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an old black and white photo of a group of people standing around a dead man
Jeschke Jádi Auctions Berlin

1439 - Hungarian Revolution 1956 Photograph of a man who was lynche…
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Estimate €200 - €300
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Description
Hungarian Revolution 1956 Photograph of a man who was lynched during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Budapest, 1956. Dimensions: 24 x 18 cm. The photograph was taken in connection with the siege of the Party headquarters in Budapest on Köztársaság tér (now John Paul II Square) on 30 October 1956. It is one of the defining moments of the uprising. The insurgents laid siege to the headquarters of the Budapest Party Committee of the Hungarian Workers’ Party (MDP) after rumours had spread that the defenders, including units of the State Security Service (ÁVH), were holding prisoners. According to the sociologist Gyula Kozák, the main motive was the bloodbath outside the Parliament building on 25 October. Added to this were the actual and symbolic overthrow of the old rulers, the seizure of the guards’ weapons, and the search for the guards and prison officers who were protecting the party building. Tanks sent in as reinforcements also fired on the building by mistake. Afterwards, the defenders surrendered following hours of fighting. Subsequently, several defenders outside the building fell victim to mob justice. Two bodies were hung upside down from trees in the square by the crowd and desecrated. Foreign correspondents documented this in photographs and on film. The lynching is regarded as the darkest chapter of the revolution, a blemish that tarnished its hitherto unblemished image. This is largely attributable to the subsequent propaganda of the Kádár regime, which focused almost exclusively on this single event – or a rewritten version of it. One photograph in particular, showing a kick being delivered to a dead body hanging upside down, was exploited for propaganda purposes, even in school textbooks. It gave the impression that a living person was being tortured to death. The lot on offer is therefore a highly controversial historical document that reflects how the images from 1956 were dealt with in both the East and the West. Hungarian Revolution 1956 – Photograph of a lynching victim during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Budapest, 1956. – The photograph was taken in connection with the siege of the Budapest party headquarters on Köztársaság tér (now Pope John Paul II Square) on 30 October 1956, one of the defining events of the uprising. The insurgents laid siege to the headquarters of the Budapest Committee of the Hungarian Working People’s Party (MDP) after a rumour spread that the defenders, including units of the State Security Authority (ÁVH), were holding prisoners. According to the sociologist Gyula Kozák, the main motives were the bloodbath outside the Parliament building on 25 October. In addition, there was the actual and symbolic overthrow of the old rulers, the seizure of the guards’ weapons, and the search for the guards and prison officers protecting the party building. Tanks dispatched to relieve the building also fired on it by mistake. After hours of fighting, the defenders surrendered. Subsequently, several defenders were lynched in front of the building. Two bodies were hung upside down from trees in the square by the crowd and desecrated. Foreign correspondents documented the scene in photographs and on film. The lynching is regarded as the darkest chapter of the revolution, a stain that tarnished its hitherto unblemished image. This is largely due to the subsequent propaganda of the Kádár regime, which focused almost exclusively on this single event – or a rewritten version of it. One photograph in particular, showing a kick being delivered to the body hanging upside down, was used for propaganda purposes, even in school textbooks. It gave the impression that a living person was being tortured to death. The lot on offer is therefore a historical document of great sensitivity, reflecting how the images of 1956 were treated in both the East and the West. This lot is subject to standard tax. A 24.95% buyer’s premium is payable on the hammer price, and 7% (Books and Art) or 19% VAT (Manuscripts, Screenprints, Offset Prints, Photographs) is payable on the final invoice amount within the European Union. This lot is subject to standard taxation. A 24.95% buyer’s premium applies to the hammer price, and 7% (books and art) or 19% VAT (manuscripts, screen prints, offset prints and photographs) applies to the final invoice amount within the European Union.
See original version (German)
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About the sale Valuable books, prints, historical photographs
Auction location
Auction time 10/24/2026 at 10:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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