A zászló színei, az etnikai kisebbségekhez tartozó sportolók és egy sportújságíró elítélése a kommunista Romániában. A Max Bănuş-ügy
The Colors of the Flag, Ethnic Minority Athletes, and the Condemnation of a Sports Journalist in Communist Romania: the Case of Max Bănuş

Summary/Abstract: Sport was a field in which the political and social issues of the communist regime were reflected. Thus, the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 also had an impact on the sports environment even in Romania. With a large Hungarian ethnic community, Romania sought to send a signal regarding the attempt of Hungarian citizens to overthrow the communist regime. Such a case, seemingly arising out of nothing, was about to escalate dramatically. In the summer of 1958, on the cover of the “Stadion” magazine, the Romanian athlete of Hungarian ethnicity, Zoltán Szabó, appeared in white attire with vertical red, white, and green colors instead of blue, yellow, and red. It was a technical printing limitation of the magazine, but in the context of the time, it was perceived as an act of betrayal by Max Bănuş, the secretary-general of the magazine. From here, an almost unbelievable case erupted, at the end of which the journalist was sentenced to eight years in prison. The article reconstructs this case using the memoirs of the former journalist, as well as the files compiled by the communist authorities to condemn Max Bănuş.

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