KISZ megbeszélés Csepelen. A *-al megjelölt Ambrus József

Photo of a KISZ Discussion in Csepel, 6 February 1977. Mr. József Ambrus marked with * on the photo.

The Hungarian Young Communist League (Hungarian: Magyar Kommunista Ifjúsági Szövetség, KISZ) was a communist youth movement in the Hungarian People's Republic that was attached to the ruling Socialist Workers' Party. It was founded on 21 March 1957 (on the anniversary of the Hungarian Soviet Republic's declaration in 1919), following the break of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. It claimed to represent all the country's youth and sought to educate young people politically and to supervise political as well as some social activities for them. KISZ was the most important source of new members for the party. Its organizational framework paralleled that of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party and included a congress, central committee, secretariat, and regional and local committees. Membership was open to youth from the ages of fourteen to twenty-six years, but most of the full-time leaders of the organization were well over the age limit. In the 1980s, KISZ had about 800,000 members. Membership was common among students (96% at universities, 75% in high schools) but was lower among young people already working (31%). It was mandatory for university admittance. It was dissolved on 22 April 1989.