anniversary

The 200th anniversary of the establishment of Arabian horse breeding in Bábolna

Budapest (MTI) – Hungary’s government is committed to making the country a world leader again in horse breeding, farm minister Sándor Fazekas said in Bábolna, in northern Hungary, on Saturday.

The farm ministry is prepared to devote financial resources and provide professional assistance towards the establishment of more equestrian facilities in Hungary, Fazekas said in his opening address of a two-day international conference marking the 200th anniversary of the establishment of Arabian horse breeding in Bábolna.

The minister said that the government had supported major equestrian sporting events with 165 million forints (EUR 532,000) in 2013, 220 million forints in 2014, 107.5 million forints last year and 216 million forints this year.

He said the number of horses regularly taking part in official horse races had tripled since Hungary’s change of regime. In 1990, there were a total of 1,314 horses registered in the Hungarian Equestrian Federation compared with 4,010 in 2013. The number of annual equestrian sporting events has also tripled and there are over 600 horse events overall each year in Hungary, Fazekas added.

PHOTO by FORTEPAN / Ebner, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

The 30th anniversary of the iconic Hungarian animated movie, Cat City

Origo.hu writes that József Nepp and Béla Ternovszky’s cultic animated movie, Cat City celebrates its 30th birthday this year. A special screening was organised in Toldi Cinema in honour of the anniversary. Visitors could watch the original 35 mm copy with the creators and ask director Ternovszky and the voice actors of the movie.

Origo Film Club was also present at the event. They managed to talk with Péter Haumann, the voice of the subservient Safranek, who told them about his favourite joke in the movie. His answer wasn’t surprising: it is the part when his cruel boss, Teufel sends his best regards to his wife and Safranek, the forever bureaucrat, replies in a resigned voice “Thank you Sir, but she’s been living with you for a year”.

Actress Franciska Farkas was even more enthusiastic about Cat City and point-black stated that it is the best and most outstanding animated movie of all-time. When asked about her favourite saying, you could tell that she would cite the whole story by choice. She even addressed the audience with a challenge: she would invite anyone for a drink who can tell her a quote that she can’t continue.

cat-city2

Béla Ternovszky has previously told Origo how sad he was to see today’s youth being somehow immune to this type of humour, like the novels of Rejtő, he and his generation had grew up on. But he hopes that, at least, most people have heard about Cat City. And it seems like there are still generations receptive to the stories of the super mouse.

Even though the original Hungarian version contains a number of puns which is hard to translate accurately to any other language, you can try to look it up. Below you can watch one of the most popular songs from the movie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-zVikni77k

Photos: www.facebook.com/Macskafogó– CatCity

Copy editor: bm

Hungarians mourns the victims of the Soviet invasion took place 60 years ago – Photo gallery

On November 4, 1956 Soviet forces launched an all out attack on the capital. More than 200 thousand Soviet troops streamed into the country to put down the uprising. The badly outgunned and outnumbered rebel forces were no match to the invading Soviet forces. But even knowing that there was no chance of winning the resistance was fierce causing serious casualties to the invading forces.

In the wake of the invasion, communist criminals and other monsters in human form came to power and launched a brutal, Stalinist style revenge campaign against those suspected of taking part in the uprising. There was no mercy even for children. In the following show trials hundreds of people were sentenced to death on fabricated charges and thousands of them thrown into jail.

None of those communist criminals were ever brought to justice. The descendants and spiritual heirs of those communists today occupy high positions, the justice system is infested with them and they still continue seeking revenge on anyone believes in national renewal.

Burning torches in front of “Vigadó” honoring the victims of the uprising

1956 - Fáklyák a Vigadó téren

Light painting images projected on the facade of St. Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest honoring the heroes of the uprising

1956 - Fényfestés a Szent István-bazilika homlokzatán

1956 - Fényfestés a Szent István-bazilika homlokzatán

1956 - Fényfestés a Szent István-bazilika homlokzatán

[button link=”https://dailynewshungary.com/heroes-1956-girl-already-dead-photo-went-around-world/” color=”red” newwindow=”yes”] Related article: THE HEROES OF 1956: THE GIRL, WHO WAS ALREADY DEAD WHEN HER PHOTO WENT AROUND THE WORLD[/button]

Ordinary citizens lighting candles for the memory of the victims of the uprising in Hungary

