Edith Bone
Encyclopedia
Edith Hajós Bone (1889–1975) was an aristocrat and medical professional, journalist, and translator who later became a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain
.
Born in Hungary
, Hajós married Béla Balázs
in 1913. She lived in Berlin, Germany from 1923 to 1933. She later married Gerald Martin in February 1934. In 1936, during the Spanish Civil War
, Bone was involved with the establishment of the Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia
(PSUC) in Barcelona, Spain.
. She was accused of spying when leaving Hungary
, arrested by the State Protection Authority
(AVH) and detained in solitary confinement without trial or a prisoner identification number for seven years. During her detention, Bone managed to avoid the mental instability or insanity
that typically accompanies isolation. She developed a series of mental exercises, including reviews of geometry, language and vocabulary. She was verbally aggressive and progressively won minor victories against her jailers; she used these projects to maintain a stable identity during her long period in prison.
Bone was released during the last days of the revolutionary Nagy Government in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956
. A student group had seized control of the Budapest political prison where Bone was held, and processed political prisoners for release.
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
.
Born in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Hajós married Béla Balázs
Béla Balázs
----Béla Balázs , born Herbert Bauer, was a Hungarian-Jewish film critic, aesthete, writer and poet....
in 1913. She lived in Berlin, Germany from 1923 to 1933. She later married Gerald Martin in February 1934. In 1936, during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, Bone was involved with the establishment of the Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia
Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia
The Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia , was formed on July 23, 1936 through the unification of four left-wing groups; the Catalan Federation of Spanish Socialist Workers' Party , the Partit Comunista de Catalunya , the Unió Socialista de Catalunya and the...
(PSUC) in Barcelona, Spain.
Imprisonment
In 1949, Bone was acting as a free-lance correspondent in Budapest, affiliated with the London Daily WorkerThe Morning Star
The Morning Star is a left wing British daily tabloid newspaper with a focus on social and trade union issues. Articles and comment columns are contributed by writers from socialist, social democratic, green and religious perspectives....
. She was accused of spying when leaving Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, arrested by the State Protection Authority
State Protection Authority
The State Protection Authority was the secret police force of Hungary from 1945 until 1956. It was conceived of as an external appendage of the Soviet Union's secret police forces, but attained an indigenous reputation for brutality during a series of purges beginning in 1948, intensifying in 1949...
(AVH) and detained in solitary confinement without trial or a prisoner identification number for seven years. During her detention, Bone managed to avoid the mental instability or insanity
Insanity
Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
that typically accompanies isolation. She developed a series of mental exercises, including reviews of geometry, language and vocabulary. She was verbally aggressive and progressively won minor victories against her jailers; she used these projects to maintain a stable identity during her long period in prison.
Bone was released during the last days of the revolutionary Nagy Government in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956
1956 Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian Revolution or Uprising of 1956 was a spontaneous nationwide revolt against the government of the People's Republic of Hungary and its Soviet-imposed policies, lasting from 23 October until 10 November 1956....
. A student group had seized control of the Budapest political prison where Bone was held, and processed political prisoners for release.