One must believe in the success of national causes

Mr István Simicskó added: in 1848 and 1849 our ancestors behaved as heroes, chose a courageous struggle instead of waiver, and departed on the road of uniting all Hungarians into one single nation.

He also highlighted the fact that on 6th October a national tragedy is recalled which would have made other nations collapse. According to the minister, even if there are many who say that the War of Independence was suppressed, in fact Hungarians won “because that was one of the factors allowing us to live in a free, independent, and prosperous country today".

As Mr Simicskó emphasised, the real loss would have been if the freedom fighters had not taken up arms. They expressed their respect, love, and appreciation to their country, many of them even sacrificed their lives for the motherland. This way they set an example not only for us, Hungarians, but also to all people in the world.

There are challenges and risks today as well, for instance the new migration of peoples, which makes it paramount that the nation should be able to unite its forces when the future of Hungarians is at stake, the minister said.

Among others, descendants of martyr General József Schweidel, several soldiers of the Hungarian Defence Forces, mayor of Újbuda Mr Tamás Hoffmann, and several officials of the district participated at the commemoration.

As part of the celebration, wreaths were laid at the statues of József Schweidel and his comrade martyr György Lahner, then with the ringing of the passing bell in the background, the names of all thirteen martyrs of Arad were read out in the garden of the Petőfi Sándor Barracks in Budapest.

6th October was declared a day of national mourning in 2001 by the government, the day when the 13 martyrs executed in Arad after suppression of the Revolution and War of Independence of 1848-49, and the first Prime Minister of Hungary Count Lajos Batthyány, executed in Pest the same day, are commemorated.

This year the centrally organised programs of the national day of mourning began in Kossuth Square in front of the Houses of Parliament at 8 o’clock a.m. when the national flag of Hungary was raised then lowered to half-mast in the presence of President of the Republic Mr János Áder.

In the cemetery on Fiumei Road a commemoration and a wreath laying ceremony were held at the Batthyány Mausoleum at 10 o’clock. There will be extraordinary history lessons held, and walks taken as well. Also in the Fiumei Road Cemetery an open-air exhibition is organised, entitled “The Memory of their Beloved Ones" to recall the martyrs of Arad.

Photos by Veronika Dévényi