Why didn’t we like the Council of Governors?

The Eras of Censorship in Hungary between 1723 and 1848

Abstract

The study guides the reader through the most important epochs and legal regulations of censorship in Hungary in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, in which it functioned almost continuously as an institution for the protection of religious and state power. After the establishment of the Governor’s Council in 1723, the so-called “Pressburg Censorship” era can be observed, as the Church Committee of the Governor’s Council carried out the provisional censorship measures in the territory of the Kingdom of Hungary. The reign of Joseph II is referred to as the “Viennese censorship” era, as clear centralising measures were taken here. In the era of Leopold II, clear tightening measures were introduced, followed by the “Viennese police censorship” era under the reign of Franz I. During this period, all progressive and reform-oriented ideas and nobler endeavours were suppressed, so that the changes of 1848 also brought a breath of fresh air in the area of censorship, which was able to air out the stale ideas.