The remains of five unidentified children, including a baby, have been discovered in an unmarked grave in Kerepes, near Budapest. The children are believed to have died at least 80–100 years ago, and may have been victims of an epidemic or other devastating illness.
Remains discovered during cemetery works
The discovery was made by chance during landscaping work at the local cemetery in Kerepes. Workers came across an unmarked grave that did not appear in any official records. Neither cemetery staff nor local historians were aware that the grave existed, Blikk reports.
Although burials have taken place in Kerepes for centuries, there are no surviving records identifying the five children or explaining how they came to be buried together.
The size of the bones immediately indicated that they belonged to children. Their condition suggests that the burial dates back at least eight to ten decades, and possibly even longer. Apart from the bones, nothing else survived in the soil, not even traces of coffins or clothing.
May have died at the same time
The way the children were buried may offer a clue about what happened to them. Rather than being hastily buried or thrown together, the remains were found carefully arranged next to one another. This suggests that the children may have died around the same time. One possible explanation is that they were victims of a serious disease or epidemic that swept through the community many decades ago.
Local officials also believe the discovery does not point to a recent crime. The extensive deterioration of the remains is consistent with a burial dating back many decades, if not a century or more.
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A final resting place at last
With no names or records available, the identities of the children are likely to remain unknown. However, Kerepes Municipality decided that the remains should not be left forgotten. The five children were given a proper reburial in the local cemetery, with an officially registered and maintained resting place marked by an unnamed grave cross.
Kerepes Mayor László Gyuricza described the ceremony as the saddest duty of his time in office, saying the five forgotten children had finally been given a dignified final resting place.
The ceremony was attended by a local cantor and staff involved in arranging the reburial. After decades (and perhaps a full century) of lying forgotten beneath the ground, the five unidentified children can now rest in peace.
