Zrínyi Day: Traditions And Patriotism

The sculptor, retired colonel Professor Dr. Lajos Berek, winner of the Mednyánszky award, and the delegation of officers who had graduated from the Ludovika Academy, led by retired colonel Dr. Gyula Kakasi also participated in the program.

At the inaugural ceremony retired lieutenant colonel György Káplán shared his thoughts with the guests. He said the champions of the history of Hungarian officer training were three women. The retired colonel specifically mentioned the work of Maria Theresia who introduced a law on the establishment of organized military in Austria in 1715. He also called attention to the activity of Maria Ludovika, who had the emperor in Bratislava sign the decision of the national assembly on the establishment of a Hungarian military. “We Ludovica graduates keep the memory of Maria Ludovica in our hearts and we are very proud that the successors also remember her in an appropriate manner," emphasized György Káplán. Finally he spoke about the efforts of Queen Elisabeth, who established the Royal Hungarian Army two years after the Settlement of 1867.

After the speech of the retired colonel, Dr. Ágnes Vadai, the state secretary of the Ministry of Defence, and Dr. János Szabó, the rector of the university unveiled the bust, which was also blessed by the representatives of the church. The event continued with the presentation of the statue benefactor award: Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Gábor Szarka, the commander of the Student Battalion received the recognition.

In her address Dr. Ágnes Vadai said the Honvéd Ludovika Academy has stood the test of time. "It is also proven by the fact that you, the scholarship students of the Student Branch of Zrínyi Miklós University of National Defence have unanimously supported the idea that the Student Battalion should adopt the name Ludovika Student Battalion," said the state secretary, who also underlined that from 1872 until 1945, a total of 9,453 students were commissioned by the Academy. "It deserves our recognition that the leaders of the ZMNE do not only support but also promote the efforts of scolarship students to foster Hungarian military traditions," added Dr. Vadai. Like she said, by preserving our heritage the Zrínyi Miklós University of National Defence plays an important role in acquainting people with our Hungarian and common European past.

The speech of the state secretary was followed by a wreath-laying ceremony and the presentation of the Ludovika insignias.

After the inaugural ceremony Dr. Ágnes Vadai hurried directly to the library of the Zrínyi Miklós University of National Defence, where the lecture series titled ’Patriotism, Love of Your Country, National Defence’ began in the afternoon. "There are many ways to love the homeland. We can be patriots in many ways. Those who have taken an oath to protect the country, and are ready to sacrifice their lives for that, love their country very much," said the state secretary, adding that national defence education is an important part of patriotism. "The reason why I consider it important is because I believe it is a part of the spiritual and physical development of today’s youth. Because the education we provide offers things no other institution could. But national defence education cannot exist without general education by its side," underlined the state secretary.

The lecture contitued with the presentation of Colonel (eng.) Dr. Sándor Felházi, entitled ‘The appearance of national defence in Hungarian secondary and tertiary education’, followed by Colonel Prof. Dr. József Padányi’s presentation ‘Missions in the Monarchy’. The library program ended with Zsófia Somogyi’s presentation entitled ‘Personal attachments – with the eyes of the great-grandchild’.