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Béla Kun, Leader of the 1919 Hungarian Revolution

1919

A widely used photograph of Béla Kun speaking to a crowd during the Hungarian Soviet Republic of 1919.

This photograph shows Kun himself speaking to crowds as leader of the Hungarian Soviet Republic in 1919.

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Black and white photograph of a man in a dark suit and vest speaking to a dense crowd of men in hats in front of a building; other men sit on a rooftop and balcony at left and right.
Béla Kun, leader of the 1919 Hungarian Revolution, 1919.

About this source

What it is

This black-and-white photograph shows a man in a dark suit speaking to a large crowd of men in hats gathered in front of a building, with onlookers watching from a rooftop and balcony.

Why it matters

Identified as Béla Kun, this image is one of the most commonly reproduced photographs of him from the time of the 1919 Hungarian Soviet Republic, when he was the de facto leader of the revolutionary government. Photographs like this were used to show Kun directly addressing the public, reflecting the regime's reliance on mass rallies and speeches to build and display support.

Look closer

  • What does the size and arrangement of the crowd suggest about how important this speech was considered?
  • Why might photographs of political leaders speaking to crowds have been valuable to a revolutionary government?
  • What can you NOT tell from this photograph about what Kun is actually saying?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Béla Kun on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Front page of the first issue of the Hungarian newspaper Vörös Ujság, dated Budapest, 1918 December 7, with the masthead 'VÖRÖS ÚJSÁG' and subtitle 'KOMMUNISTA LAP', and a lead editorial titled 'Osztályharcot!' in several columns of Hungarian text.Newspaper article

Primary source

Vörös Újság: First Editorial

Béla Kun · 7 December 1918

Spine and cover of a bound book with a dark green spine and grey-brown boards. Gold lettering on the spine reads 'TREATY OF PEACE... HUNGARY' and 'Cmd. 896'. A white library barcode label reads 'DOCS. COLL. CU-1' and 'D001182819'. A Google digitized watermark appears at the lower right.Document

Primary source

Treaty of Trianon

4 June 1920

Photograph of a yellowed Nazi propaganda pamphlet titled 'Die Totengräber Russlands' with a headline 'Nicht wegwerfen!' and 'Weitergeben!'. It has rows of ink caricatures of men's faces with text captions naming Soviet communist leaders, and the slogan 'Vor dem bolschewistischen Chaos bewahrt uns nur Adolf Hitler!' at the bottom. A handwritten note 'März 1937' is at the top left.Photograph

Primary source

Die Totengräber Russlands

March 1937

Sepia photograph of a dense crowd of men in hats and coats gathered in a city square in front of a stone building with arched windows. Lamp post and banners rise above them; a large statue on a pedestal stands at right, and a man on the far right holds a flag.Photograph

Primary source

Sándor Garbai and Béla Kun, Leaders of the Hungarian Soviet Republic

1919

Soviet postage stamp, 10 kopeck denomination, 1986, printed with the name Бела Кун and dates 1886 and 1939 above a black-and-white engraved portrait of a man with short dark hair and a mustache, wearing a suit and tie, with a laurel branch below and the text ПОЧТА СССР 1986.Artifact

Secondary source

Soviet postage stamp honouring Béla Kun (1986)

1986

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