This analysis is part of the more extensive material that was sent to the Central Committee of the People's Youth of Croatia (PYC) by the Presidium of the Main Committee of the Socialist Alliance of the Working People of Croatia (SAWPC) on the forthcoming conference on problems of film releases and the columns of weekly and daily newspapers. The document analyses in detail the writing of the magazine Film News, published by Croatia-film, based on categories of articles, from June to December 1956. The opinion on the magazine was not good, and it was suggested that the paper did not contribute to "expanding of the film culture" but rather "meets the bourgeois taste of the audience" and also completely excludes film criticism. The negative role of the magazine was emphasized, as well as the erroneous formation of the public's cinematic education because of the preference for American productions, sensationalism and writing about movie stars, "spreading an atmosphere unsuited to our reality", publishing articles ideologically contrary to "our perceptions" and neglecting domestic film themes. Since the magazine was intended for young people, it was suggested that it should thoroughly change its writing style or cease to exist in this form. The content of the analysis argues in large part that the writing of the magazine was inappropriate to the authorities and therefore changing or abolishing the magazine was proposed.

This PYC document, along with the records of other so-called socio-political organizations, was until 1995 a part of the Archives of the Institute of History of the Croatian Workers' Movement/Institute of Contemporary History. In July of that year, the archives were handed over to the Croatian State Archives (CSA), where they are kept today. It is not known whether this document has been used by researchers.

Life Flows Quietly By.../Partisans (1957), director Binka Zhelyazkova, script-writer Hristo Ganev, cameraman Vasil Holiolchev

The movie was created from the point of view of participants in the communist resistance who truly believed in the communist utopia. Initially, the script was entitled "Partisans". The plot is built around the clash between former partisans who remain true to their ideals and partisans who betray them. The principal character is a former partisan leader who is an embodiment of moral degradation, narrow-mindedness, touchiness and presumption and who exchanged his ideals for the high position of director general. After a series of well-described deep psychological dramatic situations, the end of the movie increases the feeling of despair and no future.

The creation of the film went through a number of obstacles. After a series of discussions of the script, the screen tests, the directorial script, the finished movie etc., in 1958 the film was banned with a Decree of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party regarding the state and the further development of the Bulgarian cinematography. The chronology and the locations where the discussions took place as well as the participants reveal the censorial mechanisms, the institutions and the strong centralization of the party policy of direct intervention in the creative process. The discussions of the film script began in 1955 in the Artistic Council (AC) of the Feature Film Studios (FFS); on that level there were different opinions and a number of artists shared positive views about the script of Hristo Ganev; they found it to be "absolutely necessary", "innovative, brave script which disclosed problems that needed to be solved' and even recommended "sharpening". The directorial script of Binka Zhelyazkova was also supported by some of the cinematographers. There were brave positive opinions about the finished movie as well. The meetings were then moved to the office of the Minister of Culture. There were debates on that level as well. The then Director of FFS Georgi Yovkov declared: "This will be a useful movie. We always plead realism but very often we kill it." Many of the cinematographers present openly supported the film in which they saw "perfect conformity of directorial concept and visual decision". The Artistic Council of FFS nominated in early 1958 the movie for participation at the festival in Karlovy Vary in 1958; another contested movie, "On the Small Island" (director Rangel Valchanov, script-writer Valeri Petrov, cameraman Dimo Kolarov), was nominated for the festival in Cannes. Several months later there was another final discussion of the finished movie with the new title "Life Flows Quietly By..."; the meeting was presided over by the head of the Administration of Cinematography. Although there were debates even on that level and the cinematographers present defended the movie, it was stigmatized mainly by former partisans holding high public positions, predominantly military, as unsound, slanderous and anti-party "film which is only capable of giving grounds to our enemies to talk against the party and the partisan movement", "pernicious and it will harm the working class in the people's democratic countries as well as in the capitalist countries". The final decision about the movie was made by the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party with the Decree of July 5, 1958. "There are particular films which present our reality one-sidedly and distortedly such as "Life Flows Quietly By...". In fact, this film dethrones the image of the national partisans, slanders their struggle and dedication to the national cause, makes untrue generalizations about our reality." The movies "Life Flows Quietly By..." and "On the Small Island" were banned. The executive bodies of the Administration of Cinematography, the Feature Film Studios and the Ministry of Culture were replaced. The party censorship strengthened. "Life Flows Quietly By..." was shown 31 years later, in 1988 (all quotations of reports from the discussions and of resolutions are by Станимирова 2012: 93-142).

The troubles of the movie increased the feeling of fear and insecurity among the then Bulgarian film-workers and paralyzed the entire cinema production in Bulgaria. Nevertheless, in the following years and decades, there still were vanguard, brave and engaged original films.

This is a document that analyses the ideological activity of the League of Communists (LC) at the University (in Zagreb) and is essential for understanding the way in which LC, through the Ideological Commission, directed the ideological activity in the desired direction in higher education. The "correct" ideological attitude was expected from both students and professors, so the issue of staff in the faculties was of great importance for the political guidance of students. The document criticizes political apathy and a lack of interest by professors and students and seeks to strengthen 'Marxist education" and ideological work, the suppression of religious and "enemy" propaganda opposing scientific (meaning Marxist) views of the world, attracting students providing information on current events and encouraging culture and entertainment. It also proposes a program of ideological work for the entire duration of schooling for students, as well as work with members of teaching organizations.

