1989 – the year of the regime change. Public life is booming in Hungary, clubs are forming, parties are organizing, people are politicizing, arguing, suddenly everything seems possible. Businesses are being created, new daily newspapers and magazines are appearing. It is now possible to speak openly about topics that until then were only mentioned on the secretly listened to Radio Free Europe, and about which we could only read the propaganda lies in the printed press. Articles about the 'white spots' of Hungarian history appear one after another in the tabloid newspapers, and people read the revealing - and certainly not always scientifically demanding - writings with great interest.

So what happens in schools in the meantime? What can a history teacher say who a few months ago had to call 1956 a counter-revolution? Textbooks cannot be rewritten so suddenly. It is no coincidence that the need arose among history teachers to create a journal written in a scientific and popular style. Thanks to Ötlet Kiadó, which was founding several newspapers at the time, it was also possible to publish an informative magazine. In the autumn of 1989, the registration took place, and the planning and design of the image could begin. The first issue, the theme of which was naturally 1956, was published in February 1990.

The name of the newspaper was also a kind of commitment: at the same time, it was a break with the old view of history and the old system. When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon - the border - he knew that this was a break with the power represented by the senate and at the same time with the old order. The die has been cast. At the time of the name selection - roughly towards the end of the national round table negotiations - no one could be sure that there would be real elections, that the desired regime change would be successful, and that the old order would fall. Those times were characterized more by re-arrangement than by breakthrough.

From the beginning, the newspaper's ars poetica was to publish the latest scientific results, and the best experts should write about every topic - in an understandable style. It was an answer to the often sensational articles in the tabloid newspapers, but also to the needs of teachers and students.

As in every good fairy tale, there were obstacles in this one as well. The first publisher gave up after 6 issues, the second threw in the towel while printing the 5th issue. That's when the idea born out of necessity (nomen est omen) came about, let's take our fate into our own hands by creating our own edition and our own foundation. And Rubicon not only survived, but became the most successful publication in its field in the country.

But all this could not have been achieved without the support of our readers, who have persevered with us for more than 30 years. We owe them eternal gratitude for their support. We simply wouldn't exist without you.

Rubicon Történelmi Magazin
Founded: 1989
Published 12 issues per year