Luxury and the ruling elite in socialist Hungary : villas, hunts, and soccer games / György Majtényi, translated by Thomas Cooper.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Majtényi, György, author.

Contributor:

Cooper, Thomas, translator.

Series:

Studies in Hungarian History

Standardized Title:

K-vonal. English

Language:

English

Hungarian

Subjects (All):

Elite (Social sciences)--Hungary.

Elite (Social sciences).

Power (Social sciences)--Hungary.

Power (Social sciences).

Wealth--Hungary.

Wealth.

Hungary--Politics and government--1945-1989.

Hungary.

Hungary--Social conditions--1945-1989.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (366 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Bloomington, Indiana : Indiana University Press, [2021]

Summary:

"After World War II, a new community of elite emerged in Hungary, in spite of the communist principles espoused by the government. In Luxury and the Ruling Elite in Socialist Hungary, György Majtenyi allows us a peek inside their affluence. Majtenyi exposes the lavish standard of living that the higher echelon enjoyed, complete with pools, Persian rugs, extravagant furniture, servants, and groundskeepers. They shopped in private stores stocked with expensive meats and tropical fruits just for them. They benefited from access to everything from books, telephone lines, and international travel to hunting grounds, soccer games, and even the choicest cemetery plots. But Majtenyi also reveals the underbelly of such society, particularly how these privileges were used as a way of maintaining power, initiating or denying entry to party members, and strengthening the very hierarchies that communism promised to abolish. Taking readers on a fascinating and often surprising look inside the manor homes and vacation villas of wealthy post-World War II Hungarians, Majtenyi offers fresh insight into the realities of patriarchy, loyalty, gender, and class within the communist regime"-- Provided by publisher

Contents:

In the Manor House: A New Elite is Born

The C(adre) Line: Consumer Habits

Tradition and Innovation: the Hunt for Concordance

Meetings Between the System and Its People

Luxury: Public and Semi-Public Spaces

Stain on the Blue Sofa: Luxury and the Elite.

Notes:

Translated from the original Hungarian into English.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780253055910

0253055911

9780253055934

0253055938

OCLC:

1178868633