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The death of Stalin and the consolidation of the post-1956 Communist state gave the new regime under János Kádár freedom for manoeuvre. Living standards improved, and from 1968 there was a good deal of political and economic liberalisation with experiments in privatisation. This softer brand of state socialism was jokingly referred to as ‘goulash communism’. In the 1980s the Soviet Empire unravelled, and Hungary played a large part in the opening up of the border between East and West. Hungary’s transition from a one-party state to a mixed-economy democracy was relatively smooth and peaceful, although there has been a social cost for hill villagers who had depended on agricultural co-operatives or mining for their livelihood.

Village Life

Without playing down the bitterness felt by better-off smallholders who were forced to collectivise, agricultural co-operatives were often very successful enterprises with profitable spin-off activities. Villagers were guaranteed work in the co-operatives or in the nearby factories and mines. After the petty restrictions of the 1950s were lifted many householders had the opportunity to grow their own produce and rear livestock with fodder provided free by the co-operative. There were other positive aspects such as weekly voluntary work commitment (társadalmi munka) involving community projects. Village children were also deployed to collect litter and clear streams.