Hungarian defence minister marks 1956 anniversary in Vienna

Vienna (MTI) – István Simicskó, Hungary’s defence minister, attended a ceremony marking the upcoming 60th anniversary of the 1956 anti-Soviet revolution at the Hungarian embassy in Vienna on Friday.

Hungarians paid the price of their freedom and they want to protect and preserve that freedom, Simicskó said.

The lesson to be learned from 1956 is that freedom “is not something we can be gifted”. Hungarians — like the Austrians — want to have control over the fate of their own homeland and families, Simicskó added.

The minister said the “secret” of 1956 was “heartfelt patriotism and a love for freedom”.

Simicskó thanked the people of Austria for taking in nearly 200,000 Hungarian refugees who had fled communist retaliation for the revolution, many of whom, he noted, eventually found homes there.

Photo: MTI

The minister told MTI that it was wrong to draw parallels between the current migration wave and the refugees of the 1956 revolution.

Austrian Defence Minister Hans Peter Doskozil said at the event that the uprising had demonstrated the Hungarian people’s courage and desire for freedom. He expressed hope that Hungary and Austria can maintain their good relations.

Source: MTI