Square of St. Stephen's Basilica in Budapest
Square of St. Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest
Debrecen
Debrecen
Debrecen
Debrecen
St. Stephen's Basilica in Budapest
St. Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest
President János Áder and his wife lighting candles for the memory of the victims of the uprising
President János Áder and his wife lighting candles for the memory of the victims of the uprising

[button link=”https://dailynewshungary.com/personal-stories-from-the-23rd-of-october-1956/” color=”green” newwindow=”yes”] Related article: PERSONAL STORIES FROM THE 23RD OF OCTOBER, 1956[/button]

Hungary’s first “Nemzetőr” statue has been unveiled in the XVII district of Budapest

Boross Péter

1956 - Felavatták az ország elsõ nemzetõr szobrát Budapesten

Photo: MTI

1956 anniversary commemorated in Jakarta

Jakarta (MTI) – Hungary’s development minister stressed the importance of bilateral relations with Indonesia at a ceremony held at the Hungarian embassy in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Miklós Seszták participated in an event that marked the 60th anniversary of Hungary’s 1956 anti-Soviet uprising and revolution.

The minister expressed pleasure that bilateral economic, educational and cultural relations have developed dynamically since the Hungarian prime minister’s official visit to Indonesia in February this year.

Basuki Hadimuljono, Indonesia’s public works and public housing minister, highlighted successful cooperation in water management over the past months.

The event was attended by hundreds of Indonesian representatives and a delegation of the Hungarian foreign ministry.

The delegation will participate in the meeting of the inter-governmental committee on Thursday.

Also on Thursday, an MTI photo exhibition commemorating 1956 and presenting today’s Hungary will open in Jakarta.

Parliament commemorates victims of 1956 fusillade

Budapest, October 25 (MTI) – The revolutionaries of 1956 wanted a free, independent and democratic Hungary, deputy speaker of parliament János Latorcai told a conference commemorating the victims of the Oct 25 fusillade on Tuesday.

“We remember those who took action for their country’s independence in one of the most difficult historical moments of the 20th century”, Latorcai, of the co-ruling Christian Democrats, told the event.

The cruel revenge for the anti-Soviet uprising left deep wounds on Hungarian society but despite this, the revolution of 1956 was not a failure, he added.

Mass demonstrations in Budapest and the countryside claimed many victims at that time. Protesters gathered in front of Parliament on October 25 were shot from the rooftops of neighbouring buildings, killing scores of people. Some 70 victims have been identified so far and several hundred were wounded. According to historians, the shots were fired by members of the Hungarian secret police ÁVH and by Soviet soldiers.

The House Speaker, László Kövér in front of the Parliament

Parliament commemorates victims of 1956 fusillade
Parliament commemorates victims of 1956 fusillade
Parliament commemorates victims of 1956 fusillade
Parliament commemorates victims of 1956 fusillade
Budapest, 2016. október 25. Kövér László házelnök jelenlétében (j) félárbocra engedik a Magyar Köztársaság zászlóját az 1956. október 25-i Kossuth téri sortûz áldozatainak emlékére a Kossuth téren, az Országház elõtt 2016. október 25-én. MTI Fotó: Illyés Tibor
Parliament commemorates victims of 1956 fusillade
Parliament commemorates victims of 1956 fusillade
Parliament commemorates victims of 1956 fusillade – Commemorative ambulances

Photo: MTI

2006 : l’autre révolution hongroise – the lost revolution?

À l’automne 2006, la Hongrie a connu des émeutes inédites depuis la chute du rideau de fer en 1989, suite à la révélation des mensonges électoraux du Premier Ministre de gauche de l’époque, Ferenc Gyurcsány.

Les émeutes et la période de troubles qui ont suivi ces révélations constituent un acte fondateur dans la vie politique contemporaine de la Hongrie. Sans connaître ces événements, il n’est pas possible de comprendre la domination actuelle du Fidesz de Viktor Orbán dans la vie publique hongroise.

