Bowing Heads before the Memory of Soldier Heroes in Békéscsaba

At the inauguration ceremony of the graveyard, by commemorating the heroism of the legendary Royal and Imperial 101st Infantry Regiment, Lajos Erdélyi, the Deputy State Secretary for Human Policy of the Ministry of Defence drew the attention to the responsibility of the descendants. “It is important today that the memory of the Hungarian soldiers will not be forgotten. We must not allow their graves to deteriorate, their tombs to grow over with weeds, to cause damage to them either through negligence or intentionally. When we lay the wreaths of respect in the Heroes’ Cemetery of Békéscsaba, our grateful remembrance goes to the Hungarian soldiers, who sacrificed themselves defending our homeland! Their dedicated service should stand forever as a shining example before the posterity!" – he stated.

In his speech, Péter Szarvas, the Mayor recalled that “from among the inhabitants living in the territory of the historic Békés County close to ten thousand people died as heroes. One of the most traumatic events of the history of Békéscsaba was when the 101st infantry regiment went to war. During the First World War the common war hospital of the Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy had operated in Békéscsaba. Thus this graveyard had become the resting place of the soldiers who had been transported here or who had passed here. The soldiers of more than six nations sleep their eternal dreams in the 728 graves of the cemetery: 489 Hungarian, 89 Russian, 14 Serbian, 13 Italian, 12 German, 105 Romanian and 6 of unknown nationality. Our renovated cemetery will remind the next generations of the heroes, who brought the greatest sacrifice for their homeland. Our mission is taking care of the graves, as remembrance keeps the respect of the posterity alive, and passes on the values of the past."

Tamás Herczeg, the Parliamentary Representative of the region, by evoking the memories of the Honvéds of the town and the county who died as heroes, reminded also of the huge loss of human lives, which our homeland had suffered in the Great War. “History books, movies, grandparents and great grandparents tell us about the cataclysm 100 years ago, about the meaningless deaths of millions" – he noted.

After 1st Lt. Ferenc Dudás, Protestant, and Lt. Mihály Gábor Bálint Catholic Army Chaplains’ commemorative prayers, the attendants laid wreaths at the statue of the Injured Honvéd, standing in the middle of the Heroes’ Cemetery, the work of Vilhelm Pop and László Papp, the symbol of sacrifice-taking and patriotism.

On behalf of the Ministry of Defence and the Hungarian Defence Forces, Deputy State Secretary Lajos Erdélyi, and Brig.-Gen. Zoltán Apáti, the Deputy Commander of the HDF Augmentation, Preparation and Training Command, then Péter Szarvas, the Mayor placed a wreath. Representing the Békés County Governmental Office and the County’s Defence Committee, Lt.-Col. Gábor Hajdú Fire Chief, and Lt.-Col. László Gulyás, representing the former Békéscsaba Garrison’s soldiers Lt.-Col. József Lipták, and Major József Kincses and Major Tibor Braun placed the flowers of remembrance on the graves.

The soldiers of the 101st Territorial Defence Battalion of the HDF 2nd vitéz Vattay Antal Territorial Defence Regiment participated in the inauguration ceremony of the Heroes’ Cemetery.

Photos of the author