“One hundred years after the end of the First World War, it is the duty of all of us to bow our heads before our heroes, to maintain their final resting places in a worthy state, and to commemorate them with respect and reverence”, the Ministry of Defence’s Parliamentary State Secretary Szilárd Németh said on Friday 28 June at the official inauguration of the refurbished military plot and memorials at the Holy Trinity Cemetery in Gyula.
The State Secretary pointed out that one of the important goals of the Ministry and the Government is for as few Hungarian soldiers as possible to remain nameless, so that their heroism and dedication can serve as an example to all Hungarians. In the interests of this, several military cemeteries and war memorials have been refurbished in connection to the one hundredth anniversary of the end of the First World War.
The Ministry of Defence’s Institute and Museum of Military History published the tender for the renovation of the newly inaugurated cemetery, within the framework of which the Diocese of Szeged-Csanád was awarded over 32 million forints (EUR 100,000), out of which it undertook to renovate 332 military graves and three memorials.
“With relation to developing a love of the military, I regard military education, maintaining military traditions, and the worthy and reverent respect for the memory of military heroes as extremely important, not only in Hungary, but throughout the Carpathian Basin. These also represent a valuable link with relation to the cross-border solidarity of the Hungarian nation”, Mr. Németh highlighted, adding that the Institute and Museum of Military History is playing an outstanding role in this, and is receiving significant budgetary resources and government funding to enable it to realise these goals.
The State Secretary also spoke about the fact that according to Hungary’s standpoint, the sons of all nations deserve a final resting place, and accordingly it does not differentiate between the soldiers who lost their lives in Hungary. “We are doing everything possible to ensure that all of their graves and memorials are maintained in a worthy state, and by doing so are assuring their homelands, nations and descendants the opportunity to commemorate them with reverence. In the spirit of mutual respect, we expect the same for Hungarian soldiers who have been laid to rest in the earth of other countries”, Mr. Németh stressed. “One of the goals of such agreements it to prevent immoral, irreverent and unlawful events, such as occurred and are continuing to occur at the Hungarian military cemetery in Úzvölgy (Valea Uzului) in Transylvania, from ever happening again”, he added.
At the end of his speech, the State Secretary thanked the heads of the Diocese, the city council of Gyula, its employees, and the Roma Minority Local Government of Gyula, the representatives of which also took part in the ceremony.
At the event, speeches were also given by Mayor of Gyula Ernő Görgényi and Bishop of the Diocese of Szeged-Csanád László Kiss Rigó. Following the speeches, wreathes were laid at the obelisk in the cemetery’s military plot, after which flowers were placed on the renovated graves. The event ended with a three-volley salute.