By 1948/49 all communist parties in the East-Central European countries being in the sphere of influence of the Soviet Union seized absolute power. The communist dictatorships following the Stalinist model set up the institutions of power. The party took total control over economy and society by destroying and annihilating traditional structures. State security organizations in the service of the communist power had leading role in this process.

In the middle of the Cold War such international organizations as the Cominform (1948), the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (1949) and the military block led by the Soviet Union as well as the establishment of the Warsaw Pact (1955) or the direct supervision and intervention through counsellors served to maintain Soviet influence.

During the conference, we would like to scrutinise the similarities and differences between the communist dictatorships in East-Central European countries regarding the implementation of Stalinism. We would like to describe the fields of life the dictatorship set under its control. Our special interest shall be inner-political changes and rearrangements of power. We also would like to consider how the remembrance of these issues is being shaped.

POWER SEIZED. EAST CENTRAL EUROPE RULED BY COMMUNIST PARTIES (1948–1956)

THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE SERIES: “REVOLUTION ACCOMPLISHED. COMMUNISTS IN POWER”

BUDAPEST, 3–4 OCTOBER 2019

PROGRAMME

Thursday, 3 October 2019

9.00 Opening of the conference

Panel I

9.30 Part I:

1. Mirosław Szumiło: The Communist Elite of Power in Poland and Czechoslovakia in the Period of Stalinism. An Attempt to Compare

2. Gábor Szilágyi: The Leadership of the Hungarian Working People’s Party, 1948–1953

3. Bartłomiej Kapica: Gomułka’s Ideologist. Władysław Bieńkowski and His Role in ’Rightist-nationalist Deviation’ Accusation in 1948–1955

   Discussion

   ‘Digital Histories of Communist Rule: East-Central Europe in the Files of the UK Foreign Office’ presentation by Joseph Kelly (Editorial Assistant, Digital Resources Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group)

   10.50 Coffee break

   11.20 Part II:

4. Detelina Dineva: The Bulgarian Communist Regime’s Policy against Its (Perceived) Opponents, 1948–1956

5. Enis Sulstarova: Resisting De-Stalinization. Communist Albania in the Years 1953–1956

6. Agata Domachowska: Albanian Opposition in Exile after World War II. Organization, Areas of Activities and Internal Divisions

   Discussion

   12.30 Lunch

   14.00 Part III.:

7. Marta Paszek: Influence of the Polish United Workers’ Party (PZPR) on Military Judges and their Judgements, 1948–1955

8. Barbara Bank: An Example of Communist Justice. The Strictly Confidential Legislative Decree No. 26 of 1950

9. István Ötvös: Illegal Proceedings and their Political Usage in Hungary

   Discussion

   15.10 Coffee break

   15.40 Panel II

10. Michal Przeperski: Ship without the Rudder. The Polish Journalism and the Attempt at Self-Correction of the System after 20th Congress of the CPSU

11. Paweł Sasanka: Authorities, Press and Journalists in Poland between the 20th CPSU Congress and October 1956

12. Domokos Szokolay: ’Whatever the Regime, Hungary Is Our Country.’ The Fate of Former Resisters and Middle-Class Hungarians after 1945

    Discussion

    16.50 Coffee break

    17.20 Panel III

13. Dániel József Hollósi: The Nationalization of the Hungarian Industry

14. Dániel Luka: Commissars in the Office in the Field? Transformation of Agricultural Administration in Hungary, 1945–1956

15. József Ö. Kovács: Liquidation of Traditional Peasant Societies in Hungarian and East-German Aspects

    Discussion

    18.30 Closing remarks

     

    Friday, 4 October 2019

    9:00 Opening words

    9:10 Panel IV:

16. Rafał Łatka: ’The One Who Survived’. Catholic Church in Poland in Stalinist Period in the Policy of Polish People’s Republic

17. Krasimira Todorova: The Show Trial against Evangelical Churches in Bulgaria in 1949

18. Viktor Attila Soós: Another Persecution against the Church. The Grősz Trial

19. Gergely Isó: Church Persecution from the Lutheran Point of View. The Situation of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Hungary between 1948 and 1956

    Discussion

    10:40 Coffee break

    11:10 Panel V

20. Kim Frederichsen: The Sovietization of Eastern Europe as Reflected in the Cultural Cold War

21. Anna Marcinkiewicz-Kaczmarczyk: ’What Does a Socialism Give Women?’ Soviet Patterns Disseminated by the Women's League in Polish People’s Republic during the Period from 1948–1956

22. Aleš Gabrič: Slovene Cultural Scene under the Soviet Influence

    Discussion

    12:20 Lunch

    13:50 Panel VI

23. Piotr Budzyński: The Real Masters of the Academy? Organizations of the Polish United Workers’ Party at Polish Universities during Stalinian Period

24. Dragomir Bondžić: The Communist Party of Yugoslavia and Belgrade University, 1945–1955

25. Arjan Shanini: The Sovietization of Albanian Education, 1948–1956

    Discussion

    15:00 Coffee break

    15:30 Panel VII

26. Jakub Tyszkiewicz: ’Soviet Related Matters’. U. S. Policy toward Poland and Other Communist Countries in Eastern Europe, 1948–1956

27. Jacek Tebinka: British Policy towards the Soviet Bloc Countries, 1948–1956. From Satellite States to the National Communism in Poland

28. Paweł Jaworski: Neutral during the Cold War? Sweden and the Soviet Satellites, 1948–1956

29. Aleksandar Zivotic: Stalinism without Stalin. Yugoslav (People’s) Army as the Backbone of Tito’s Regime, 1948–1954

    Discussion

    17:00 Closing the conference

     

    Conference-language is English.

    The conference is organized by The Institute of National Remembrance (Poland), The Committee of National Remembrance (Hungary), The Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes (Czech Republic) and The Nation’s Memory Institute (Slovakia).

    Contact: miroslaw.szumilo@ipn.gov.pl, gergely.iso@neb.hu