Police photos never seen before showing Socialism in Hungary

Index.hu and 444.hu share an incredible photo collection of Fortepan of 670 pieces kept by the Budapest Archives. The photos were taken by the investigators of the Budapest Police Department during the Kádár era, 1959-1964, and show murders, suicides, robberies, burglaries and the witnesses, victims and places of political crimes in Budapest.

The photos show a sinister and unpleasant atmosphere, especially because, in most of the cases, the viewers can only guess what the story behind them is. What do the photos actually describe? What happened here? Who were these people?

The police documented the crimes of a punishing era; scenes of every day crimes, stolen iron materials, weapons hidden in houses, broken-in jewellery shops, and hideaways of thieves are recorded.

Button

Below, a gallery showing some of the 670 photos can be viewed, but anyone interested in the whole collection shall visit the site of Fortepan, lining up all photos of the collection.

: Possibly the reconstruction of a murder: the man with the hat interrogating the other sitting on the bed / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU.BFL.XV.19.c.10

: Investigators might be looking for a dead body in the Danube. Was it found? What happened? Murder, suicide or accident?/ Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU.BFL.XV.19.c.10

: Children found stealing food and drinks/ Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU.BFL.XV.19.c.10

: A broken car window: mischievious people must have found the car / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU.BFL.XV.19.c.10

: Burglers found the small traffic shop and entered through the window and gathered what they could / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU.BFL.XV.19.c.10

: Alcohol in the socks, bootlegging in the era / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU.BFL.XV.19.c.10

: Weapons found in a pit, hiding them was a major crime. But what were they used for? Murder, burglary, or hidden in case of a revolution?/ Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU.BFL.XV.19.c.10

: A crowd watching the scene of an accident, murder, or suicide from top of a railway embankment/ Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU.BFL.XV.19.c.10

: Two boys in a library room: perhaps they stole the typer the boy on the right was holding/ Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU.BFL.XV.19.c.10

: A man covered with tattoes, possibly waiting for the handcuffs to be put on/ Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU.BFL.XV.19.c.10

: A man climbing on a wall: rather the reconstruction of a crime, than the actual crime spotted / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU.BFL.XV.19.c.10

: A shop window broken in: what might have been stolen, if the shoes and bags were left there? / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU.BFL.XV.19.c.10

: A deranged office or storage. Might have been burglary, but the painting was not stolen / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU.BFL.XV.19.c.10

: Handcuffed boys: one might be the policeman while the other the perpetrator / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU.BFL.XV.19.c.10

: Mystery at the tailor’s: shades down, and investigators, detectives and gapers around / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU.BFL.XV.19.c.10

: The icy road may suggest an accident rather than a crime act. Though, it seems rather scary that no one and no cars are around / Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára. Levéltári jelzet: HU.BFL.XV.19.c.10