GREATER MISKOLC

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Early 60s: new capitalist aristocrates sharing the plans concerning the reinforcement of county resources to further develope Miskolc to the city of main industrial centre of the country, high burgeois settlement, and great tourist attraction

Following a century of strong industrial activity, then, with the dawn of soviet era and the recession in the 90s, Miskolc went through a period of social and economical switch to an enterprises-type market trained by international companies. From recently on, the city is facing the goal of emerging into an important cultural city. The local government is sustaining the importance of tourism. There are several festivals that take place every year, and the city has a large number of visitors. The museums and theatres are following the modern tendencies and many art galleries have appeared. There are many artists coming in residencies or simply choosing to work here by themselves as they find the city a very inspiring place.

From the very start you can see that there is a general social tendency to operate a change. However, the direction this change has to be carried out is seen quite differently. Some are very pleased of the way that social and economical situation is improving, while others state that the town is in deep bareness and are sceptic regarding its fate... Though the city seems completely peaceful and, sometimes, frightfully quiet, you feel a strong presence of a countering spirit throughout. The streets are over abused with paste-up posters stating "open your mind", wall paintings depicting gipsy-symbolizing monkeys underline racial issues.
Controversies are present and though there is no straight dispute observed, the feeling of some cultural cold war going on grasps everywhere...

Some of the book covers I spotted on the library floor at the CENTRUM - the city main supermarket located at the cross of the two main streets in Miskolc downtown


A painting by Makoldi SÁNDOR depicting violent plots during a PR-meeting. If warming gets too hot, control may get overdrive...