1848–49 emlékezeti paktuma a dualizmus korában

The study is an attempt of applying André Burguière’s notion of pacte mémoriel in the context of the historical representations of the revolution of 1848–1849 in Hungary from 1867 to 1914. The study argues that for grasping the complexity of the representations of certain figures and developments of the revolution in this period, the notion of pacte mémoriel appears more suitable than that of lieux de mémoire. This is mostly because the representations of this event had major political implications. To prove this thesis, I have examined a variety of sources from parliamentary debates during the 50th anniversary of the Revolution, historical syntheses as well as secondary school history textbooks, and finally, the private letters of Mór Jókai, who found himself in the most delicate situation as he had been an important figure of the revolution, but in his later life sided with those who aimed at maintaining the relationship with Austria. As it is shown, some of the presented historical actors used a language typically associated with establishing a pact when talking about the events of the revolution, and of what needs to be remembered and what needs to be forgotten to ensure the harmony of the nation and its coexistence with Austria.