Nicolas de Lamberterie a interrogé acteurs et témoins de l’époque à l’occasion du dixième anniversaire de ces événements. Ont été interrogés pour ce documentaire (par ordre d’apparition) :
– György Budaházy, activiste nationaliste
– Adrián Magvasi, “Magi”, rédacteur en chef de Alfahír
– Tamás Polgár, “Tomcat”, bloggeur
– Márton Gyöngyösi, député (Jobbik)
– László Toroczkai, fondateur du HVIM, maire de Ásotthalom
– István Lovas, journaliste (Magyar Hírlap)
– Máriusz Révész, député (Fidesz)
– Ferenc Almássy, journaliste franco-hongrois (Visegrád Post)
– Tamás Gaudi-Nagy, avocat, fondateur du Service de Protection Juridique Patriote (NJSz), ancien député (Jobbik)
– András Schiffer, avocat, ancien député (LMP)
– Mariann Őry, journaliste (Magyar Hírlap)

1956: The Hungarian – Polish relationship

Ujkor.hu writes about the historical relationship between Hungary and Poland, which is often praised and proudly discussed, especially because the two nations have backed each other up for a long time. So did they in October 1956, when the Polish society supported the Hungarian insurgents.

The changes provoked and fought for in Poland against the Soviets gave the ultimate push to the university students of Budapest to express their demands in 1956. The Polish gave hope and set an example to Hungarians, who started to believe that they might also carry out the necessary changes, and when the revolution broke out many Polish people correctly regarded it as an Anti-Stalinist uprising and were convinced that the Hungarians can win their freedom.

Wladyslaw Gomulka, Polish activist and politician gave a speech on October 20, 1956, in which he criticised the Stalinist regime, including the personal cult, terror, the centralism of industries and the collectivism of agriculture, and defined the beginning of a new era. He also talked about the events in Poznan in June 1956 and highlighted that the workers there protested against the flaws and not socialism itself.

The speech was published in the Hungarian Szabad Nép, which therefore enabled the people of Hungary to become familiar with Gomulka’s anti-Stalinists thoughts, and that the Polish people wanted more freedom and independence. However, the Soviets wanted to prevent this change. Hence, the students of Budapest marched to the statue of Bem apó to assure the Polish about their solidarity and to express that Hungary wants changes similarly to Poland.

 

The protesters acknowledged Warsaw’s exemplary position in showing the changes, but still highlighted that their own Hungarian way has to be followed, according to which socialism should be established through taking the national particularities into account instead of basing it on a Soviet example. The crowd of protesters showed a board saying “Solidarity with the Polish people” and a picture of the Polish coat-of-arms. Even their national flag was held during the march. By singing different rhymes Hungarians further expressed their solidarity and friendship with the Polish people, both nations aiming for independence.

Adam Wazyk, Polish poet was also present at the Bem statue. One of his poems meant the beginning of the de-Stalinization and was translated into Hungarian by Béla Horváth and published as Vers felnőtteknek. Wazyk could not present a speech to the crowds on October 23, however, he was inspired by the revolution and thus included it in a poem. Aside him, Zbigniew Herbert, Wiktor Woroszylski, Julian Przybos, Andrey Strumillo, Stefan Zarebski, Tadeusz Sliwak, Tadeusz Kubiak and Jaroslaw Iwaszkiewicz dedicated poems to the Hungarian Revolution.

[button link=”https://dailynewshungary.com/polish-president-andrzej-duda-marks-1956-anniversary-budapest/” color=”black” newwindow=”yes”] Polish President Adrzej Duda marks the 60th anniversary of the 1956 Revolution in Budapest [/button]

Polish people from all over Poland volunteered to help the Hungarians’ fight for independence. The regional press did not fail to make accounts on conspiracies. The most active participants were the already Budapest-based Polish university students, such as Andrzej Bratkowski, Hanna Linsenmann and Lidia Widajewicz. Widajewicz even fought on the streets of Budapest with a machine gun for which she became the victim of a fatal accident – “contributed to” by the Polish internal security organisations – after going back home.

Moreover, Polish journalists also played a part in the revolution: they reported regularly on the events and encouraged the people to lend a helping hand. The writings of Wiktor Woroszylski (Nowa Kultura), Hanna Adamiecka (Sztandar Mlodych), and Marian Bielicki (Pro Prostu) greatly affected the Polish society. But, October 24 brought a speech by Gomulka stating that the state power will not tolerate any acts against the Polish state interests, and that it was about time to get back to the everyday work and stop the congresses and protests.

