Room IV

Coal mining in Nógrád between 1946-1965

After nationalization, the management of the Nógrád coal mines was taken over by the Hungarian State Coal Joint Stock Company. The individual mines continued to operate as national companies from 1947. The Nógrád Coal Mining Trust was established in 1952 from three national companies.

The era was a period of extensive development, with several newly opened mines and a significant demand for labor. After nationalization, the era was a period of "coal battles", as domestic industry needed more and more coal, and this was ensured by launching labor competitions. The Soviet-type vanguard worker and then Stakhanovist movement was established. Outstanding miners were also honored with the Kossuth Prize.

New workers' hostels were built, and a government decision was made to build a mining town in Nagybátony. During this period, women were also employed to work underground until 1958.

In 1947, a new production-transportation-classification concentration was established in Nagybátony. At this time, the Ménkes mine tunnel (inclined shaft) and the Kányás mine shaft were deepened. Between 1950-1962, 33 new coal mines were established, and the previously abandoned, low-quality coal was also mined. In 1964-1965, the quantitative peak of production in the coal basin was reached with 3.8 million tons of coal.

The number of people employed in coal mining increased as production increased. In 1960, 13 thousand people worked in local mines.

The miners of Nógrád during the 1956 revolution

The system considered the mining community to be one of its main bases, but by 1956, many tensions had arisen in the sector. Dissatisfaction also grew in the Nógrád factories due to irrational performance demands, the working conditions, the abusive due to cadre politics, as well as political and living conditions. During the revolution, workers' councils were also formed in the Nógrád mines, which remained the main forums of local political resistance after the Soviet intervention on November 4. A large number of miners were transported from the Nagybátony-Kisterenye area to the demonstration on December 8, which was organized due to the arrest of one of the leaders of the trust's workers' council. According to our current knowledge of the machine gun volley, out of the 135 dead and wounded brought to the former mine hospital, 10 miners were killed and 12 were wounded. The tragedy of the machine gun volley is reinforced by the fact that the majority of the pro-government squads also consisted of miners.

One of the first measures of the Kádár regime was to try to improve working conditions and raise miners' wages.