating the illusion of cooperation while keeping them under constant surveillance.
At the entrance to the exhibition visitors are greeted by a giant “(Pri)son Church” installation, symbolizing the tragic martyrdom endured by the churches during the second half of the twentieth century.
Our Most Moving Highlights
Curator Zsuzsanna Bors-Bulbuk’s Favourite: Mechanisms of Survival
“Every time I walk through the exhibition, new details touch me. I take these thoughts home with me and reflect on them for days. In the second-to-last gallery, the unique survival mechanisms – or, if you will, the rules – that persecuted people developed to preserve their mental and spiritual well-being are particularly moving.
For this reason, Lutheran Bishop Lajos Ordass carved ten daily rules into his prison cell door, giving structure and purpose to his days in captivity. Benedictine Father Placid Olofsson also formulated his four principles for survival, while Piarist Father Ödön Lénárd, who spent eighteen years in prison, honestly recounts a real moment of panic that he experienced.
These ‘anchors’ are also reflected in the personal objects displayed within the columns of broken lives in the final gallery. Their power and impact remain extraordinary even today. I believe that God’s light is present in all of us – we simply need to turn toward it, and then we can find peace in every situation and under every circumstance.”
Church Historian Viktor Attila Soós’s Favourite: Personal Objects
KedvencünkPortraits of the Victims“The portraits of the victims – their faces and especially their eyes – are what stand out most to me in this exhibition. They represent different life stories, yet each of them endured suffering and hardship for Christ.”
“The personal belongings of Blessed János Brenner are especially meaningful to me because he was the first historical figure whose life I had the opportunity to study in depth. His life, dedication, courage, and heroism continue to inspire me. Through him, I found my vocation as a historian.”
