In 1956, at the time of the Hungarian Revolution, Kopacsi was police chief in Budapest. He had fought in the anti-Nazi Resistance and welcomed the Soviet Army. Purges in the police forces during the early 1950s eventually led him to question Soviet motives. He and seven other leaders were tried and sentenced to long prison terms. This fascinating insider’s account adds a new dimension to Hungary’s history.

A brave man roamed the streets of Budapest those days. He took photographs between October 23rd and November 11th of 1956. So that a sign would remain. And when freedom came again and it left even the murderers unpunished, his widow gave the concealed photographs to the Historial Institute on one condition: neither her nor her husband’s name should be made public.