In Budapest on Wednesday, at an event commemorating the Battle of Nándorfehérvár (present-day Belgrade), Minister of State for Culture Péter Hoppál said that “In remembering the victory, we must remind ourselves and the whole of Europe that all those centuries ago Hungary was not only already a part of Europe, but also its defender”.
The ceremony started after the noonday bell. Mr. Hoppál said that ringing the bells at noon continues to be a remembrance of the victory in 1456, in which a Christian army led by the Voivode of Transylvania János Hunyadi and the Franciscan friar Giovanni da Capestrano (later canonised) overcame superior numbers to defeat the invading army of the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II. This gave the rest of Europe twenty years to prepare for the next wave of conquest.
Mr. Hoppál said that the chronicles record that the battle was not only won through force of arms, but also through belief in God and country. He said that Hungary is located in the heart of Europe, where all four points of the compass meet. For the East, it is a gateway to the West, while for the West it is an ally which is familiar with the East. At this crossroads, it was Hungarians’ legendary thirst for freedom that enabled them to safeguard their language, customs and culture.
The Minister of State called the recent wave of migrants from the Middle East and Africa a sad present-day reality, but stressed that the gates of a country and a continent cannot be allowed to stand unguarded. He said that Hungarians have had to learn the hard way that “if we do not defend ourselves, no one else will do it for us”.
He said that a government is responsible for the welfare of its citizens, and must not allow economic migrants to take away jobs, endanger public safety and enjoy the benefits of a more developed country, while refusing to integrate and become Europeans or Hungarians.
Celebrations of the victory of 22 July 1456 were held at the Museum of Military History in the Buda Castle district.