During the Cold War, the World Festival of Youth and Students (in Hungarian commonly abbreviated as VIT) was an important propaganda instrument and ideological platform of the “peace camp”. It was first held after the Second World War, in Prague in 1947, and then in Budapest in 1949.
“Youth, unite! Forward for lasting peace, democracy, the right of peoples to self-determination and a better future!” This was the slogan of the Budapest festival, held from 14 to 28 August 1949.
According to contemporary reports, 10,000 young people from 70 countries travelled to the event; together with the Hungarian participants, more than 50,000 voices in 70 languages sang the anthem of the world’s democratic youth, expressing its goal: “Our watchword is lasting peace!” Sixty per cent of the visitors came from outside the Soviet bloc. In four-day rotations, a total of 54,000 Hungarian young people participated as delegates, while the programmes, mass meetings, exhibitions and street dances were attended by many more.
According to contemporary reports, 10,000 young people from 70 countries travelled to the event; together with the Hungarian participants, more than 50,000 voices in 70 languages sang the anthem of the world’s democratic youth, expressing its goal: “Our watchword is lasting peace!” Sixty per cent of the visitors came from outside the Soviet bloc. In four-day rotations, a total of 54,000 Hungarian young people participated as delegates, while the programmes, mass meetings, exhibitions and street dances were attended by many more.
For the occasion, the postal administration issued a five-denomination stamp set and a souvenir sheet. The designs were created by István Köpeczi Bócz. The stamps were printed in sheets of 100 on government stamp paper with watermark XI. With perforation 12½ : 12, 140,800 sets of stamps and 60,000 souvenir sheets were produced.
