Tisztulás

Tisztulás is a Hungarian noun meaning purification or cleansing. It derives from the verb tisztít, to clean or purify. The term can refer to physical cleaning, moral renewal, spiritual purification, or processes intended to remove corruption, pollution, or impurity from a person, institution, or society.

In religious and ethical language, tisztulás denotes the purification of the soul through penance, confession, baptism, or ritual cleansing. It can also be used more broadly to describe moral or spiritual renewal in individuals or communities.

In modern Hungarian political discourse, tisztulás is especially associated with the reform era of the late 1980s. It described efforts within the ruling party to purge hardliners, liberalize governance, and move toward democratic change. The term is linked with Hungary’s transition from one-party rule to a multiparty system, including the reorganization of the ruling party into a new social-democratic successor and the move toward the first free elections in 1990.

Beyond politics, tisztulás is used to describe broader processes of cleansing or reform in culture, institutions, or society—often in contexts of governance, corruption, and ethical renewal. The word carries connotations of deliberate cleansing aimed at improving structure, legitimacy, or moral standing.