Nonetheless, the Polish society still focused on Hungary: the young workers, university students and intellectuals followed the events of Budapest, while Gomulka was constantly reminding them of the awful tragedies of the 1944 uprising of Warsaw in order to prevent a revolution. Therefore, the bloodshed in Hungary came, sort-of, handy for him to prove his right. Everybody seemed to understand that but, nonetheless, their enthusiasm did not seem to stop; they believed that the Hungarians will make it, and that their success will affect Poland.

During his speech, even on the previous day, the crowds held not only the national flag of Poland, but also that of Hungary. Also, in front of the Hungarian Cultural Institute students held the flag, written “Respect to the Hungarian nation” on it. In front of the parliament they put out a poster saying that “The Hungarians are screaming for help”, while others went to the Hungarian Embassy to express their solidarity with the nation.

Some others were gathering in the Old town with the motto “Warsaw-Budapest-Belgrade”, but this meeting was dissipated by the inland security corps. By 10 pm, the police arrested 70 people in the Polish capital. The next day the University of Technology hosted a gathering of 5000 people, and the students sent letters of solidarity to Hungary. Students of the Medical Academy in Gdansk decided to send delegates to Budapest to help the insurgents. Eventually, their plan could not be implemented due to the situation in the Hungarian capital.

Furthermore, factory workers of Gdansk established the Polish-Hungarian Friend Company, ordered a grieving of three days and asked the locals to put the Polish and Hungarian flags out onto buildings. Local papers also sent reporters to Budapest who continuously gave accounts of the happenings in Hungary. Following and during the days of the revolution many Polish towns organised solidarity protests: the biggest one was in Olsztyn on October 30.

Members of the protest held Hungarian and Polish flags and placed candles in the Red Army Square. A group of the crowd started to take off the street signs and renamed the square to “The Square of the Hungarian Insurgents”. They also had boards saying “We demand that the Soviets leave Hungary, We demand the sovereignty of Poland and Hungary, Free Poland – Free Hungary, The Soviet internationalism shows itself in Hungary”, and another board portrayed the map of Hungary, above it two red-starred hands of which blood was dripping while underneath the words “Get your hands off Hungary”.

[button link=”https://dailynewshungary.com/justice-minister-marks-1956-anniversary-poland/” color=”black” newwindow=”yes”] Justice minister marks the anniversary of 1956 in Poland[/button]

Notably, the Polish society did not only follow the Hungarian events or expressed solidarity symbolically by protests, but they volunteered to donate blood and provided help for Hungarians. The Polish Radio announced a call to help the “Hungarian brothers and sisters” on October 26, after which crowds of Polish workers and university students visited the donating stations. About 4000 Polish citizens gave blood.

The first Polish plane to carry donations to Budapest arrived on October 26 and right until November 3 fifteen planes full of donations landed in the capital. According to the data of the Polish Red Cross, during the three days of the revolution 795 litres of blood, 415 litres of plasma, 16.5 thousand blood substitutes, serums, medicines, and bandages, and a package of 24 tonnes of mainly food was given to the Hungarians.

The calculations of János Tischler say that all these supports had a value of (then) 2 million USD, which was regarded a great help eleven years post-WWII.  The Polish donations were about twice as much what other countries gave to Hungary all together. It did not cease after the Soviet military intervention either: by the end of January 1957, 31 million PLN voluntary financial donation, and about 11 million PLN of material donations were given to the country, aside the 100 million PLN of non-refundable goods aid.

Locals of Szczecin also took part in giving help as they sent their donations directly to their sister town Csepel. Even a stamp could express solidarity as it had the title “Szczecin-Csepel” and two workers shaking hands. Also, on November 1 students of the Szczecin University of Technology paid tribute as guards of honour and put up the Polish and Hungarian flags. Later, on December 10, a few thousands of people attacked the building of the police and the Soviet consulate, which they managed to occupy and set on fire.

The rebels protested against the Soviets’ occupation of Hungary ending the revolution and the kidnapping of Imre Nagy. The authority did not dare to publish the attack on the Soviet consulate: the propaganda suggested that drunk hooligans troubled the peaceful life in Szczecin. They communicated that young troublemakers under the influence of alcohol robbed several shops and attacked state buildings.

Witnesses of the events denied these claims, but these statements were not released either. Following the event, the authority recruited law enforcement “volunteers” from workers and university students, whose task was to look after the order. According to ujkor.hu, the rebellion in Szczecin was the only event in the Socialist circles that was directly caused by the crushing of the Hungarian Revolution.

