Tamas Krausz Hungarian historian Date of Birth: 24.02.1948 Country: Hungary

1. Early Life and Education
2. Academic Career
3. Contributions to Sovietology and Marxist Thought
4. Political Activism
5. Publications and Editorial Roles

Early Life and Education

Tamás Krausz was born in 1948 in Hungary. His fascination with Russian culture led him to pursue a degree in Philology at the University of Debrecen, which he completed in 1973. During an internship at Moscow State University, he faced deportation due to his possession of Leo Trotsky's book, which was reported by the son of the Czechoslovakian ambassador to Bulgaria. Despite these challenges, Krausz became proficient in both Russian and English.

Academic Career

In 1976, Krausz defended his dissertation on "Bolshevism and the National Question." He began lecturing and defended his doctoral dissertation in 1981. In 1982, he became a senior lecturer at the Department of Eastern European History at the Loránd Eötvös University in Budapest. He was promoted to associate professor in 1988 and held the position until 2000.

Contributions to Sovietology and Marxist Thought

Krausz became a pioneer in Hungarian Sovietology, referencing the Budapest School of György Lukács and the experiences of workers' councils during the 1956 uprising and the Left Opposition's resistance against the Stalinist degeneration of the Soviet Union. He contributed heavily to the left-leaning journal "Eszmélet" and was an active participant in the Balkan peace movement in 1999.

Political Activism

In 1988, Krausz co-founded the oppositional "Left Alternative," rejecting both bourgeois liberalism and Stalinism. He became the main ideologist of the "Left Platform" within the Hungarian Socialist Party (HSP). While defining the HSP as a "left-liberal bourgeois political organization," Krausz remained a member to prevent the rise of nationalist and fascist tendencies in Hungarian society.

In 2007, Krausz warned of the HSP's rightward shift and potential collapse. He formed the "People's Democratic Platform" and "Left Unity" and left the HSP in 2009. He advocated for the creation of a unified left-wing organization to combat reaction and the utopia of "capitalism with a human face."

Publications and Editorial Roles

Krausz's prolific research and publications have been translated into numerous languages. He has edited scientific collections on topics such as the Holocaust, Stalinism, privatization in Russia, and Yeltsinism. He has also served on the editorial board of the journal "Alternatívák."