Dear Dr. Krogh,
Over the last several decades, your contributions to Eastern European scholarly literature, particularly with regard to Hungary, have been greatly impactful. Both inside and outside of the historical discipline, you have deepened our understanding of a variety of social phenomenon, repeatedly pushed back on conventional wisdom, and brought forward new archives that have shed light on your research and that of researchers who have followed in your tracks. Your last book deserved all of the critical acclaim it received. It is for these reasons that your recent suspension from travel to Hungary is most unfortunate.
The travel ban has made it clear that Hungary’s constitution can no longer protect you or any freedom of speech under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government. When you signed the Academic Alliance for Hungary’s petition last month, it publicized your position in opposition of Orbán, and sealed your fate on the travel ban. Orbán’s efforts to silence criticism and his inclination towards self-preservation is scarily reminiscent of a time in Hungary’s recent history that we know you are very familiar with.
The cost of the ban on your research is not measurable. For the sake of the future Hungarian scholarship, we encourage you to spread your story so that other academics in similar positions may consider the consequences of signing political petitions. If there is anything that we can do to aid you in your future endeavors, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Sincerely,
“The Academy”
Lecture to Scholars of Easter Europe
Globalization has widened the scope of our research, but also has brought some unexpected consequences to academics in our field. Some of you may have heard of the recent travel ban Prime Minister Viktor Orbán instated against anyone who publicly signed the Academic Alliance for Hungary petition last month. The ban affected several of your colleagues including Dr. Krogh.
What is happening in Hungary, and has been the trend globally, is not something our field should take lightly – I know this is not the case for any of you. However, I urge you all to consider the value of your research when making decisions about how you choose to engage with the contemporary political situation. Your work has the potential to be incredible impactful, and the cost of being barred from a country where you do research may not be worth your signature on a petition. Ultimately, this is a personal choice you must make.
Process notes: In these two pieces, I was trying to get at the phenomena of academics hesitating to vocalize their political opinions for fear of being banned from doing research in the areas they focus on. I do not believe in the positions represented, but I thought using a critical tone would better get the point across. Switching from a letter to a lecture forced me to make the content more broad because it was addressed to a wider audience and also changed the message. Also, everything, aside from Viktor Orbán, is not true.