The Aim is to Strengthen Relations

On Wednesday, November 2 a memorial service was held in the cemetery of Vittoria, Sicily to commemorate the soldiers who died in the former POW camp set up in the area of the town. The event was attended by MoD Parliamentary State Secretary Dr. István Simicskó, Col. Vilmos Kovács, the commandant of the MoD Military History Institute and Museum (MoD MHIM) and István Szabó, the mayor of Mátészalka. The Hungarian settlement in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County is the twin town of Vittoria.

The memorial service held in the cemetery was followed by a Holy Mass for the salvation of the dead, celebrated by Paolo Urso, the bishop of Ragusa.

After the November 2 events, Dr. István Simicskó told us that the aim of his official visit to Sicily was to strengthen their commitment to the Hungarian–Italian relations. The State Secretary noted that a POW camp was built from huts near Vittoria during the First World War between 1916 and 1918, accommodating hundreds of captive troops serving with the army of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. Among them, 118 dead Hungarian soldiers were laid to final rest in the town’s cemetery, whose beautiful Hungarian chapel was visited by then President of the Republic Árpád Göncz in 1999.

Dr. István Simicskó added that there is an Italian–Hungarian war museum operating in the town, with many tools in its collection that introduce the everyday life of the POW camp. Thanks to the MoD MHIM, the visitors to the hut museum can learn about Hungarian history too.

The State Secretary stressed that in 2012 it will be 85 years since the chapel was consecrated. The Hungarians and the Italians are both preparing to commemorate this anniversary deservedly.

Speaking about his talks with the municipal leaders, the MoD Parliamentary State Secretary told us that he proposed that a joint commission should be set up to include representatives of Vittoria and the MoD MHIM, who would be tasked to explore the possibilities of further cooperation, thereby strengthening the relations between the two countries, in particular the military-to-military ones based on military history. István Simicskó thanked the leaders and residents of the town for their attitude towards the cause of the former Hungarian POWs and Hungary. At the meeting it was suggested that they would do well to discuss the arrangements for the ceremony to be held on the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I.

During the negotiations Col. Vilmos Kovács discussed the possibilities of popularizing the museum through further exhibitions and publications.

On Friday, November 4 the Hungarian delegation led by the State Secretary attended the ceremonies marking the National Unity and Armed Forces Day in the town.