Copy editor: bm

Mayors of Budapest, Vienna commemorate 1956

Vienna (MTI) – Budapest Mayor István Tarlós and his Vienna counterpart Michael Haupl commemorated together the 60th anniversary of Hungary’s 1956 revolution in the Austrian capital on Monday.

“Hungarians are to date grateful to Austria and the Austrian people for accepting Hungarian refugees with an open heart and supporting them sixty years ago,” Tarlos said at a memorial plaque in front of the Trautson Palace in central Vienna.

Austria had to cope with a lot of difficulties after WWII, but its people were optimistic and were in no doubt that they had to help Hungarian refugees escaping Soviet rule, said Haupl.

MTI Photo by István Filep
MTI Photo by István Filep

The memorial expresses thanks to the citizens of Vienna for helping Hungarians in 1956.

Photo: MTI

Polish football ultras paid tribute to the heroes of 1956

Origo.hu reports that the Legia Warszava – Lech Poznan football match brought a great act of remembrance, as the supporters of both teams used banners to pay tribute to the heroes of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.

[button link=”https://dailynewshungary.com/polish-president-andrzej-duda-marks-1956-anniversary-budapest/” color=”black” newwindow=”yes”] The Polish president gave a speech at the commemoration of the Revolution of 1956[/button]

Legia, the home team eventually won the match 2-1, partly thanks to Nemanja Nikolics, footballer of the Hungarian national team. The supporters of Legia had a huge banner, saying We are paying tribute to the heroes of ’56 (Tisztelgünk az 56-os hősök előtt).

foci-lengyel-56-1956-tisztelges

But the other half of the stadium was not indifferent either: they also had a banner with the words Friendship of nations (Nemzetek barátsága).

foci-lengyel-56-1956-tisztelges

Photos: facebook.com/ekstraklasa.hu

Copy editor: bm

Several commemoration events were marking the 1956 anniversary in Canada

Washington, DC, October 24 (MTI) – Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and Economy Minister Mihály Varga took part in several commemoration events marking the 60th anniversary of Hungary’s anti-Soviet uprising of 1956 in Canada over the weekend.

Speaking in Montreal, Szijjártó said that rather than opting to build a parallel society in their new home, Hungarians living in Canada had contributed to the achievements of that country.

“If someone were to look back on our history, they would have no doubt that the Hungarian nation is not only a nation of freedom-loving people but also one of freedom fighters,” the foreign minister said.

Szijjártó said the revolution of 1956 had proved that dictatorship “cannot take root” in Hungary. It also became clear then that if the freedom or sovereignty of the Hungarian people “appears to be violated in the slightest degree” then they are prepared to rise up even against “a superior force”, he added.

However, when Soviet forces entered the country to crush the revolution, Hungarians “like so many times throughout their history, were left to fend for themselves,” Szijjártó said. “Although it was clear to the world what was happening in Hungary, the international community remained silent… Even the UN Security Council failed to provide help to Hungary,” he said.

Szijjártó said Hungary was proud of the Hungarians who had contributed to making Canada the “great country” it is today, expressing gratitude to the country for taking in Hungarian refugees in 1956.

Meanwhile, Economy Minister Mihály Varga attended commemoration events in Toronto. Speaking to MTI over the phone after the celebrations, Varga said he had attended a wreath laying ceremony in the city’s Budapest Park. The event was also attended by Canadian politicians, including the speaker of Ontario’s legislative assembly. Forty Hungarians living in Canada took their oaths of citizenship at the event. Varga said that the skills and qualifications of Canadian-Hungarians had helped them become instrumental in Canada’s progress over the years.

The Hungarian Hello Wood’s installation in Budapest Park (Toronto)

 

Photo: MTI, Hello Wood/Gergely Szinnay

1956 – Gala at Hungarian State Opera marks anniversary

 

Budapest (MTI) – A gala performance was held at the Hungarian State Opera in Budapest to mark the 60th anniversary of the failed anti-Soviet uprising on Sunday evening.

The gala was attended by President János Áder, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and House Speaker László Kövér.

Before the performance, Human Resources Minister Zoltán Balog said in his address that a people must fight for their freedom, self-determination, and rule of law. He warned that the fight is incessant for those values and noted that each people should have the right to determine their own fate.