By 1995, the document was, along with the other records of socio-political organisations, a part of the Archive of the Institute of History of the Labour Movement of Croatia/Institute of Contemporary History. That year, in July, it was handed over to the Croatian State Archives (CSA), where it is kept today. The documents are accessible for use without any restrictions.

In 1957, Liobytė wrote to Antanas Sniečkus, the first secretary of the Lithuanian Communist Party, and Antanas Venclova, the chairman of the Lithuanian Writer's Union. In the letter, she tried to explain the difficulties relating to the creation of the opera Sukilėliai (The Rebels). The opera was based on the novel of the same name by Vincas Mykolaitis-Putinas, who is often called the informal leader of the silent anti-Soviet opposition. Liobytė was invited by the composer Julius Juzeliūnas to write a libretto for the opera, which was blamed for nationalistic ideas and attitudes. In the letter, Liobytė argued that the accusations made about her behind her back were unfair, and asked for open consideration of the question of the opera. Despite this, the opera was never publicly performed. The writing of the libretto was one of the reasons why Liobytė was forced to step down from her editor’s position at the Literary Fiction publishers in 1961.

This was the very first public document issued by the émigré Hungarian student movement, this brief message to fellow students who remained in Hungary. Its purpose is quite clear: to reaffirm the union of all Hungarian students and to affirm a pledge that those who had fled Hungary for the West, however distant they may be from their homeland, would remain loyal to their country in spirit and never abandon the ideas of the revolution and the goal of an independent Hungary.

No more than half a year had passed since the great Hungarian exodus of late 1956 when, of the overall 200,000, refugees some 7,000–8,000 students fled to the West. (According to the official statistics, all in all some 29,000 students pursuing higher education remained in Hungary in early 1957, which meant that the country had lost some 20 or 25 percent of its students, which constituted a great demographical loss and a great intellectual loss.) The personal links of the members of the younger émigré generation to their native country remained vivid and strong, as did memories of the tragic moments of the revolution. Their losses are still painful: the loss of home, family, friends, comrades, and fellow revolutionaries, but at the same time, those who fled faced the challenge of starting new lives in the West and making shows of their unity as a new émigré community for the sake of their homeland. They had only just begun their mission, and they clearly felt a profound sense of responsibility. The declaration was read in Vaduz at the Chancellors’ Hall of the Lichtenstein Principality on Pentecost Sunday of 1957 with the solemn statement: “We do not want to represent You, but rather to serve You and our Homeland” and: “We also know that our freedom gives us more obligations.”

The opening speech of the Founding Congress held by Béla Jankó, the Union’s President, began with an homage to fellow students who had died as victims of the fighting in the streets of Budapest. (“It is hard to remember you all, dead friends, all 51 who lie there in the garden of the Medical Clinics. I could hardly identify your faces, and hardly remember all your names. 51 Hungarian students died there, and none of them was older than 24.” Magyar Diák / Hungarian Student 2 July 1957; a special issue published for the Founding Congress of the Union.) However, this grave motive returned at the end of the Open letter: “we will never forget our comrades who fell or were executed.” Instead of lamenting over the losses and victims it is more important to express the main points of the message sent to the fellow-students in Hungary: to declare the unconditional loyalty to and the patriotic as well as the emotional unity with them.

Open letter to our fellow students remained in Hungary

Dear Hungarian Fellow-Students,

We, Hungarian university students having been forced to leave our homeland have joined into a union of alliances, representing thousands of students in 14 countries worldwide. With our first world from the founding congress of our union we turn to you.

Instead of representing we wish to serve You and our Homeland. We are fully aware of the fact, that the storm has not passed yet over our country and we are lucky to have reached an asylum. Therefore we may have the second world only. However, we do know that our freedom can only multiply our range of duties.

We promise to work for the future freedom of Hungary with all our efforts, talents, and abilities.  We will preserve the revolutionary spirit, which the Hungarian youth and the whole Hungarian people expressed last October, under all circumstances, and nothing can change our devoted efforts to do so.

We wish to give a voice to your silenced just case, and we will never forget our comrades fallen in the fights or executed. However distant we may be, in spirit we remain together with you.

During 1957, Eginald Schlattner was subject of searches by the Securitate, which confiscated several manuscripts, letters and books. Some of the letters and manuscripts, in particular the story “Gediegenes Erz” (Solid ore), were used by the secret police as evidence of his alleged “subversive” literary activity. The Securitate officers argued that although “Gediegenes Erz” followed the formal rules of realist socialism, its ideological content was “counter-revolutionary” because it described the “mobilisation” of Saxon youth in Transylvania in order to preserve their cultural identity. After his release from prison in 1959, Eginald Schlattner received back the material confiscated by the Securitate, including this story.

Legend says József Fodor was a prominent guide and organizer of religious festivals for a long time. When he appeared, he soon became the main figure of the events, beyond the liturgy proper. The old pilgrims had already known him and expected his entrance on these occasions.