Mindennapi Sztálinváros: Ilona története
Everday Sztálinváros: The Story of Ilona

Summary/Abstract: This essay seeks to explore through the story of a woman how everyday life changed after 1956 in Sztálinváros, the first socialist city in Hungary. The woman (Ilona) came to Sztálinváros in 1950 and she was living in the Technikum residential district in the second half of the decade. In Sztálinváros the “temporary” barracks and the buildings of the Technikum district were considered slums, and this contributed to the widespread conviction among the people of Sztálinváros that in these parts of the city they were likely to encounter “deviants” and “profligates.” Sidewalks were left unfinished and plaster was missing from the buildings for years. Generally former residents of workers’ hostels, which were located on the far edges of the downtown area and were being closed down at the time, were given apartments in the Technikum, and they found themselves living in worse conditions than in their former dwellings. The story of Ilona, who was accused of prostitution and “crime against children” represents the everyday life of the residents of this so-called “prole” district.

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