The Tiszaeszlár Affair was the first in a series of “modern” ritual murder trials
at the end of the nineteenth century, and its dramatic events played out at the dawn
of mass politics and mass media. As such, it left a lasting impact on the literary,
political and visual language of modern antisemitism, especially in Hungary. Some
viewed the dramatic narrative as a morality play, pitting “modern” science and reason
against “medieval” prejudice and hatred. In the end, the falsely-accused Jews were
acquitted, and justice prevailed, but the passions it aroused have never fully subsided.
For decades, novelists, playwrights, screenwriters, stage directors, performance artists
and filmmakers have used it as a surrogate to treat sensitive – and potentially volatile
– topics in Hungarian society. This volume brings together social historians, art
historians, film historians, theater historians and media scholars who have explored
the visual memory of Tiszaeszlár from different angles. As such, it will make important
contributions to a wide variety of fields, including Jewish studies, memory studies,
trauma studies, film studies, media studies and visual studies.
