#transmodern

The aim of my presentation is to introduce the brief history of Dunaújváros, the first Socialist model town in Hungary and represent the utopian architectural idea behind its construction with the highlights on the political effects. In my research at first I investigated the socialist utopian idea of the Stalinist Russia, the Soviet Union and Hungary, then focused on what made Dunaújváros the model town of the Hungarian Socialism. The very first plans had some modern aspects, then these transformed into a cleaner socialist realist style under the political pressure. I went through several documents from the 1950s to the 1970s: political statements about the expected architectural style, original plans of some buildings, memoirs of architects and contemporary press. I compared the plans with the results and got some conclusions on what caused the differences, how the plans were changing continually as the political system softened in the course of time. I chose one building to represent in detail those characteristics which had to be changed in order to be more socialist realists – it is the Dózsa Picture Theatre by György Szrogh.

The presentation was given on 28th April in Berlin at the conference Utopias and Realities: Socialist Modernism organized by: Translations of Modernism & Collegium Hungaricum Berlin.

More info and registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/utopias-and-realities-socialist-modernism-tickets-24675038705