Iván Vitányi (3 July 1925 – 6 September 2021) was a Hungarian sociologist, essayist, dance historian, philosopher of art and politician.

There, Vitányi gradually came under the influence of "folk writers" (Hungarian: népi írók) and left-wing ideas.

Following the German occupation of Hungary in 1944, Vitányi joined the anti-fascist resistance, becoming member of the Hungarian Students' Freedom Front and the Görgey Battalion.

Vitányi taught dance history at the College of Theater and Film Arts between 1949 and 1952.

[1] His slow political rehabilitation lasted until 1972, when he was appointed director of the Institute of Popular Culture.

He functioned as Director General of the newly established National Center for Public Culture between 1986 and 1992.

He became an employee of the Institute of Sociology of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA) in 1992, and then he was also the chairman of the board at the same time.

[1] Vitányi was a founding member and executive secretary of the New March Front from 1988 to 1989, during the period of transition to democracy.

He also became the founding member of the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) in October 1989, the legal predecessor of the ruling Communist MSZMP.

He obtained individual mandates for Belváros and Angyalföld (Budapest Constituency VII) in the 1994, defeating György Schamschula (MDF) and Márton Tardos (SZDSZ), and 1998 parliamentary elections (narrowly defeating Fidesz candidate György Rubovszky).

[2] In 2010, Iványi joined the Democratic Coalition Platform established by former prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsány within the Socialist Party, of which he became one of its vice-presidents.