Life In Hungary

After World War II, Joseph Stalin had a tight grip on Hungary. However, the people living there had eventually had enough. In 1956, a peaceful student protest against Communism led to police and other citizens exploded into a revolution against the government that controlled them. This revolution sparked anger into the Communist leaders of Hungary; however, this didn't stop the citizens. From then on until 1988, there was a constant power struggle between rebels against Communism and Stalinists. During this time, the Communist party still had power over the laws and who got to leave the country. Because of this, it was very difficult to leave Hungary. In order to leave the country, you had to have power in the government or be very lucky. It was rare that a citizen was given access to a passport. Alice Norton was one of those lucky citizens. Her and her family grew up in the center of Budapest, the capital of Hungary. She studied music, as her dream was to become a harpist. The instrument always called out to her, as she loved the intricacy of its strings and smooth wooden corners. Alice attended Franz Liszt Music Academy and received a diploma, which allowed her to begin playing at concert halls and opera houses in Budapest. After some time playing for audiences in her home city, her teacher gave her word that there would be an international harp competition in the United States. Immediately, her interest piqued and she began trying to figure out how to get a passport. After many attempts and going to countless government buildings, she finally was allowed to go to the US.