Balog Zoltán

The message of 1956 also suggests that “rich countries should not pass decisions over the less prosperous”, Balog added.

Photo: MTI

Polish president Andrzej Duda marks 1956 anniversary in Budapest

Budapest, October 23 (MTI) – Hungarians “have always been friends” and they can always rely on Poland, “even in difficult moments of the future”, Polish President Andrzej Duda said in his address at a commemoration of the 1956 revolution in front of Parliament on Sunday.

Photo: MTI
Photo: MTI

Referring to the Poznan uprising, which preceded developments in Budapest, Duda said that Polish revolutionaries wanted the same things as Hungarians: “a decent living and freedom, all that communism had taken away”. Hungarians, however, went even further: they demanded the withdrawal of Soviet troops, independence for the country, self-determination and a multi-party system, the Polish president said.

Poland is “proud and grateful” that it was able to provide aid to the Hungarian revolution, Duda said, and noted that his people had sent 44 tonnes of medicine and medical equipment as well as 800 litres of blood to Hungary shortly after the uprising broke out. “Poles are proud that the grandchildren of 1956 heroes have, symbolically, Polish blood in their veins”, the president said.

In Hungary’s freedom fight “thousands died, but after some decades, finally, you recovered your freedom through much suffering and sacrifice,” Duda said. He also voiced his conviction that “through hard work both Poles and Hungarians will achieve the living standards of western societies”.

 

Concerning the traditional freedom between the two countries, Duda said that they together “carry on the thousand-year-old Christian tradition in Europe”, and insisted that those traditions were just as important as freedom.

“God bless Poland and Hungary, glory to the heroes of the Hungarian revolution,” Duda said concluding his address.

Photo: MTI
Photo: MTI

Photo: MTI

1956 – Jobbik: ‘No bargaining’ over independence or freedom

Budapest, October 23 (MTI) – The country’s independence and the freedom of its people are “not for sale”, Gábor Vona, head of the Jobbik party, said at a commemoration of the 1956 anti-Soviet uprising at Budapest’s Corvin Cinema, a shrine of the revolution, on Sunday.

In his address, Vona paid tribute to the revolutionaries, and urged that the list of communist-era informers should be made public. He also urged that perpetrators of violent acts during anti-government demonstrations on the same day in 2006 should be punished.

Gábor Vona, president of Jobbik, photo: MTI
Gábor Vona, president of Jobbik, photo: MTI

On another subject, Vona said that all his party’s deputies had signed a declaration that they would not support the government’s constitutional amendment bill unless the government dropped its residency bond scheme.

1956 - Jobbik

1956 - Jobbik

Torchlight march - Jobbik's Youth Division (Jobbik IT), photo: MTI
Torchlight march – Jobbik’s Youth Division (Jobbik IT), photo: MTI

Photo: MTI

1956, state commemoration – Orbán: October 23 a ‘day to be proud’

Budapest, October 23 (MTI) – October 23 is a day on which Hungarians should be proud, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said at the state commemoration of Hungary’s anti-Soviet uprising of 1956 at Budapest’s Kossuth Square in front of Parliament on Sunday.

Even after 60 years, October 23 is still a day that “lifts up and cleanses us”, the prime minister said, calling the national holiday a “shared heritage” of the Hungarian people.

He said Hungarians can be thankful to the heroes of 1956 that Hungarians had much to be proud of even in “the darkest years of Hungary’s history”.

At the beginning of his speech, Orbán greeted Polish President Andrzej Duda, the guest of honour at this year’s celebrations. Orbán described Hungarian-Polish relations as a one thousand-year-old friendship of two “courageous” nations.

Photo: MTI
Photo: MTI

Hungarians will always fight for freedom and will achieve it “even in the most hopeless of situations,” Orbán insisted. “We, Hungarians, have a talent for freedom, we have always known how to use it. He warned that freedom is “not a final state but a way of existence; just like swimming: you stop doing it and you will sink”. The question is always this simple: whether we decide on our own fate or other people,” he added.

Concerning the European Union, Orbán said that “freedom-loving peoples of Europe must save Brussels from Sovietisation”. He argued that the EU must not be turned into a “modern-age empire”; the community must not be replaced by a “United States of Europe”. “We, Hungarians, want to remain a European nation, rather than become an ethnic minority in Europe,” Orban insisted. “It is only our national independence that can save us from being devoured by an empire,” Orbán said, and argued that it was that very “national idea” that had saved Hungary from being integrated into the Soviet Union.

