ABSTRACT
In 1956, Britain hosted another major influx of refugees from communism. Their history has not received the same degree of attention as that of the Poles, partly reflecting their lower numbers, but the Hungarian refugee movement has great significance, especially due to the warm welcome the group received. The Hungarians arrived in a period of economic reconstruction when new workers were still in demand and the housing shortage which existed in the immediate aftermath of the war was less acute. Moreover, political conditions were favourable. Internationally, the Cold War was firmly established, with eastern and western Europe in opposing ideological camps aligned with the two superpowers. Hungary had fallen into the communist camp after the war, the Allies abandoning it to the Soviet sphere of influence, contrary to the agreement between Churchill and Stalin in 1944 that Hungary would be equally divided.1 The Hungarian refugees were seen as brave young freedom fighters with ideals akin to those in western Europe. As one refugee explained, in 1956 they 'treated us as heroes. We were always like refugees. We had a really great reception by the British people.'2
