Series Description1212
Original cassettes were digitized in 2019.
The video collection consists of over three thousand hours of raw, unedited video footage. It was created by the independent media group Black Box between 1988 and 1996, methodically covering the years before, during and after the regime change in Hungary.
The video collection consists of over three thousand hours of raw, unedited video footage. It was created by the independent media group Black Box between 1988 and 1996.
Black Box was methodically filming at all possible places to document the changes in Hungary. With hand-held VHS and S-VHS cameras, its crews were filming political, social and cultural events; meetings and protests for freedom and independence organized by the still unofficial opposition parties like the Alliance of Free Democrats [SZDSZ] or the Alliance of Young Democrats [FIDESZ]; repressed church gatherings; formation of new parties and trade unions, independent from the communist state's cultural and political civil organizations.
A substantial amount of the Black Box footage document the waves of mass protest against the construction of the hydroelectric power plants at Gabčíkovo-Nagymaros. The anti-power plant demonstrations of 1988-1989, organized by Duna Kör (Danube Circle) attracted thousands of civilians. This is the first and biggest environmental protection issue-related mass movement in Hungary. The protests lead to the abortion of the construction of the dam at Nagymaros, close to Visegrád, today a UNESCO world heritage site – and triggered the regime change in Hungary.
This uncensored Black Box video collection constitutes an unprecedented audio-visual record of the transition from a communist party state to a pluralist and democratic Hungary. The video material, which is only available at the Open Society Archives [OSA], is a unique source of information for historians, sociologists, environmental studies students, political science experts, media researchers, just as for media artists and students.
Fragile, over 20 years old VHS and S-VHS analogue video recordings in single copies. Digital set is available.
The processing of the material is done in chronological order. As of February 2015 year 1988 is completed and the finding aid is published on OSA web.
Series Description1212
Original cassettes were digitized in 2019.
The video collection consists of over three thousand hours of raw, unedited video footage. It was created by the independent media group Black Box between 1988 and 1996, methodically covering the years before, during and after the regime change in Hungary.
The video collection consists of over three thousand hours of raw, unedited video footage. It was created by the independent media group Black Box between 1988 and 1996.
Black Box was methodically filming at all possible places to document the changes in Hungary. With hand-held VHS and S-VHS cameras, its crews were filming political, social and cultural events; meetings and protests for freedom and independence organized by the still unofficial opposition parties like the Alliance of Free Democrats [SZDSZ] or the Alliance of Young Democrats [FIDESZ]; repressed church gatherings; formation of new parties and trade unions, independent from the communist state's cultural and political civil organizations.
A substantial amount of the Black Box footage document the waves of mass protest against the construction of the hydroelectric power plants at Gabčíkovo-Nagymaros. The anti-power plant demonstrations of 1988-1989, organized by Duna Kör (Danube Circle) attracted thousands of civilians. This is the first and biggest environmental protection issue-related mass movement in Hungary. The protests lead to the abortion of the construction of the dam at Nagymaros, close to Visegrád, today a UNESCO world heritage site – and triggered the regime change in Hungary.
This uncensored Black Box video collection constitutes an unprecedented audio-visual record of the transition from a communist party state to a pluralist and democratic Hungary. The video material, which is only available at the Open Society Archives [OSA], is a unique source of information for historians, sociologists, environmental studies students, political science experts, media researchers, just as for media artists and students.
Fragile, over 20 years old VHS and S-VHS analogue video recordings in single copies. Digital set is available.
The processing of the material is done in chronological order. As of February 2015 year 1988 is completed and the finding aid is published on OSA web.