As descendants of 1956, Hungarians “cannot let Europe cut the roots that had once made it great and also helped us survive communist oppression,” Orbán said.

He added that Europe could not be “free, strong, and respectable without the revitalising power of nations and two thousand years of Christian wisdom”, Orbán said.

History puts Hungary in the mainstream of disputes on the future of Europe every 30 years, the prime minister said. He argued that in 1956 Hungary attempted to “shift the Iron Curtain east of our borders”, then in 1989 the country opened its western borders “so that Germans could find a way to Germans”, while recently Hungary “had to close its borders to stop the influx of migrants from the south”.

Photo: MTI
Photo: MTI

Hungary will not falter “even if those whom we are trying to protect attack us from behind”; we have “the courage to face injustice… and Europe can always rely on us,” Orbán said. “We cannot allow terrorists, profit hunters that dispatch hundreds of thousands in the hopes of a better life to Europe, or the naive who have no idea what fatal jeopardy they will toss Europe and themselves into to gain ground,” Orbán said.

Hungary chose “the hard way” when it “preferred children of its own to immigrants, work to speculation, earning a living to becoming a slave of indebtedness, and protecting borders to surrendering”, Orbán said.

Photo: MTI
Photo: MTI

Concluding his speech, Orbán urged a “spiritual awakening” and argued that despite “political power, parliamentary majority or a new constitution” victory was not possible without “elevating the hearts” of the people. “For major things we need unity; for other things we need freedom, and love for all things,” he said.

Photo: MTI

 

Commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the 1956 revolution in Zurich

Zurich, October 22 (MTI) – The Hungarian and Swiss nations are linked by their shared European heritage and the key role played by freedom in their history, Zoltán Balog, Hungary’s human resources minister, told MTI after giving a speech at a commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the 1956 revolution in Zurich on Friday.

The minister spoke in front of hundreds of people commemorating the revolution about the shared intellectual, spiritual and cultural basis that linked Hungary and Switzerland in 1956, pointing out that this was what had allowed Hungarians to integrate into their new home in Switzerland.

1956 - Megemlékezés Zürichben

Balog said the difference between Europe’s current migration crisis and the exodus of some 200,000 Hungarians 60 years ago was that Hungarians and the nations that took them in shared a European cultural, intellectual and historic heritage, which he said allowed them to enrich one another in their coexistence in the same country, while those arriving in Europe today come from a distant foreign culture. If they were all admitted, they would change the historic and cultural face of the continent, he said.

The commemoration, where former member of the Swiss Federal Council Cristoph Blocher also gave a speech, ended with a performance by the Hungarian Radio Symphonic Orchestra, conducted by Tamás Vasary.

Conductor Tamás Vásáry
Conductor Tamás Vásáry

Vásáry Tamás

After the event, Balog also met with leaders of Hungarian organisations operating in Switzerland, commending their intensive ecclesiastic and cultural activity.

The events on 23 October are about heroism, tribute and freedom

At a press conference, MoD Parliamentary State Secretary Tamás Vargha stated that heroism, tribute and freedom will be the central ideas of the commemoration organized for the 60th anniversary of the 1956 Revolution and Freedom Fight.

The state secretary remarked that the struggles of the Hungarian nation were not over at the end of the Second World War, as “one occupation was followed by another”. October 1956 called for heroism and self-sacrifice. He added that those average young people who went to the streets in 1956 wrote history and sacrificed their lives without hesitation for Hungary’s freedom and independence.

In 1956, the Hungarians stood up for the nation, independence and freedom with “an elementary force”, the state secretary said. Speaking of the central programs, he emphasized that on Sunday, 23 October, the National Day of Hungarian Freedom, all Hungarians are expected to gather at 15:00 in the afternoon outside the House of Parliament in Kossuth Square, where speeches will be delivered by Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán and President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda.

In answer to a question, Tamás Vargha said that the most important thing is to guarantee the safety of participants, foreign guests and celebrators. The terror threat of the country has not changed, so the level of security measures for 23 October will be similar to that of the 20 August celebrations.

