Defence minister commemorates WWI Przemysl siege

Budapest (MTI) – Defence Minister Csaba Hende paid tribute to soldiers who died or were captured in the siege of Przemysl in south-eastern Poland on March 22, 1915, at the Przemysl memorial in Budapest on Sunday.

The memorial, near Margaret Bridge in central Budapest, was erected in 1932 by fellow soldiers who survived the siege.

“The story of Przemysl is a model of courage, of love for the homeland and dedication to doing one’s duty,” Hende said, commemorating the around 120,000 soldiers who died or were taken by Russians in the siege waged at the 50-kilometre fortification ring that protected Przemysl, a city located in what was then the Austro-Hungarian monarchy.

At the time, most of the Hungarian soldiers went to serve at the fortresses as a volunteer, and suffered and died for their homeland, Hende said.

He noted that following the surrender of Przemysl on March 22, several tens of thousands of Hungarian soldiers were taken by the Russians to Siberian labour camps.

At the commemoration, the Hungarian and Polish national anthems were played and representatives of the two countries laid wreaths at the memorial.

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters