| Tartalmi leírás: |
The post-World War I period was characterized by a search for identity and a turning
towards the past, which, in Hungary’s case led to the (re)discovery of folk culture. The idea
to represent the popular traditions of the Hungarian peasantry was realized as part of the
Saint Stephen’s Day celebration in 1931 in Budapest, and in just a few years, these annual
performances of the popular dances and customs became a movement: the support of
the ministries allowed the movement’s leader to form an association which was joined by
a hundred groups from Greater Hungary.
Whereas the government saw the potential in this movement, these peasant groups
were soon given a representative role in the identity construction. At the same time, these
performances also served to preserve the endangered folk heritage. In a decade and a half,
the movement had an impact on fashion and tourism, as well as strengthening the idea
of revision.
In this article I aim to present the history of the Gyöngyösbokréta-movement and
highlight the mentality of the era regarding popular culture, the relationship between rural
Hungary and Budapest, the notion of heritage preservation and identity construction.
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