MoD Program Manager László Szabó told the press that the programs will be coordinated by the 1956 Memorial Committee. As usual, the Operations Unit will be responsible for the security of the events, in cooperation with representatives of the police, the disaster management, the ambulance service, the meteorological service and the Centre for Budapest Transport (BKK).

Saturday, 22 October

The central events already start on Saturday, 22 October. On that day, from 10:00 to 18:00, visitors can see the Holy Crown inside the House of Parliament. In the afternoon, former Prime Minister Péter Boross, President of the Public Foundation for Freedom Fighters delivers a speech at the 1956 memorial of the Budapest University of Technology (BME). At 15:00 in the afternoon, the traditional commemoration ceremony “The people made history” begins at BME, with speakers including Mária Schmidt, Government Commissioner in charge of the 1956 Memorial Year.

 

Following the BME commemoration ceremony, a torchlight procession sets off from BME to Józef Bem’s statue. At 17:30, the Flame of Revolution rises in Nagy Imre Square, where Mayor of Budapest István Tarlós delivers a speech. At 18:00 in the evening, a wreath-laying ceremony takes place at the Bem statue, where President of the Rákóczi Association József Halzl gives a speech.

Photo: MTI
Photo: MTI

Sunday, 23 Ocober

On Sunday, 23 October the central programs start in Kossuth Square, where, in the presence of President of Hungary János Áder, the flag of Hungary is raised with military honors at 09:00 in the morning. At 15:00, a ceremony entitled “For a Free Hungary” starts in Kossuth Square, after which, at 19:00 in the evening, the Freedom Concert begins in the László Papp Budapest Sports Arena.

László Szabó also noted that on 4 November there will be a period tram service on the tramlines 4 and 6, and newsboys will hand out 1956 news digests at the stops of trams 6 and 49.

Due to the weekend events, tram 2 will be running on a shortened route. On Saturday evening at 10:00, Vértanúk tere will be closed down, just like the lower quay on the Pest side on Sunday.

A detailed description of the central events organized for the 60th anniversary of the Revolution can be found on the website oktober23.kormany.hu.

The new, democratically elected National Assembly declared 23 October an official national holiday in 1991, which was later confirmed by the Fundamental Law of Hungary in 2012.

Photo: MTI

1956 through eyes of western diplomats exhibition opens in Budapest

united kingdom flag uk britain

Budapest (MTI) – An exhibition and associated website presenting Hungary’s 1956 revolution from the perspective of western diplomats opened at the British embassy on Thursday.

Britain’s ambassador Iain Lindsay said at a related press event that the job of the British diplomats and their Hungarian and British colleagues had been to observe and document the events taking place on the street at the time. The personal observations and reports were important for British diplomats in such organisations as the United Nations Security Council, he said.

The ambassador paid tribute to Hungarian colleagues working at the embassy in 1956 who had taken great risks in the course of their duty.

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The events of October and November 1956 can be glimpsed through the material of the British embassy’s reports, which are now unshrouded from secrecy, as well as the personal recollections of erstwhile British and Hungary employees at the exhibition and at www.1956nezopontok.hu.

Anniversary of the 1956 anti-Soviet revolution at Berlin’s Konzerthaus

Berlin, October 19 (MTI) – Zoltán Balog, Hungary’s human resources minister, attended a ceremony marking the upcoming anniversary of the 1956 anti-Soviet revolution at Berlin’s Konzerthaus.

At the ceremony organised by the Hungarian Embassy, the minister thanked Germany for its solidarity with the people who fled Hungary after the failed uprising.

In his address, Balog said Hungary had “paid a high price for freedom” and he paid tribute to the 2,500 victims of the revolution, including many Roma “of whom we are proud”. He also noted that 249 people had been sentenced to death for their participation and 22,000 were imprisoned. Some 18,000 people were interned and a total 180,000 left the country at the time of communist retaliation, he added.

Photo: Balázs Szecsõdi
Photo: Balázs Szecsõdi

The ceremony was also addressed by German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble. He noted that Hungary had been the first country to dismantle the Iron Curtain, an act which had created a close link between the two countries.

After the ceremony, Balog told Hungarian public media that “Schauble is an important ally” for Hungary. “He helped us a lot in Brussels when they wanted to punish Hungary with illegitimate financial measures,” he said, adding that he trusted that the German minister’s approach would help to convince those who “still fail to understand Hungary’s endeavours in Europe”.

Photo: MTI